Friends Near and Far,

Departed Labuan Bajo at 7:00 AM on 9/7 and arrived at Rinca Is in the Komoto National Park at 10:00 AM same day. We arranged a one hour walking tour that afternoon and a two hour walking tour the next morning at 7:00 AM. Saw Komoto Dragons, wild pigs, water buffalo, Guineas, and a snake or two. This area looks like southern California with little vegetation, just barren hillsides.
Left Rinca at 2:00 PM on the 8th and arrived on the north end of Komoto Is where we spent the night and went snorkeling this morning. It is now 11:30 AM on the 9th and after lunch we are leaving for Gili Banta Is, still part of the national park. Tomorrow morning we will depart for Mataram, a village on the north side of Lombok Is. It will be an overnight passage with a distance of 200 NM. Leaving at 6:00 AM we should arrive at 3:00 PM allowing for 6 knots of speed but I anticipate a faster trip with the current and wind in our favor. Yesterday before leaving Rinca I put on my diving gear and cleaned the prop which had become fouled with barnacles.
We will be at Mataram for several days that will include a village tour and a reception dinner on the 13th. From there it is on to Bali for a scheduled 10 day stay.

Randal