Blogs from Flores, Indonesia, Asia - page 6

Having been on the road for almost 7 months I feel contentment in just stopping. Whilst enjoying the cycling adventure it is nice not to have the pressure of needing to reach the next destination using pedal power! Sorry the blog has been neglected. We had written up daily until our arrival in Laos but just lacked internet access to post it as we went. I will post the entries but please don't feel any obligation to read the numerous back entries. We rose to the challenge of cycling through the hills and mountains in northern Vietnam and Laos and were glad we did. It turned out to be one of our favourite parts of the journey with stunning scenery and quiet roads. We made a last minute decision to fill an empty 10 days before ... read more

Nestled between the islands of Sumbawa and Timor are the islands of Flores, Komodo and Rinca with their jagged hills carpeted in savannah and fringed with mangroves. This pristine paradise is only a 1.5 hour flight from Bali, but a world away. These islands are isolated and unique. The convergence of cold and warm water currents attracts dolphins, sharks, mantas and blue whales. The coral is pristine and there are numerous empty white sand beaches. Tourism is developing in the western part of Flores Island, but we feel fortunate to be able to be here before the “big boom” hits. This blog entry is mainly going to consist of photos as words can’t do justice to the stunning beauty of this part of the world. We started our adventure with a live-aboard boat trip visiting the ... read more

After skipping coffee with the President of the United States upon our arrival in Bali it seems he managed to get his own back the following morning as we began our journey to the island of Flores, 2 hours east of Bali. We made our way across the shimmering tarmac to our tiny plane, our weary bodies cooled only by the shade of Air Force One, and took our seats. We sat through all the usual inflight spiel about safety and waited for the Captain to fire up the engines. After 45 minutes or so we were told that due to security precautions the Airport had been temporarily closed, and we would have to wait a while longer. Evidently Mr President was due to depart, and his flight would take priority. Sure enough, 5 or 10 ... read more

We went to the world's largest Muslim country, and found a convent. We even stayed there, and took the opportunity to photograph aspects of our hosts' lives. Flores was colonised by the Portuguese (flores = flowers). The most obvious remnant of their time here is the widespread Catholicism of the island's inhabitants. Simple churches stand where Bali has its temples and the rest of Indonesia has its mosques. In 1000 metre high Ruteng we also found regular rain for the first time. Deafening downpours would last for hours in the afternoon, necessitating early starts. As we were staying in the convent with a 9pm curfew and 6.30am breakfast, this was not difficult. Ruteng itself is fairly unremarkable, but it is surrounded by imposing peaks and lush countryside. It sits on a plateau which houses rice fields ... read more

The week before when I was staying at the Seminary in Kisol, Father Fabi told me about some big lizards that could be found at Riung on the north coast of Flores which I thought sounded like they might be sail-finned lizards (Hydrosaurus). Another person who came visiting whilst I was there told me they were very common and anybody in the town could take me to see them (although he had never actually been to Riung himself, and neither had Father Fabi). I didn't think I would get to Riung, but then with the changes in my itinerary to eliminate Sumba and spend an extra week on Flores it turned out I had the time after all. After the excitement of visiting Istana Ular, I spent the night in Ruteng and the next morning took ... read more