Awoken by the motor at sunrise we get up and pack away our sleeping bags and mats. Today we are heading for Komodo Island where we expect to see many more dragons. We approach the island, very similar in vegetation and geography to Rinca and disembark, cameras in hand ready to get some close up shots of these amazing prehistoric beasts.

As we walk onto the island we pass a sign telling us: “Keep silent – Komodo Dragons Crossing”. A bit different to seeing signs back home warning us of cattle crossing! We walk on towards the main area where the Komodos gather. Until recently it has been guaranteed to see the dragons here; on a regular basis a macabre ritual for tourists has taken place in front of the ‘viewing stands’. A live goat was strung up on a rope and cameras clicked as the hapless creature was torn limb from limb by the hungry reptiles. Not really my idea of a spectator sport! Luckily it has been stopped now, the reason being that the animals rely on this as their sole source of food. It has stopped them having a need to hunt, made them lazy and as is often the case, made them reliant upon man, the young no longer learn from their parents the necessary survival skills needed in the wild. Interestingly, this sanctuary to these beasts, unknown to the west until the 20 th century, was the first sanctuary ever set up in Asia.

...I freeze in horror. A beady eye glares at me; a mouth, slightly ajar, reveals yellowed daggers glistening with deadly saliva...

One group that suffers from the return to natural order is the deer population of the island, the lizards natural pray along with domestic cattle. We see several deer in the undergrowth, naturally wary of any presence other than their own. Komodo dragons have a fairly unique way of killing their prey. They can lie still and silent, and

blend into the ground invisible to all but a very careful eye. This is the main reason why we cannot stray from the paths or go walking on the island without a guide. I am

amazed, and quite frankly unconvinced, that a 3m monster can disappear from sight whilst being only a footfall away. To acquire their supper they lie in wait and when an unsuspecting animal gets close enough they rise up with considerable speed and agility and sink their festering fangs into the now condemned herbivore. Now they can let go and allow their prey to run away. The dragons being quick and agile runners will follow, using their keen sense of smell should their victim flee from sight, maybe for hours until the poison from the saliva slows the animal down and leaves it unable to carry on. At this point the prehistoric lizard closes in and feasts on the still breathing carcass. Not a very pleasant way to go and not a quick death, but this is nature and once more it has devised a way over the millennia that works for this one beast and has worked so well that it reached it’s evolutionary peak millions of years ago.

Reaching the viewing area we see many dragons basking in the sun, their limbs sticking out at strange angles that give the impression that their legs have been put on backwards. They are used to human presence and being protected on these islands have no fear of us. I decide however that getting too close to them could still be a bad idea so zoom lens to the ready I keep a respectable distance and click away. I am certain that one or two hungry yellow eyes have me in their sights so I make a retreat to safer ground having captured a few beasts on film.

I walk around the area we are in, trying to change the film in my camera but for some reason it keeps jamming. Patience pays off and I am a once more armed and ready for more encounters. I look up and notice that I have somehow found my way in front of the seating area; rope and wooden poles separates me from the enclosure. I am not sure how I got here so I turn around and walk back the way I came. As I take my first step back I freeze in horror. A beady eye glares at me; a mouth only slightly ajar reveals yellowed daggers glistening with deadly saliva. One step to the left and I would have trodden on its head. Testing the patience of a prehistoric monster was not on my itinerary for today. I start to retreat, very slowly and the head turns to keep me in its best line of sight. Suddenly realisation creeps in and I know I am in almost the exact spot where the goats use to be lashed up. Maybe these animals are hungry, angry that the customary sacrifices have not appeared for a while. I glance around and not a few steps behind me is another huge killing machine. It too has a ready eye on me. I look around and scanning carefully, 4 or 5 other Komodos appear from behind their cloak of invisibility, all watch my every move intently. I now believe my guide telling me how well they can camouflage themselves. Several people in the stands are watching too, not offering any help, just watching. Standing stock-still, not even daring to breath I see an exit between these two nearest animals and slowly edge myself to safety.

The wonder of travelling that so many things present theselves if only you let them...

Once clear of the danger of hundreds of teeth that could have no doubt ripped me apart like a rag doll I breath a long deep breath of relief and my hands start to shake a little. I was looking for encounters, but that was just a little too close for my liking! In future I will take a little more notice of where I am going!

Heart pumping at the correct speed again I meet up with the rest of the group and decide against telling them too much about my wanderings. We go on a walk through the thickets and up the hills around part of the island. Needless to say I am all eyes now, examining every inch of the ground ahead and around me.

Along the way we see more deer, for which I have a little more empathy than before, and several more dragons. One next to the stripped clean carcass of a large deer and one next to the bloated body of another dragon, undoubtedly with no compunctions about making a hearty meal of one of its own. Further up the hill we see another one at the side of the path. It moves its head to watch us and on closer inspection we see that it is in fact lying on top of what is obviously its mate. Our cameras click away and we feel only slightly guilty of our voyeuristic tendencies before moving on and letting them ‘get on with it’.

Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the day on Komodo Island and we talk long and hard about it over dinner and the many beers that follow. It is an experience that nobody ever really thinks they are going to have, but it is one that will be remembered well into old age. The wonder of travelling that so many things present themselves if only you let them.

That night the boat drops anchor between two large islands – we are too far past one to get any shelter from it and not nearly close enough to the next to get there in the light. It is a little rocky but not too bad. As the evening starts and the sun sets, the waves and the wind pick up and it is far from comfortable aboard our rickety boat. Some people are understandably worried, some are starting to feel seasick. The waves rock the boat violently at times and there is nothing we can do but hold on to the low rail that goes around the deck. Not many of us will be getting a great deal of sleep tonight. Once again our sleeping arrangements are puzzled together and for the first time we are quite glad that we are all packed close together even though the slap of a flung arm in my side does become annoying after several repetitions.

The only things missing are a pair of wings and a puff of smoke from its snout.

At breakfast the next morning, the sea and wind have calmed a fair bit and our stomachs begin to gain normality. The chocolate and banana pancakes are not such a hit as on previous mornings but a full stomach is good to be on the sea with and so I make sure I eat my fill.

The captain tells us that today we will be docking in Lombok, our destination. We look puzzled as tomorrow is the day we are supposed to get there. A six-day trip is what we paid for. The captain on hearing this looks resigned, he has obviously heard it all before, but doesn’t really care. He has been paid to do what he was told to do, we have paid our money and can’t do anything about it save flying (or taking a boat again) back to Flores, something that they know we are very unlikely to do. He explains that there is no more fuel, no more food and no more money for either. We have to dock it is as simple as that.

We feel ripped off and annoyed, taken for a ride once again by the ‘shaft the tourist’ mentality here, but there is nothing we can do. The captain has made it clear (truthfully or not) that it is not his fault and so we have no one to complain too. It is a part of Indonesia and I would rather be here under these circumstances than not here at all. We surmise that nothing will change regardless of what we do and so accept it and look back on the fact that it has been a fantastic trip and we have all seen and learnt and experienced so much.

...we have all seen and learnt and experienced so much.

On arriving we thank our crew and guides and give them their obligatory tip that in this case they well deserve.

Lombok was formed from a huge volcano in its centre and four of us have decided to climb to the top, a 3-day excursion that promises outstanding views and an incredible hike down to a lake nestled within the crater itself. After the volcano it is off to the Gilli islands, just off the north coast for some spectacular diving. Following this, a year in the home of kangaroos, boomerangs and Fosters Lager. Life just keeps on getting better and better!