Traditional village to secluded island - Bena to Seriya (Flores)

Bajawa

An early morning pick up in a bemo, hired for the day, and we go to the base of Wawo Muda for a hike to see the recently erupted scar and small crater lakes. Hiking through Eucalypts planted for hardwood, coffee and bamboo (tree size canes). About an hour and a half up to the rim past old craters which are fully vegetated and as the mist rolls in again see the crater. Erupted in 2001 for 2 days then stopped and nothing since.

 From there to Bena, a traditional Ngada village, and again the rolling mist adds to the occasion by blocking everything else from view and leaving only the village with all its totems and megaliths visible. The feeling is of total isolation in a truly foreign land. This is a much larger village than Bea, and is set out the same- two rows of clan houses and totems in the area between. Again the juxtaposition of Catholicism and animism – catholic grave stones with buffalo blood smeared ancestor totems standing side by side.

It starts raining and we join an elderly couple on their front veranda, local kopi and tea, we watch her weave and I buy another sarong, a heavy blanket weight. They are both red mouthed from betel nut and have a good laugh as we show them photos from my wallet of Jarrad and Jordan, picking which is which from baby to now. Our guide shows real soothsaying potential by accurately describing their characteristic from the look in their eyes in the photos.

Driving back to Bajawa we pass through what were once traditional villages that now have brick and tin roofed houses, the tin roofs in the shape of the traditional grass version, and the roof totems cut from tin. One village has ancestor totems beside the soccer field another in the front yard of a house next to the road. This is modern living catching up to traditional village life.




We finish the day at a hot spring, the main bubbling pool and run off full of locals, the swimming pool is less crowded and hot enough. A few local men show their ‘struggling’ swimming style and get a free lesson on technique.

We leave Bajawa and head to Ruteng on a local bus and, with the confusion and barrier of language, get a ride at half the local price. At Ruteng the accommodation is rough and we stay overnight only and leave early for Labuan-Bajo winding our way to the west coast.

At the hotels across Flores we were welcomed and shown our rooms by students from Ruteng Tourism High School doing their third year placements, they would reappear shortly after check in and ask if they may sit. After an hour of conversation, starting very regimented- ‘your name...where are you from....why are you here....do you like the area...’ and then more informal. Them practicing their english, and us our indo, then they would wander off to do their work.....R

Seriya Island

The town of Labuan –Bajo is the west port of Flores. It’s an interesting port and we overlook the harbour from our elevated room, looking out to many islands. We arrive on the last night of Ramadan...The start of Idul Fitr and the streets come alive with a variety of small trucks/floats with incredibly kitsch mosques on the back, flashing lights and all! After staying in Labuan-Bajo for one night we head to Seriya Island. An hour boat trip and its gorgeous!. Only about 7 bungalows right on the sand. The water is aqua blue and we look out onto distant islands. There’s no fresh water on the island and so water and electricity are on rations...it suits us just fine!! There’s nothing to do except swim, snorkel, take a hike up the one hill, or, relax!.

I choose the latter, Reece climbs the hill several times, and that’s just in the first hour!

No, he does relax and we wind down very easily...

The snorkelling is once again exquisite with huge single clams just a meter off shore, seahorses, starfish as big as footballs, sea slugs and huge varieties of fish and corals.

The island is naturally divided in two by a mangrove swamp and sand dune with a fence running across the sand dune. Half of the island is nearly denuded by the one small Bugis Village’s goats. The other half is dry and sparse. The view from the top of the hill is stunning and the surrounding waters and islands are idyllic.

It’s a bit hard to leave but we have organised a boat to Lombok. Ax