I am writing this post from Labuan Bajo, a dusty, ratty (in the literal sense of the word!!) fishing village, where rubbish and open sewage welcome you entering fine italian dining places, on the island of Flores in the Eastern Nusa Tenggara one of the 17 thousands that fall under Indonesian flag...
here is the view now at 1:30 pm yet some little rain seems to be arriving just from the mountain behind me....it's the rainy and low season in the country and it was a concern for me till the last second...
..yes because after landing in Denpansar, Bali at midnight I still didn't know where I was going to go the day after...so I made myself comfortable on the benches of a nice Chinese restaurant at the entrance of the departures floor and I slept on it!!!
I was up at 6 am and peacefully floated/walked to the domestic airport that is some 500 metres away from the international Ngurah Rai, that's where the airlines travel agencies are located.
Uncaring of the fact that I had been purposely fasting all day and flying from Colombo through the new Kuala Lumpur airport till Bali, I handed my card and passport to the smiley young boy that issued me a return ticket to the (building in progress) Komodo airport.
it seemed just straightforward and normal and in 20 minutes I was checked in and in 90 minutes boarding again on a small aircraft of 100 seats, little I knew that my seat 1A was in the last raw as the entrance and main door was from behind!!
Little I knew also that the flight was also going to be an highlight of my trip to the national park and home of the Komodo dragons or Varanus komodoensis, the largest lizard in the world that I am so excited to go and visit tomorrow..
with 5000 IDR, Indonesian rupiah, (35 euro cents) a scooter taxi drove me and Rob the 2 km from the airport till a very chaotic centre left side of the village where we are sharing a super Spartan room for 100000 IDR (7 euros)....the centre right side is for the locals and doesn't have all the things and facilities the tourists need....
in the evening around the port and where the dry fish market is held in the day time, locals set up food stall for locals (the majority of the tourists seem to prefer amongst the choice of four italian dining places) selling squids and fish barbecueable on the spot for as little as 35-50000 IDR...
...now I have to go as I have an appointment for a "relax massage" (1h - 120000 IDR!!) and I don't wanna be late.....
here is the view now at 1:30 pm yet some little rain seems to be arriving just from the mountain behind me....it's the rainy and low season in the country and it was a concern for me till the last second...
..yes because after landing in Denpansar, Bali at midnight I still didn't know where I was going to go the day after...so I made myself comfortable on the benches of a nice Chinese restaurant at the entrance of the departures floor and I slept on it!!!
I was up at 6 am and peacefully floated/walked to the domestic airport that is some 500 metres away from the international Ngurah Rai, that's where the airlines travel agencies are located.
Uncaring of the fact that I had been purposely fasting all day and flying from Colombo through the new Kuala Lumpur airport till Bali, I handed my card and passport to the smiley young boy that issued me a return ticket to the (building in progress) Komodo airport.
it seemed just straightforward and normal and in 20 minutes I was checked in and in 90 minutes boarding again on a small aircraft of 100 seats, little I knew that my seat 1A was in the last raw as the entrance and main door was from behind!!
with 5000 IDR, Indonesian rupiah, (35 euro cents) a scooter taxi drove me and Rob the 2 km from the airport till a very chaotic centre left side of the village where we are sharing a super Spartan room for 100000 IDR (7 euros)....the centre right side is for the locals and doesn't have all the things and facilities the tourists need....
in the evening around the port and where the dry fish market is held in the day time, locals set up food stall for locals (the majority of the tourists seem to prefer amongst the choice of four italian dining places) selling squids and fish barbecueable on the spot for as little as 35-50000 IDR...
...now I have to go as I have an appointment for a "relax massage" (1h - 120000 IDR!!) and I don't wanna be late.....
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