From Berita magazine
By Laraine Nelson
March 2004

Miles away from frenetic Jakarta

Living in Jakarta and having a familiar relationship with Bali I felt it was time I experienced more of Indonesia. Jakarta and Bali display the more cosmopolitan side of Indonesia so a trip focusing on Flores seemed an ideal way to see another side of this diverse archipelago.

A small group of Jakartan ex-pats and one who had recently moved to Vietnam joined Anita Verhoeven. A great guide, Anita who took us on a tour that hopped across the island of Sumbawa, took a boat on to Rinca Island, adjacent Komodo and then on to Flores.

The boat trip helped ease us into a different pace of life - Jakarta seemed like a distant frenetic memory as we sat back and watched a watery world of dolphin and birds slip by. The horizon was marked by a smoking volcano while nearby the desolate landscape of Komodo reminded us just how dry these tropical islands can be.

A trek on Rinca Island to see the komodo dragons and an afternoon snorkeling were a prelude to arrival at Labuhan Bajo, our first touchdown on Flores. LB comprises a dusty strip of shops that follow the harbour shoreline, it looked like a scene from a 19th C south seas novel. A little antique shop was a great find and a few Flores ikats found their way into our bags.

The following day we boarded our mini bus and headed off to the village of Todo. This was one of the highlights of the trip, we were the first travelers invited to stay in the village Niang Wowang, the traditional communal house. This used to house all the families in the village but some years back concerns of hygiene had caused the families to be removed to individual dwellings. The original Niang Wowang had collapsed years ago, but in the 1980's it had been rebuilt using many of the original timbers.

The village is remote and after a day of traveling on narrow winding roads it was a thrill to see in the distance the large conical alang-alang (grass) house that was to be our home for the night. There was great excitement at our arrival, we alighted from the bus a short distance from the village and walked in as tradition demands. Our effort to lend some pomp and circumstance to the occasion was immediately demolished by hordes of children. Thus a rowdy, happy crowd swarmed instead of paraded into the village to be met by Pak Fitrus, the village chief.

We were welcomed with a betel nut wad (for chewing), coffee and then watched a traditional whip fighting ceremony. After a tour and explanation about the village we departed for a nearby river for a mandi - the women's bathing spot of course. Back at the Niang Wowang we sat on the mattresses covered with mats that were to be our beds. A great meal was followed by singing and dancing, as we grew sleepy we realized that instead of 7 of us sharing the room it would be more like 20 or 30. Lined around the sides of the main ceremonial room the elders of the village found a place to sleep and settled down for the night. In addition, behind the curtain walls another 5 families slumbered.

The next day we were on our way to Bajawa, our bags a little heavier with songke weavings bought from the village women. With a pleasant hotel as a base in Bajawa the following day we departed for a village even more remote than Todo. The preliminary journey was by truck we then alighted and walked for about two hours. The village of Tololela is not accessible even by motorbike, only foot or horse. We were welcomed to this beautiful little village by a small group of elderly men and women, as the younger villagers were working in the fields. These gracious people showed us their houses and demonstrated their weaving and spinning skills. It was such a pleasure to sit drinking coffee with them and talk via our local guide, a resident of the village. The long dusty trip back in the afternoon was rewarded with sheer luxury - a visit to hot springs where we lay in smooth rock pools while hot water gushed over us. Anita tempted us out of this idyll with cups of Flores coffee.

Another day and we were on to Moni (did I say we had bought some more ikats?). Moni is the base for seeing Kelimutu or the three coloured lakes. This meant rising at 5am but given it was to a crystal clear sky we felt very fortunate, often the volcanic lakes are shrouded in mist. An amazing sight, not only are the lakes three distinct colours, pale blue, black and brown but with little warning these colours change. The local villages believe that the souls of the dead rest in Kelimutu, in the blue lake the souls of young people, brown the old people and black the evil. Sacrifices are still made regularly to the spirits of the blue and brown lake.

Friday and it was on to Maumere. Crossing the island now from south to north we were treated to spectacular scenery and reminded by the many boulders, landslides and rebuilt sections of the road just how perilous this island is. A stop at the weaving village of Sikka added to the now bulging bags, and we felt slightly guilty every time they hoisted our bags onto the roof of the bus. The bus driver and his helper must have been praying by now that we wouldn't find any more 'must have ikats'.

Maumere was a treat, our hotel on the beach had a swimming pool and staff that were happy to serve us cold beers on the little terrace overlooking the beach. Our last full day was spent visiting the Nativitas Orphanage run by a Belgian nun. This orphanage was a credit to all involved, spotlessly clean the staff and children grow their own vegetables, tend chickens and have recently purchased a water truck that not only supplies their own needs but earns them money by supplying local villages. A short walk away and the Watublape village entertained us with traditional dances and then an exhibition of the many processes involved in weaving. Needless to say the bags……

Our last night was spent at the home of our driver, Christo. His wife prepared a wonderful meal in the tradition of Flores bbq fish, spicy eggplant, vegetables and rice washed down with arak. Sitting in the tiny living room, on borrowed chairs, we were reminded of what a privileged life we lead.

Sunday we dragged the bulging bags to the airport, most clothes had been donated to the orphanage so I have to admit the bulge was mainly textiles we had acquired along the way. Our well rehearsed response to why we bought buy so many - was that we were supporting our friends in Flores.

This holiday was not 5 star, in fact 1 star may have been pushing it. Flores is a very poor island but its people are incredibly welcoming and its scenery is spectacular. Anita, our guide, is a resident of Lombok and has a tremendous rapport with the people. Her style of touring ensures that maximum benefit is gained by the local people. So we returned to Jakarta feeling that not only did we gain a great deal but that the people of Flores gained a little also.

Our guide, Anita Verhoeven conducts trips regularly through Indonesia. She can be contacted at info@sundatrails.com

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