Flores
Trip Start
May 19, 2008
1
5
7
Trip End
Jul 16, 2008
Bajawa,
East Nusa Tenggara,
Indonesia
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
*No I wasn't one of the divers who was pulled out by a current around Komodo Island, I've had many e-mails asking if I am ok:) That happened 2 days after I had left Komodo.
oh..what a week. :) Flores was a really a cool island, and the people were exceedingly friendly, not to mention very different looking than other parts of Indonesia. I saw the curliest hair there EVER, and very dark skin and almost African features. It is said that in the western part of Flores, physically, people are more Malay, and the other parts of Flores, people and more Melanesian.
So, I did not make it to the hot springs in Bajawa. My guide, a young guy from my guest house drove me on a motor bike, to a small traditional village called Bena, about 30 minutes outside of Bajawa. It was a beautiful day, we drove through bamboo forest of bamboo soooo thick, through tiny villages where I was a minor celebrity to the tons of children running out to say hello or give me a high five. The village of Bena consists of tall thatched roof houses, two rows of them facing one another, and in the middle, these odd tomblike structures made of stone where ceremonies and sacrifices are held. Each house had a male or female figurine on the roof, and the doorways are decorated with buffalo horns and jawbones which apparently signifies the family's prosperity. All of this is surrounded by huge green mountains, and valleys. Stunningly beautiful. On our way back from Bena to the hot springs, passing through another little village, a little girl about the age of 2 or 3, ran out in front of our motorbike, we swerved to avoid her, and both of us fell off the bike. I was up right away to the little girl, making sure that she was ok-yes she was-just a few scrapes. I didn't even notice that my foot was cut. I was taken to the "hospital", where I envisioned being stitched back together with someone's sewing needle, and was taken into a living room and sat down. A crowd of about 20 people gathered to watch me and my foot, as I was cleaned and bandaged up. I was a bit shaken up, but my guide was beside himself, apologizing for "failing to keep me safe", apologizing to my parents and my brother and sister, pleading that I would still come back to Indonesia after this "accident." I was so busy consoling him, I hardly had time to feel the pain.
From Bajawa I took the bus to Moni, where I went to Kelimutu-the lakes that change colors, but unfortunately, it was really foggy, so we only saw the green lake, which was still very pretty. Moni is a sleepy little town, mostly just rice fields and a few houses, I did find a bookshop that a Dutch man who lives there has in his house. I went with high hopes of trading my book for another good book, but Daniel Steele had taken over, so I ended up with a trashy mystery. I met a very nice couple-the only other people at the guest house, he from England and she from Denmark, who I ended up joining to see, or not see, the lakes at 4:30 in the morning on motorbikes. I've been very fortunate to have met so many nice people along the way, who I often have dinner with or trade ideas for where to go next. From Moni I took a public car, which was about $1 more than the public bus, thinking that this would be much more comfortable. There were nine of us, somehow, and a woman, apparently 98 years old, who was very fragile and sick the entire 3 hour journey. And a goat tied to the roof. My plans changed very quickly, from wanting to take a ferry to Sumba, to deciding to go to Sulawesi sooner. I met a young guy who had just come from Sumba, a fascinating island with a very interesting tribal culture based on a religion called Marapu, and he had really liked it, but said that getting around was difficult, especially if my Indonesian wasn't better. so I decided to go to Mamere and take the ferry (Pelni) to Makasar, Southern Sulawesi. The day I arrived in Mamere, I found out that the boat was going to be docked for another 2 weeks, so I went to a small village outside of town, thinking that I could possibly get on a cargo ship. I took one look at the ships, and thought, NO WAY. They were just as small as the ship I had spent nights gripping the side of around Komodo and Rinca, and you would have had to pay me to get on another one all the way from Flores to Sulawesi. So I booked a plane ticket to Bali for the next day in the evening. That night I ate my dinner-chicken and rice- and proceeded to get insanely sick all night and into the next day. A very nice Dutch couple had a room near mine, and brought me water and checked in on me, thankfully, there were HUGE rats at the guest house I was staying at, and it was the one night I decided to be really cheap and have a bathroom outside of my room-very bad decision. I'm not sure how I managed the plane ride, but I got to Bali last night and collapsed into bed for ten hours. I am feeling much much better today, although not 100%. Falling off the bike and then getting sick, my body is thoroughly unimpressed with me. I leave on a flight tonight to Makasar, and I have every intention of of getting a massage today before I leave. Besides being sick, I am well! I am feeling very content on my own, and am really excited about Sulawesi. I think it's going to be really interesting, and hopefully by being there, I will manage to avoid the large amount of tourists that come to Bali. I'm already planning the places I will have to go on my next trip here :) 2 months is NOT enough time here at all, Indonesia is HUGE, and fascinating.
Love to all!!!
xo Daphne
