Our past 4-5 days have been relatively laid back. We have been passing a 24 hour flu bug around amongst us, one at a time taking our turn fighting nausea, fever, and chills. During this time we moved west, motoring up to Komodo Island in hope of finding mantas, but finding only strong currents, then onto a delightful anchorage on Komodo's northeast corner, where Don and I enjoyed a lovely late afternoon snorkel while the safari boats assembled around us and Captain Tom fell prey to the scourge.
Although Tom felt the pressure to move on most pressingly, the rest of us were happy to hang out, read, and nap, and we persuaded him to linger a whole day. The only thing that could have made it better was cellular coverage for our Internet modems! And maybe some scuba tanks. There are several great dives in this part of the island group described on the Park map, and I kept hoping that the next safari boat to come round the bend, would be Bajo Dive, and that seeing us, they would come to collect us But, alas, no... Don and I may hae to come back some day.
When Tom felt better, we moved up to Gili Banta for an afternoon where the anchorage was NOT especially protected. So, that evening we set out for the two-day passage to Lombok. For the first time, we had weather. Winds pushed 30 knots, and old QL slewed and hopped around in the lumpy seas churning the strait between Banta and Sumbawa. Unfortunately, Bette Lee, the last to succumb to the bug, went down for the count during all this. What miserable conditions in which to feel miserable! Or, perhaps, she hardly noticed! Even in the less of the 200 miles-long island, we got little break; every time there was a break in the island's profile - a bay or a gulf -- the winds would rush through, and the seas would get bumpy. We actually had to reef the sails as the catamaran bashed along doing 9-10 knots!
A highlight of this coast was the volcano Tambora, defining much of the east end of Sumbawa. Tambora's eruption in 1815 is recorded as one of the most massive of "modern" times. It literally blew its top off, reducing its height from 4200 meters to 2850 meters. The blast killed tens of thousands of locals, burying them Pompeii-style, but also putting up such a cloud of ash into the atmosphere that, as well as wreaking havoc on regional agriculture (and precipitating famine) it changed the climate worldwide. The year after was known in the west as "the year without summer"!
Instead of a second night at sea, we pulled into an island off Sumbawa's northwest corner called Pulau Medang. It proved to be one of the most picturesque anchorages I can remember stopping in, and for me such a vista alone would be positively medicinal (Unfortunately, I'm not sure Bette every really saw it!)
The bay, big enough for dozens of boats, appeared uninhabited, the only clue to sustained habitation (the village is on the far corner of the island) being the the orderly look of the lush palm plantations backing the gorgeous white sand beach. The water in the foreground was turquoise and the beach was dotted and backed by dense, dark green vegetation, the first thick coating of green we had seen in along time. Definitely the most South-Pacific-looking island we've seen this trip, but particularly so after the Komodo archipelago.
There were local fishing craft at large in the bay or drawn up on the beach, but even these looked different -- long modern-ish looking outriggers, with covered cockpits -- and as they worked back and forth industriously across the bay, they left us alone. After Komodo where every passing fishing boat would approach to sell us dragons and T-shirts (and resist the word 'no'), this was a relief.
After a light supper, it was early to bed for this morning's 4am departure. We knew that Bette Lee was back amongst the living when even she was up at that awful hour!
Gwen Hamlin
Cafe Getaway
Sent from my iPad
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