Location: Pink Beach, Komodo National Park
There are many words to describe today’s shenanigans. Boring is not one of them.
Today started in a sombre way. Josh L left the program early this morning. There were many hugs and goodbyes as his bags were slowly loaded onto the water taxi. And many more cheers, and I’ll miss you as his water taxi, quite literally, slowly drove away into the horizon.
Shortly after that, we picked up anchor and made our way from Loh Buaya, Pulau Rinca to Pink Beach, Komodo National Park (836.1’S 11931.2’E). The plan was to snorkel and/or dive, but upon arrival, and with final decision at lunch time, we decided that the conditions at Pink Beach were not great to dive for. So we decided to have a beach day instead, and I am super duper sure this may just be the highlight of the trip for many.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, when I say I am super duper sure about something, it’s usually an attempt to convince my mother that I’ve looked everywhere in my room for something I’ve lost. Then she’ll say something about me being a man and that that’s impossible. But I am very much serious about my prior statement, so let me recount the shenanigans.
We went swimming, and the water was really clean. Yet it was also refreshingly cold, which was a godsend given how hot it can get in the day.
We dug a hole for Lawrence, buried him, and made him a mermaid with a six-pack. We got to watch Lawrence, Anda, Jack, and Will face each other off in Muay Thai, which, somehow, at every clinch, turned into grappling, on the sand.
Wild boar approached us at the beach, to which we got to take some cool pics with, but they often had to be shooed away.
Jack played Lacrosse with Will, Sam, and the others, which was very cool to watch.
Arden, Imogen, and Brooke went snorkeling, and I hear they saw lots of great fish.
We were very happy for the “bangladini” (an Italian slang word for bazaars) on the beach, which sold many refrigerated drinks.
The girls had a photoshoot on the beach, which, as I write, they are very meticulously reviewing in a game of keep or delete.
And lastly, many of us basked in the sun’s rays.
Back on Vela, the evening quickly fell upon us, and before we even realized, it was dark outside. As it got dark, the temperature dropped at Pink Beach, and Arden convinced many of us to get into jorts, a fleece, and a beanie. We took a great picture of most of us in our outfits, and we had loads of fun.
We proceeded to have dinner. For the squeeze, I asked, “If you were a professional at any sport, what would it be?”, and to end the squeeze, we had three cheers for Josh L. We miss you a lot, man.
Hey everyone at home, I miss you all a lot. I look forward to seeing you all very soon.