Why Not Indonesia & Japan — By, Ismael Sapoval

Ever since I saw the movie Avatar, which has become one of my favorites, I always wanted a dragon–a flying dragon! We live in Indonesia now, which is the land that truly is the land of dragons. They are called Komodo Dragons. This past weekend, since we had a nice break from our teaching responsibilities at school, JoAnn and I decided to take a trip and visit the islands where they live. 2,000 kilometers from Jakarta we arrived at the fishing village of Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores, Indonesia. We knew we were going to love our adventure just by seeing the landscape as we landed.

We were picked up by a very friendly gentleman and as we were driving to our hotel we chit chatted a bit and we asked him what was the population of Labuan Bajo. He just finished telling us about his village and he said, “we are at the hotel”–the shortest trip ever from airport to hotel. In less than one kilometer we are looking at a blue ocean with all the fishing and touring boats. JoAnn and I looked at each other with a grin of delight and amazement.

The next three days were spent on a boat visiting various islands and constantly being amazed at the raw beauty of what we were witnessing. To say that we felt blessed is an understatement. On the first day, within a few hours after visiting some small islands and having a wonderful lunch of fresh fish and rice, we made our way to see the dragons. Rinca and Komodo Island in Flores are two of the main options for visiting a Komodo Dragon in Indonesia. Both islands are located within the Komodo National Park, a biodiversity hotspot for both marine and land animals.

After meeting our guide, he proceeded to give us a brief introduction of the park and some safety guidelines. Of what he said, all I remember is, “stay close to me.” We listened–for after all he did carry a weapon (a two meter stick!). Seeing the incredible Komodo Dragon in the wild is a top item on many people’s bucket lists. We are blessed to now live so close to them. We could not pass the opportunity to see them with our own eyes.

The threat of the komodo dragon is all too real. What many visitors don’t realize is that it’s not the risk of being devoured whole by a komodo that’s the issue. It’s how they kill. They are designed to deliver a venomous bite that is alive with all manner of toxic bacteria. Their bite shocks and then poisons the victim, putting komodos well at the top of the food chain in these islands. Their food is comprised of deer, wild boars, buffalo and monkeys. Once they bite their prey they just sit and wait, and then, well… you know what comes next!

These dragons can smell blood up to 6 miles away, can run as fast as 20mph as well as they can climb trees. Needless to say, we have a healthy appreciation and respect for these magnificent and unique creatures. They can grow up to 10 feet and weigh up to 300 lbs. There is about 6,000 Komodo Dragons in the world and they all live on a few islands not too far from us!

Fun Fact: Halfway through his only term, President Bush was given a Komodo Dragon, courtesy of Indonesia’s government, named Naga. While the idea of letting a giant lizard prowl around the Oval Office sounds pretty awesome, the president instead chose to hand him over to the Cincinnati Zoo. After fathering 32 youngsters, the illustrious critter passed away in 2007 at the respectable age of 24.

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So that is our story and our experience with this unique animal. We count it a blessing to be in a part of the world where some of the most beautiful sights on the planet can be seen. I saw a dragon. He had no wings and after honestly evaluating what he is like, I decided I do not want a dragon anymore. Maybe I should look into an Iguana or something like that!