Dragons

We crack ourselves out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to find the fabled Komodo Dragons. We make our way to the office in which we booked our trip. The street is full of uniform-clad children ambling towards school and parents zipping to work on mopeds, but the office is closed with nobody to take us on our trip. After a few minutes, the fellow who sold us our trip rolls up on his scooter and directs us towards the docks. When we arrive in the harbor, he hollers at sleeping men on ancient boats, trying to coax someone into taking us on our safari at this ungodly hour.

He is able to roust a crew and explain our itinerary which is to include Komodo National Park and Bidabari Island for snorkeling. Our salesman bids us a pleasant farewell and we set sail with a crew who doesn't speak a word of English (and seems ill-inclined to speak to us in any language).

You know that speed that is posted in harbors which is supposed to keep boats from making wakes? That was our top speed for the duration of our laborious journey. 3 hours later we arrive at Komodo National Park. There to greet us at the dock are 2 dragons. One was lazy and lethargic. The other was alert and ready for action. A man with a big stick started walking up the path with us in tow, sending the dragon running. Welcome!

The island consists of the park, a shack for the headquarters, a few huts for the park rangers to live in, and a couple dorm-style huts for guests. Here we are assigned a ranger and set off into the most oppressive equatorial heat ever. (The sweat pours off in buckets!) We immediately come upon 10 dragons dozing in a bit of shade. One of these beasts takes a liking to Steve. (Or possibly a dis-liking but I am a glass-is-half-full kind of gal.) The beast comes toward us as I position myself on the far side of the ranger. After Steve enjoys an intense staring contest, the ranger steps forward with a big stick and the lizard stands down. It seems rather easy to deflect these killers, but it was interesting to learn that only a few days before our arrival, one of the rangers was bitten by a dragon. The ranger had to be evacuated to one of the bigger islands and had finally made it to hospital where he was recovering.

During the rest of our walking safari, we saw monkeys, buffalo, and a wild pig. It was a steamy excursion but the dragons were frightful. The only thing missing was their world-famous drool!