01/10/2016 – Trip to Kelimutu National Park
This morning I swapped my bicycle for a scooter. Yes I know it wasn’t the plan. But it’s just for 24h as I want to visit Kelimutu and it is on the opposite direction of my way. Here there is so many hills that I will use my bicycle only to forward and not backward. I honestly think that this trip would have take me 4 to 5 days on a bicycle instead of 2 with the scooter.
I left my bicycle at the guesthouse and jumped on a scooter. It’s 60km of road in the mountains. There is a lot of landslip and at some points the road is hardly practicable. Trucks even need to stop in order to remove rocks from the road. The landscapes are stunning! I crossed a lot of villages. It was raining on the way but as soon as it stopped I was dry in 5 minutes. Arrived in Moni I tried to figure out if I needed an accommodation. Nothing less than 150 000IRD. I’ll pass and go straight to Kelimutu NP.
Nice light through the fog after the rain
To access Kelimutu National Park it’s 150 000IRD on Saturday. There is still a couple of hours before the gate close so I decide to go. As I want to be there for the sunrise I want to go again on Sunday and it will be 225 000IRD as it is public holiday. I’m keen as the photographs will be awesome anyway. There is a gate at the entry of the national park and it’s open from 4am to 5pm. The thing is that I don’t want to ride all the way down and up again in the morning. So I asked to the rangers if I can sleep by a shop right by the gate of the park. I don’t have any tent neither sleeping bag as I planned to stay in a hotel. The rangers invited me to sleep in their office for the night. They even gave me a mattress. Bagouz! With all my clothes on I haven’t been cold.
Bedroom with a view
On Sunday at 4am there is already a long queue to access the National Park. The rangers asked me if I slept well, I thank her a lot for the mattress and replied affirmatively. I’m in the first to access to the top. I try to find the best spot for the sunrise and I do while everyone is staying behind a guardrail I jumped the fence and found my way to a very nice spot. Not too long after, plenty of people started to follow me. The sun is raising, I’ve got my pics, now it’s time to find another secret spot.
I love these morning layers
Behind the scene…
To get this!
While everyone stay behind lifeguard…
I walk around the craters and jumped another fence to go through the thick bush. I won’t regret it as I have a very own secret spot with the view on both lakes. As I keep going on my way I reach the opposite side of the crater. I’m in the sun while the main track is totally in the clouds.
…I found my very own secret spot after walking through deep bush
This view is priceless!
I took a few time lapses and photographs then after 6 hours on site it’s time to go back to Ende. The road is long but I make it just on time for the end of the renting time. I need to eat, as I haven’t ate since almost 24hours, take a shower and sleep.
Yeah man! private spot while the tourist track is in the clouds!
It was such a great trip! I hope all the Flores island is not like this part because it means then I will take 10 days to cycle only 400km… I just read about cycling Flores on Crazy Guy On A Bike and it looks exactly like this…
Rice field on the way back
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