Sunrise over Kelimutu
By Thomas on January 27, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Up at 3:45 AM – man, that’s painful – and I had to practically drag Tony out of bed onto the floor to get him to wake up. (Getting Tony up that early is like waking a Tasmanian devil.) The last major activity on our tour was watching the sunrise over Mount Kelimutu, our second Indonesian volcano after Bromo. Famous for its three colorful crater lakes, Kelimutu is quite the natural wonder. The mineral-rich lakes all vary in color, and due to chemical reactions in the water, the colors can dramatically change over time. I had seen pictures of brown, green, yellow and even red lakes. Needless to say, we were curious to see what color combination was in store for us.
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The Lio Tribe
By Tony on January 25, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Our latest foray into the tribal cultural of Flores was a visit to Wologai, a traditional Lionese village situated on a beautifully forested volcanic ridge an hour past Ende. (The topography of Flores is phenomenal.)
Wologai is one of the few villages in the Ende district with well preserved Lionese art and architecture. Because of its adherence to traditional building practices, the village serves as the location for several of the Lio tribe’s celebrations.
The villagers were friendly yet shy, and quite adamant that we » Continue reading this post »
Blue at Blue Stone Beach
By Thomas on January 23, 2012 | No Comments »
On our way from Riung to Moni, we broke up the long journey at Blue Stone Beach on the southern coast of Flores. Famous for the colorful baby blue rocks which wash up on a stretch of black volcanic sand, the beach is featured on every tour itinerary. Blue Stone Beach, Blue Stone Beach, Blue Stone Beach. It sounds incredibly exotic. I couldn’t wait to see this masterpiece of nature.
But it wasn’t there.
Dozens upon dozens of Indonesian entrepreneurs » Continue reading this post »
Here Be Dragons, Too
By Tony on January 21, 2012 | No Comments »
Most guidebooks and online resources suggest that the range of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is limited to Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Gili Dasami, and the mainland of Flores just opposite Rinca. So imagine our surprise when we discovered a population of “dragons” here in the Riung archipelago as well.
What?
Apparently, locals have known for some time that large monitors inhabit the shores of northern Flores to the west of Riung as well as some of the offshore islands. Locals suggest the government is only now taking notice of the Riung dragons’ existence. For centuries, colonists and travelers have been passing through Flores and, somehow, they seem to have missed the dragons of Riung. Could that be possible? After » Continue reading this post »
Seventeen Islands Marine Park
By Thomas on January 19, 2012 | 2 Comments »
After sitting in a car for several days, we’ve decided to mix it up a little and change our mode of transportation. From Riung town, located on the northern coast of Flores, we chartered a boat to take us around the Seventeen Islands Marine Park known for its beaches, coral gardens and interesting wildlife. For $45, our motley group of four was promised » Continue reading this post »
