We came with two Check girls Catherina dan Lucy 19 and 20. From Labuanbajo to Rinca maybe 1and a half hours. At Rinca island there were maybe four or five boats – all tourists doing the same as us. We walked through the mangrove area and mud flats. Many monkeys were sitting there and our guide Bruno said they were often ‘fishing’ putting their tails down the crab holes and then when the crab bites them pulling them out quickly and eating them.
It is more expensive to bring your camera to Rinca and Komodo than enter yourself 50k still camera (video camera even more)and 20k pp to enter the Komodo national park for three days.
Under the guides offices accommodation there were quite a few Komodo dragons – lucky because we didn’t see many on our walk. We saw skulls placed in trees evidence of carnivorous activity by the komodos- monkeys water buffalo and wild pigs. It is interesting the poo of the Komodo is white – even when fresh!!! Great digestion leaving mainly the calcium of the bones.
Water buffalo have been introduced to Rinca so now there only job is to rest eat the grass and be the occasional meal for a dragon.
On the walk we saw Komodo dragon nests they use every year – apparently it is mating season now so they can be aggressive. Usually they have about 15-30 eggs. When the baby komodos hatch they have to be careful often they are eaten by larger komodos.
Later we went snorkelling – beautiful coral and lots of fish all different sizes and colours.
We play a game called Bang bang a Check game all with Spanish outlaw characters and a sheriff. So we shared out Beng-beng bars it was fitting.
Sleeping on the boat in front of the bat island.
Komodo island early the next morning – that was good because it was really hot – at the end of the walk the guide had sweat from his underarms almost to his waist.
Do they train a few Komodos to become semi-tame as the only Komodo we saw was also close to the rangers residence?
Our guide Jhon gave us his speech about Steve Irwin who he met several years ago and said about how he warned him being careful with wild animals.
Then back to the boat - after a big icy cold drink of chocolate milk with sprinkles the search was on for the manta rays. There seems to be a set program you see the same faces on the boats that go to Rinca, snorkel, fruit bat island Komodo, swim with mantas and on to Angel island for snorkelling.
It may be a choreographed thing but I enjoyed it.
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