Flores is where I was most looking forward in Indonesia. We took a ramshackle little plane on an incredibly scenic flight from Bali to Flores this afternoon. We flew over Lombok, Sumbawa, near Sumba, and half of Flores, taking in the volcanic mountainscape, azure seas, offshore reefs and waves from the air. On our descent into Ende, we stared out the windows in amazement as we flew right by conical volcanoes and lush valleys. The runway was positioned awkwardly, running parallel to beach in a semicircular bay. Consequently, we banked sharply into the mountainous bay, it seemed within arms distance of the dramatic lava-flow coastline. The runway wasn’t much more than a single airstrip, so at the end of our landing, our plane did a 180 and taxied halfway back down the runway to two-room “airport.†Taxi drivers, touts, and welcoming families crowded inside and out the small structure. We waited inside while our bags were unloaded into a pickup and then put on a wooden desk for us to claim. A little different from the conveyor belts we’re used to.
view of shacks on the side of the runway and one of many conical volcanos all over the island
The two hour drive from Ende to Moni was unbelievable. Massive green mountains and cliffs dropping down into verdant valleys, the black road curving through bright green landscapes, and passing tons of streams and waterfalls reminded a bit of parts of Hawaii, although a lot less developed. Most of the buildings along the way were simple bamboo huts, much like the ones found in rural Lao. Most of the people we saw walking along the road or working in the fields carried big machetes, even young boys. Besides using them for harvesting and collecting wood, we passed several villages under construction. Perhaps the end of the rainy season marks the beginning of the home-building and repairing season. Also of note, we had a live goat on the roof of our van. We’ve sat in everything from cars to buses with chickens, have seen dead pigs loaded up on motorcycles and pickups, seen motorcycles hoisted on top of buses or tied to the backs of vans, and lot of other weird ways of transporting animals and things, but putting live animals on top of a van is new to us. The owners just tied up the legs and threw it up there with all the other goods and parcels being transported.
our rustic losman in Moni
Arriving in Moni, we realized its not so much a town as a few structures strung out along the main road. It’s a pretty rural and simple place and our accommodation options were similar. But it’s a really scenic area, as it overlooks a massive valley that descends down to the sea many miles away. So even from here in the mountains, we can see the sea and a horizon of water. Although we’ve only been here for a few hours, what we’ve seen of Flores has been stunning.