September 15, 2013
This might have been the best stop so far!!! Komodo National Park was incredible fun both in and out of the water! The town of Labuan Bajo is quite a big scuba diving destination and so it was a real treat buying western products in the markets, eating a variety of foods I hadn't had in months and not being mobbed for photos while walking down the street! Not to mention this town was a military party with the president coming to meet us Sail Komodo folks.
Noelie, Rogelio, Omar and I at a Greek restaurant in town. The pita wrap was delicious!
And the shabby-chic restaurant was a great place to lounge with free wifi!
Us crew dining at Made In Italy . . . the second best Italian meal I have ever had in my life! (And I was just in Rome!) Sorry mom - the gnocchi here was better than yours!
Happy to report my hair did not catch on fire while I got my first ever ear candle cleaning. I did however become a little more hippy.
The best spa around - cheap massages and HOT water showers!!!
Omar and I on our dive boat about to go on the best dives of my life . . . sharks everywhere and coral in colors that put Willy Wonka to shame!!!
Omar getting excited for his first dive ever!
There was a surprise Sail Komodo parade one day . . . complete with Muslim cheer leaders and….
…not so Muslim cheer leaders!
And what's a parade without drag queens???
Parade traffic.
The town of Komodo on Komodo Island and National Park.
Don't get bitten or you will die!!! The komodo dragons have over 60 different types of bacteria in their mouth and venom.
A baby . . . ahh . . . how cute.
Here are a bunch of us Sail Komodo folks on the free tour. I had to pee in the bushes right before this photo, which meant a guide coming with his giant forked stick to make sure I was safe first. Death by a komodo dragon bite - badass. Death by a komodo dragon bite while peeing in the bushes - embarrassing.
Check out the claws on this big boy!!!
That is a komodo dragon behind us . . . about 14 feet long.
Here's another big boy in action!
The military police here are way more relaxed than America! That or they don't know me very well.
Omar and I dressed up for a gala dinner at a 4 star hotel. I probably should have cropped out the shoes . . . I think it's time to go shoe shopping!
The kiddies sang their national anthem for us at the gala dinner. (This was gala dinner 2 out of 3 while we were in Labuan Bajo.)
To end Sail Komodo week with a bang, there was a big Navy Pass (boat parade) with the Indonesian Navy and the sail boats. The Chinese Navy and the Singapore Navy were also here and the American Navy was trying to send a ship to join in the fun but they didn't make it.
The Chinese Navy ship decorated for the parade . . . here to do good medical deeds!
Strict military formation . . . unless you waved as they would wave back.
The sail boats brought up the rear off the parade.
The military also dropped parachuters for circumstance and pomp. That dark mass on the beach in front of the hotel are thousands of locals and who came to join in the festivities.
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