Komodo!

On the approach to Pulau Komodo (Komodo Island), a tiny island just 22 miles long and 9 miles across, it's hard to imagine that this is the home of the "fearsome dragons" described by late 19th-century explorers.

But then you remember that this innocent-looking place is inhabited by 13-foot-long, 220 pound "Ora". This is the protected habitat of the Komodo Dragons.  They roam the island freely, forage for their own food (they are not fed by humans) and they raise their little Komodos here.  The only things between us and them were Park Rangers with sticks.  We wished they had bigger sticks.  There are stories of people disappearing, but a trip here is safe as long as you stay with a park guide.  The Ora is the largest species of lizard on earth and lives alongside a population of about 200 people, descendants of former convicts who were sent to the island.

Here, we follow the Ranger into the brush.  Wave to the people on the dock, for you may never see them again:

Several other species also reside here. Deer, small buffalo, macaques, and wild pigs (dinner for the Ora), as well as 150 types of birds.  Pulau Komodo is a UNESCO Heritage Site and is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia.  We'll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.

Honestly, this is one of the coolest things we did on this trip.