ar·chi·pel·a·go

[ahr-kuh-pel-uh-goh] –noun: a large group or chain of islands: the Malay Archipelago. Indonesia is made up of more than 17,500 islands. 17,500 seems like an impossibly large number- maybe not in terms of the number of times I've heard "hey mister!" while in Indonesia; but, when speaking in terms of land masses, it seems infeasible. On my most recent vacation I witnessed the feasibility of that large number during a ten day tour through Lombok, Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Trawangan, and a plethora of nameless islands in between.Our trip began in Lombok, Bali's less exploited but far more beautiful neighbor. After a much-too-short reunion with some of my favorite ETA's who had been on vacation the previous week, we booked a 5-day boat trip to hunt the infamous Komodo dragon. Our boat, about the size of the S.S. Minnow, was a United Nations of sorts with people from Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, England,  and Sweden among others. Accommodations aboard our luxury liner included a small (6X5) cabin with bunk beds, four shared bathrooms with showers, an indoor dining area, plenty of deck space, three meals a day, snacks, and beer- unfortunately the captain's gala and on board theater were not included. 

The main attractions of this trip were the islands of Komodo and Rinca-and with nothing but a guide wielding a forked stick for protection, we braved the possibility of fatal Komodo bites for a glimpse at these rare dinosaurs. About ten minutes into our trek on Komodo we were stopped in our tracks by a large male sunning in the path. I had seen Komodos on the Discovery channel but that was no preparation for the massive size of this lizard. After time for photos, the guide used his stick to nudge the Komodo out of the way- he retaliated by angrily swinging his powerful tail as he lumbered into the brush. We saw three more dragons that day, two sunning on rocks and one walking along the beach. After stopping in Flores we continued to the island of Rinca, which is also home to Komodos. Unfortunately it was overcast, so while this island looked like a scene from Jurassic Park, the only dinosaurs we saw were those hanging out around the ranger's station lured by the smell of the kitchen. As scavengers Komodos have an innate sense of smell- women on their period are warned against visiting these islands. 

Our five days on the boat were punctuated by snorkeling in the coral reefs, visiting a red sand beach, stopping to explore uninhabited islands, jumping off the boat into clear blue water, and visiting a small village with a turquoise waterfall and rope swing. I swam with graceful turtles, countless fish I can't even name, and even a 4 foot black tip shark! I also faced the possibility of being stranded on an island when I returned to the beach from snorkeling to find everyone else already aboard the boat (Eric claims to have had this under control, but I'm doubtful). Throughout the trip we were never far from land, and we watched the sun rise and set in brilliant orange and pink over uninhabited islands and volcanoes- dark masses looming out of the water at night and picturesque green hillsides during the day. 

When our five-day tour came to an end we headed to the island of Gili Trawangan or Gili T- the largest (4-5 miles around) in a set of three small islands skirting Lombok. Like Lombok, the Gili islands are on the cusp of being the next big thing so resorts and other Western commodities have sprung up all along the coast. Needless to say the last three days of our vacation were spent indulging not only in the white sand beaches and the vibrant waters, but in the Illy cappuccinos, baked goods, sandwiches, Mexican food, artisan beers, and cocktails made with local palm liquor. We were thoroughly spoiled before returning back to the harsh realities of high school. My Picassa web albums contain all of my photos from the trip, so take a look: https://picasaweb.google.com/117936917829784254576/March?authkey=Gv1sRgCIubr9-f4PLm8wE&feat=directlink