11.08.10 Trans Flores Express - Day 1

So beside the fact that Mrs Trip got traumatised by the lack of hot water and toiletpaper, Flores was more than breathtaking. Here is a per-day-overview of what we have seen and experienced. We will do more detailed posts on some of what is just noted here later on....

So, day one...the day leading to our first no star hotel....

No, this is not Flores, it´s one of the many island you fly across on the way there from Bali.


Since the presence of the portugese, colonizing and evangelizing the island first, 89% of the Flores population is catholic. As with other religions on the many indonesian islands, also here the "new" religion mixes with old animistic rituals....
Starting from Maumere, a first passage through rain forest lead to....


... the south-western coast around Praga, our guide Augustinus`(wearing a “Francis of Assisi” Polo Shirt, did I mention catholicizm?) hometown. He´s running a restaurant there, we had an amazing "baby" tuna that you have seen in Mrs Trips first post on Flores.

Towards Sunset we were heading on, up to the Mountains again. The Indonesians tend to burn all their trash (latest) at the end of the day, adding to that already steamy atmosphere....




This funny lady seemed to be abit coocoo (or as our driver said "KriKri"). We met her when having his "Ramadan" sunset brake. She was walking in the middle of the road talking to herself. A behaviour I mainly witnessed on the sgreets of NY before....



Our stopover where we bought the best cashews I ever had. Lemon flavored....


The first of the many Flores menues....they all had pretty much exactly the same on them...


The first encounter with the many lovely kids of this island, they deserve and will get their own post later on....

This night we reached Moni. And checked in....