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Day
8 (October 26, 2018) Rinca Tour
Before
We’re going to spend two entire days for the visit to Komodo
National Park and the near highlights. The idea is having one day for
Komodo area
and other day for Rinca area.
The spots marked at map are:
0- Wae Molas Hotel in Lebuan Bajo
1- Rinca Island
2- Padar Island
3- Komodo National Park
4- Pink Beach
5- Manta point
6- Kalong Island(flying foxes)
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After
We’ve booked the Sunset Cruise with Alba Cruise
for today
so, until 11:40 AM that we’re going to be picked up, our only task is
to relax. At the scheduled time we’re ready and we’re taken to a hotel
where we pay 1100000 rupees per person and get on board of their
catamaran. In their advertisements they say this tour is done every day
as long as there are at least two persons for it and we can say this is
true as it resulted we’re the only ones for it today. So, it’s turned
to be a private tour.
The visits today are all near. The first stop is
in Kelor
island, where we find a beautiful beach and a peak to climb for amazing
views. When we’re back down I’m sweeting a lot and join this clear
water for a refresh.
Next stop is in Majerite, an island with green
areas on
it. But we’re not here for the island but for the reef in its coast.
The underwater views remind me to the Great Barrier Reef.
Suddenly it starts to rain so strong that I can
feel how
the drops are biting my back. These rains here are intense, but short.
When we’re leaving this place, the sun is strong again.
 
The next place in our tour is Rinca Island. This
visit was
though as an alternative in case we couldn’t see dragons in Komodo but,
as yesterday was that good, we’re just repeating experience.
 
We can see four dragons on the shadow of the
buildings.
There is one young dragon wandering around and it is the only dragon
that is moving.
The trekking following our ranger guide takes us to
a place
called “Dragon’s nest” and there is indeed one nest: a female dragon is
guarding a hole in the ground where the eggs are. It looks to us like
dragons in Rinca are smaller than in Komodo.
  
Once back we say good bye to our ranger and get
some drinks
in the bar. Rinca’s landscapes are like in mangrove so I presume all
this dry area must get flooded sometimes. I ask to our guide about it
and he confirms I’m right.
 
There is only one more stop to do today and it is
at a
specific time. At sunset, hundreds of flying foxes leave Kalong island,
which is basically a mangrove in the middle of the sea, to Flores
island for fruit and come back by sunrise. It is still too early, so we
need to make some time.
We stop in a lonely beach near Kalong island while
waiting
and when the time is coming we go close to the mangrove, where other
boats are taking its place too. We enjoy the sunset and, when the
darkness is almost complete, these sorts of huge bats start to move in
the island.
This amazing show is performed in silence, which is
shocking due to the amount of flying foxes covering the sky and the
flow of animals leaving the island is not stopping.
 
All boats are in the same side of the island,
looking to
the West, where the last lights from the sun allow to make pictures of
this wonder.
When we leave flying foxes are still leaving the
island.
It’s about 7 PM when we’re delivered back to the hotel where we get
gnocchi and spaghetti for diner, with olive pate for share by 227,000
rupees.
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