R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 24

Indonesia — Lombok; Narmada Park and Pura Suranadi

Narmada Park

Our next two tour destinations on Lombok were Narmada Park and Pura Suranadi Temple, both of which we’ll look at today. Narmada Park dates back to 1727. Built by King Anak Agung Ngurah Karangasem, this site was designed as a tranquil royal retreat. The park has a wellspring that is still considered by some to be a “Fountain of Youth”

Narmada Park

The royal family had many comfortable areas from which to enjoy the surrounding views:

Narmada Park

And what views they are,...

Fun Photo Friday — Lombok Favorites 1

Bright and Charming

Today I present the first of three Fun Photo Fridays consisting of Lombok favorites:

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Indonesia — Lombok; Mayura Mataram

Mayura Park

Just minutes east of Mataram lies a marvelous water park and garden. Today I present to you the royal Mayura Park. This is simply a magical place with many items of visual and photographic interest. The grounds are replete with waters, statuary, temples, and shrines. Construction was completed around 1866 under the direction of the crown prince.

Mayura Park

The park surrounds a large rectangular pool at the center of which is:

Mayura Park

Want a taste of what awaits you ...

Indonesia — Lombok; Arrival and Indonesian Textiles

A Ferry Approaches Lombok

Our next stop after Komodo (series begins here) was the island of Lombok in the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara. As with all the destinations we hit in Indonesia, blue water and lush tropical jungles were in evidence as we sailed into port:

Another Ferry Visits Lombok

As you can see, boat travel between the islands of Indonesia thrives here as well:

Indonesia — Land of Freighters and Ferries

Disembarking our vessel, Holland America’s MS Volendam,...

Fun Photo Friday — Komodo Favorites 2

Inviting Beach Where YOU are on the Menu!

Next week it’s time to move on to what was our next Indonesia destination. Until then, here is today’s Fun Photo Friday of Komodo favorites:

Komodo Commuter Parking Lot Mushroom on Komodo Komodo Beauty Komodo Dragon Sneaking Up on Me

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Indonesia — Komodo; Watch Your Step, Dragons are Everywhere!

Komodo dragon on the prowl

I‘ve touched upon Komodo’s beauty several times during this two-week series, but let’s face it — tropical beauty is not the draw here. Danger is. And that danger is represented by the largest lizard on the planet, the Komodo dragon. This apex predator is powerful, venomous, ruthless (it will even snack on its own young), crafty, patient, stealthy, and just plain deadly. So, today I’m going to shut up and let the star of the show entertain you. As always, just click ...

Indonesia — Komodo; Dragon Mounds

Komodo — Land of Dragons

The Indonesian island of Komodo is home to a very special species of monitor lizard. Monitors are the native to Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Oceana clear down to Australia, although one the West African Nile monitor has gotten a foothold here in the U.S. due to irresponsible pet ownership.

A very special… and LARGE… monitor lizard

But out of the eighty or so species of monitors, one in particular stands out because of its immense size. Th...

Fun Photo Friday — Komodo Favorites 1

Not a Komodo dragon, but still searching for food

Today is the first of two Fun Photo Friday featuring favorites from the Indonesian island of Komodo:

A Mushroom Walked Into a Bar…

Q: What do you call a mushroom that buys everyone a round of drinks?

A: A fungi, of course.

A Palm A Not-a-Palm A Pinisi Plying Perfectly Placid Pools

Слава Україні! (Slava Ukraini!)

Indonesia — Komodo; Enjoying the Flora and Meeting the Dragon

Our tour guide from GoToKomodo.com

Only park personnel reside on Komodo, but there are many people from neighboring islands who work here. And that’s understandable on both counts. Who wouldn’t want to work on such a lush tropical paradise? And who in their right mind would want to sleep anywhere near one of these monstrous predators?

Komodo Dragons

Here’s another view of that Komodo dragon “sniffing” the air for potential prey by using its highly specialized tongue:

Komodo dragon usi...

Indonesia — Komodo Island; Arrival

Welcome to Komodo

We spent a day at sea between MS Volendam’s departure from Semarang and her arrival to the Indonesian island of Komodo. Komodo, one of 17,508 islands comprising Indonesia, lies in the Lesser Sundra Islands archipelago. This island is also part of the Komodo National Park, which includes Padar, Rinca, and twenty-six smaller islands.

MS Volendam and a pinisi (two masted inter-island cargo ship)

Our initial view of these islands left the deceptive impression of peace and t...