Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2013

134 Travel | Rinca Island Travel | Rinca Island 135 © Per-Andre Hoffmann / Getty Images 5 Senses – Sight SEA LIGHTNING The incredible dome of stars that covers you at night (the nearest town is two hours away) is rivalled only by the phosphorescent plankton that shimmers beneath the surface of the water. Old sailors once knew this phenomenon as ‘sea lightning’. Work up your courage to jump overboard on the blackest of nights and you’ll enjoy the bizarre experience of seeing your body entirely covered by blue neon. Indahnya tebaran bintang-bintang di waktu malam (kota terdekat dapat ditempuh dalam dua jam) hanya bisa ditandingi oleh plankton berfosfor yang bersinar di permukaan laut. Para nelayan mengenal fenomena ini dengan istilah ‘sea lightning.’ Beranikan diri Anda untuk mencebur ke laut di malam hari, dan nikmatilah pengalaman luar biasa menyaksikan tubuh Anda dipenuhi cahaya biru. Angry clouds loom over a rugged island. In the distance I can see savannah-covered hills that seem more reminiscent of African safari country than of the Southeast Asia tropics. Our little boat cuts across the shadowy reef, engine stuttering against a current that swirls ominously on the otherwise mirror-like surface of the ocean. A feeling of tense anticipation builds with every metre of headway we make towards the land of the dragons. The Komodo archipelago has always been a place of dark myths and fearsome legends. European explorers scrawled mysterious words of warning – ‘Here be Dragons!’ – on their charts after crossing these waters. Some experts believe this little group of islands gave rise to the countless legends of dragons that became central to Chinese mythology. A recent study by San Diego Zoo reported that while the 390km2 Komodo Island boasts an estimated 2,800 dragons, little Rinca Island has a booming population of 2,500 crammed into almost half the area. Pak Ismael is head ranger in Kampong Rinca, an otherwise peaceful little fishing village that is quite literally besieged by ‘dragons’. Few villagers ever venture beyond the village perimeter – to collect firewood or harvest wild fruit – unless they are in an arme

Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine October 2013 | Page 136