When visiting for an extended time period, consisting of a yr, it is almost impossible to plan in the element all of the locations you intend to visit. When my girlfriend and I traveled, we had a pretty stable idea of all of the nations we meant to journey in, but we failed to recognize exactly where we might go whilst we were given there. Sometimes the selection to go to a selected vicinity comes together slowly and incrementally.

Flores in Indonesia is a good example of this. We had in the beginning supposed to journey in Indonesia for 2 weeks. I’d never heard of Flores earlier than placing off on our travels; a lot less had I any purpose of going there. Then sooner or later, someway, I started to examine this place referred to as Flores. Then I pay attention to approximately some unique sight or hobby that draws humans in. Then an idea starts to take shape: what if I changed into to go to Flores? What is there to do there? How might I get there? How long could I need there?

And as the solutions to those questions come together, you are left with a clear decision to make: we are going to Flores!

The Plan

We made a plan to fly from Bali to the city of Maumere on the ways jap aspect of the island of Flores. From Maumere, we’d go to the village of Moni and visit the Kelimutu volcano (this was the unique hook that involved us – a volcano with 3 crater lakes of varying colorations at its summit.) From Moni, we would retain heading west until we were given to the port city of Labuan Bajo some distance west of the island. From right here, we would make our manner back toward Bali by way of sea and by hook or by crook go to the islands of the Komodo Dragons.

Gaps in the Plan

We did not recognize changed into how we’d journey from region to location, even as on the island, wherein we would sleep and what the lodging prices and fine are like, what the meals become like in Flores, and do humans communicate English. Apart from Kelimutu, we virtually had no idea what else there has been to peer and do.

Just go together with the Flow.

Sometimes you have to go along with the float and spot what occurs. And so this is what we did in Flores. We knew from online research that there has been a bus from Maumere to Moni but that our plane becomes because of arriving after the time at which the bus would leave. So whilst we arrived at the airport we negotiated with a taxi driver to see what kind of a rate we ought to get to Moni. We controlled to get the price right down to half of-of his original offer, and I felt that this changed into too excellent to showdown. We additionally figured it would stop us having to pay for a night in Maumere simply so that we should take the bus tomorrow. The taxi driver later informed us he became lives in Moni besides, so it was either drive back with an empty automobile or make something from us. He presented us accommodation in Moni, but we told him we wanted something cheaper (even though what he supplied us wasn’t exactly steeply-priced). So he dropped us off at his friends’ house, literally throughout the road – the simplest street in Moni – from his own location.

Moni and Kelimutu Volcano

The subsequent morning we awoke at four.30am and prompt to Kelimutu, while it changed into still dark, at the return of motorbikes pushed via locals. We followed the street some distance because it went and then had to park up and walk the relaxation of the way, minus the locals. Dusk started to break as we made our manner up the Volcano toward the summit. At the pinnacle, we looked at the three lakes and rested up while looking ahead to the first glimpse of the solar growing up over the horizon.

After we’d had sufficient up there and were happy that we’d taken sufficient cool photographs, we started to go into reverse. We decided to stroll lower back to Moni to experience and take pleasure in the ecosystem and local surroundings. It was a long walk; however, we honestly loved it. From speaking to the taxi driver the night time earlier than, we knew there was a bus due sooner or later that morning to take us directly to the following village. However, no one in Moni ought to say for sure while the bus might bypass via, and so rather we jumped into a shared taxi and paid a rate much like what the bus would have the fee. We got out at the subsequent metropolis and asked around for the time of the following bus to Bajwa. Again, after standing around for at the same time as being told lots of various instances for the bus, we determined to take another shared taxi. We knew how an awful lot the bus ticket would fee, and so we have been capable of negotiating the identical rate for the taxi.