Komodo: It's True! Padar Island is so Beautiful!

Flores to Lombok 4D3N,  Day 2

It's already day 2 without me knowing it, and it's time to witness the beauty of Padar Island, our -oh I mean my- highlight of this trip. I have been drooling to see Padar Island even before I prepare this trip or looking for a good price of the flight tickets, read how it began. Not all went well though, when my first day on this trip I accidentally got Injury when I snorkeling, read this.

The crew woke us up at 4 am, I was so eager to see Padar Island so I got ready when everyone still asleep. After everyone got ready we ride the small boat to the dock, I was on the second line to cross, but everyone from the first boat was still at the dock when I arrived. The crew asked me to tell everyone that we can go hiking by ourselves without having to wait for others to arrived. Then we all hiked to Padar Island in the dark. Padar Island is a famous place in Indonesia because of its beautiful scenery. Almost all of our travel advertisements have Padar Island pictures or videos on it. Because this place is my highlight trip at this time, so I rush to the top even when my breath and body couldn’t cooperate with my own will. I know my limit, I didn’t force myself because if I did, it only makes me passing out, so I hike step by step until I reach the top. Actually, I was walking from the dock with Andreas (read another story of me and him on here, here, and here), we just happened walking side by side until I asked his name and where he coming from. We talked a bit when we hiked until I lost my breath and he left me alone on the hiking track, lol.

I finally reached the top and sat on the rock until Patricia and Ale asked me to move higher with them. I didn’t know that the rock I was sitting is the perfect spot for Padar Island pictures, too bad I knew it after I back from the holiday and unable to take a picture there when I sat there! We all waited for the sunrise to come with sitting and facing to the east, we sat on the right side from the track. Everyone fights for the best place to witnessed the sunrise and I sat on the rock again by myself, everyone was busy with their partner, friends, or their own mind while waiting for the sunrise to come. It was amazing but lonely as well for me. It was crowded but feel so lonely.

The sun was slowly coming to the horizon, leaving us speechless when the light meets the sea and made a really beautiful reflection on its water. The surrounding that was dark slowly showing their greatest hills to us, with the orange light behind them. The boats docking near the island slowly can be seen in its body and colors, I saw our boat docking on the farthest than others and other boats as well here and there. So it's true that Padar Island is so Beautiful.

Sunrise on Padar Island, 5 August 2019.

After a while, I saw Israel who stand behind me and I asked him to take a picture of me with the famous view of Padar Island. Usually, I would just take the scenery pictures and all done, but I was ready to be greedy because this was my highlight place on this trip. And then Ale comes to us, and we took a turn to take pictures of each other. We laugh together until the crew came to me and told me that we can hike to the top and he said the view is more beautiful there. I translated his words to all my boatmate around me there and we walked to the top together with that crew. At the top, we took a picture together but it was hard to take a picture with the crew because no one can't help us until I met Yawan and she offered us a hand. Yawan is from another boat on the same company as our boat, we then take a picture together until we were the only one left there. We head down all the way from the top to the beach, and I bumped into the crew that hiked up only to looking for me. I also bumped with someone I met in the Komodo Island here, I didn't see her actually until she touched me and made small talk to me.

I crossed the dock to the Boat with Nina, Lisa, & Daniel the only passenger that left on Padar Island. I offered them candy which only Lisa who take it gratefully. Our Boat leaves Padar Island and head towards Manta point, the journey took almost 3 hours from Padar island. Everyone played games or just sunbathing on the deck. Since I’m an Asian who dislikes getting touch by the sun straight into my skin, I only laying down on the top of the deck with my hijab covered my face. I tried to read my kindle and listening to some music, everyone else does the same as well, reading, listen to music, or just having the conversation until everyone started staying on their mattress and sleeping, I did sleeping too.

We reached Manta Point at Noon, I was sleeping and ready to jump right away to the sea. The water is really clear, it was my first time seeing water as clear as that. I swam and looking for the Manta, but I lost my direction! When the other swam to the right, I swam to the left and I couldn’t see the Manta or Shark at all. I envied everyone when they shouting and bragging about how big or small the manta and the shark they've seen, too bad for me. I was exhausted and the crew who had the responsibility to circle around with the small boat near us come to me and let me rest for a bit. Then I swam again after the crew showed me the direction to come near everyone else, but again I lost my direction when I follow Patricia's leg lol. I give it a try again but still, I couldn’t see the manta or shark, so I decided to back to the boat and watching others swimming from above. Surprisingly, it wasn’t only me who was on the boat and watching others swimming, so many of us were there and just sitting around and talking to each other.

After everyone came back to the boat, the boat started to move again towards Gili Laba. We had our lunch by then, I was sleeping in my cabin until I heard the crew telling us that we arrived in Gili Laba after 2 hours of sailing. But we didn’t hike in Gili Laba, instead, the crew only let us snorkeling again, here the water is so clean and clear like crystal clear water. Honestly, I’m still amazed by that, it was my first time ever seeing water that as clear as that. The crew then come to me and told me to swim beside the black hill if I want to see the small shark, but after I snorkel there, I didn’t find any of the mentioned again. Instead, I see a big starfish and Nemo.

I move back to the boat and everyone asked me to jump from the boat to the sea. I really want to try actually, but I just had surgery 3 times in a year so I declined. I worried that it might affect my body. But, after I see everyone having fun with the jumping things, I triggered to try. Fortunately, Nina was always there for me if I asked her to accompany me jumping. So, I jumped with Nina and I was a bit frightened when I fall inside the water, but I said I’m fine to her to hide my actual feeling haha. I should try again to easiest that feeling, but I was too shy to asked her company again. I don't remember who it was but someone comes to me and said, 

"You did jump! Nice!"

I was really want to swim to the shore after I saw someone walking there alone, but I was too naive and thinking why would I be there? I was full of questions that it leaves me only regret after we left.

Then our boat moved again towards Moyo Island and this is the longest journey and the rougher ones. Do you remember when I said someone from my hostel gave me the medicine to anticipated seasick on day 2? read this. And yeah, the rougher day finally came.

I choose to sleep because I was so tired and the current was so strong. When I woke up, it was already sunset and it feels nice to see the sunset just right in front of my cabin door. I can see the sun started to set with the boat dancing ups and downs in the sea. Ale was near my cabin's aisle and he asked me if I saw the eruption of the mountain beside us and of course, I don't see it! I was sleeping lol.

"It was amazing to see the eruptions again and again just right beside us Umi," said Ale.

Everyone was on the deck and playing some card, reading the book, or anything else between capturing the sunset. That was so chill, the sun was set and the dusk made the sky looked so romantic, the current made our boat but feels nice. Ale, Patricia, and I moved to the top of the deck and we enjoyed the sunset together and waiting for the dinner to be served.

When the dinner was served, we queued again to get our meals, I was surprised when sambal is served together on the table. Actually, this afternoon I told the crew that the meals are too bland for me and I need sambal to satisfy my tongue. I didn’t know they will give me the sambal straight away at the dinner time. I also told them if they fried some fishes (for the crew), I really want to have one of the fish. And the crew whispered to me to come to the kitchen and gave me one as well that dinner. They were so kind to me!

After we had our dinner, we move to the deck again to did stargazing like yesterday, but the wind and the currents are too strong, and unable to keep up with the ups and downs of the boat. We moved to our places to take our pills and we sleep. It was 15-17 hours of sailing without a stop, it's not too terrifying because it was done on the night. Patricia shouted to me from her cabin (her cabin is just next to me) that the boat just moves by itself,

"Umi, it's crazy that the boat moves by itself without even a captain on the ship's wheel," she said.

I trusted the crew because they did this sailing route almost every week, so I guess they are good at it.

"It's good that we are facing the front Umi so that our body moves side to side compared to the other room which has to moves the other way (head to leg)" she continued.

The current makes our boat moves like I was sleeping on the hammock and it was not bad, I agree with her. The other room was having a rough night, indeed. After all, the sound of the wind was too hard to control, it slapped everything harshly. I was worried about the passenger on the deck near my door. So I offered her my other blanket than unused or my sleeping back but she declined, so yeah, I just decided to sleep and ready to be awake in Sumbawa Island.