From the far

Leggy Lizard

Yesterday we saw tons more Komodos at another area of the UNESCO National Park. They are huge and lizardy and strong and intimidating. But amazing, and I feel so lucky to have seen them. The park is currently up for becoming one of the new Seven Wonders of the Natural World. We also spotted lots of monkeys, lizards, a hand-sized spider (thought of you Clary!!) and several massive water buffalo.

We are now chilling out in the port town of Lubuan Bajo on Flores, trying to get rid of that boaty side-to-side feeling which is haunting me, and eating and drinking with our new-found friends. We are staying in a cruelly grim and dingy hotel Bajo, costing 150,000 Rp (approx £10) a night. ALL we wanted, ALL we wanted in the world after our 5 day boat trip was a shower. But alas, the shower at Bajo is more a pathetic trickle. And that only when everyone else in the hotel stops their pathetic trickles from trickling and we beg nicely with reception to please turn our trickle on. But, a cold pathetic trickle after 5 days of semi-dreaded salty spazzy hair issues is actually rather okay. 

The Boat That Rocked

Getting around these parts is a slow and painful process. Ferries to any given location tend to go once a fortnight and only if there are enough passengers. We are still waiting to hear whether the ferry to Sumbawa we have purchased tickets for for tomorrow morning is actually going to go. If not we have a contingency plan b, c, d, e, and f. Which may not be enough contingency plans.

Getting through tons of amazingly good books and making the most of other people’s heavy backpack issues, taking books off their hands. I have just finished the wonderful Richard Power’s book Time Of Our Singing which Will is now reading. One of the best pieces of American fiction I have read for a while. I am now half way through The Time Traveller’s Wife which was a book I had intended to read for yonks but never got round to actually picking up. Another brilliant read is Kill Your Friends by John Niven which Will and I both loved. It’s a kind of American Psycho take on the music industry through 90s Britpop. The protagonist he has created is so fantastically warped and sleazy he almost becomes likeable.

Will has a slightly unsettled tummy. I keep saying he should get a couple of lassies. He keeps saying that sounds like a mighty fine idea.

Much love xxx

ps: am taking this opportunity, a week before I turn 30 to smoke loads and loads. Once I am 30 it really is the end of this silly sometimes habit. And even Will says it’s good at getting rid of the mozzies.