Luba Village (pop: 200 people) was small, quiet and had just a few villagers sitting around. Ricardos referred to them as “Ladanese” ethnicity but even by surfing, spelling “Ladanese” differently, I couldn’t come up with any information. Ngada villages are composed of wooden pile houses with shake roofs that surround a main square. Organization has a lot to do with your clan, and its status in the pecking order. We entered Luba, registered, paid a 10,000 IDR donation and Ricardos got sidetracked by a man making machetes. A long discussion with him until Ricardos placed an order for a machete that wll be hung in his house to ward off evil spirits. I guess Machetes serve more than one function in Flores. Meanwhile, machete maker’s 90-year old mother sat in the shade sorting through her stash of betel nuts in preparation for a fast chew.

The Ngada are Roman Catholic, but still cling to animist beliefs: ancestor worship and sacrifice. Family members are buried next to their houses with an occasional bottle of Arak and other libations placed on the graves.

90-year old Ngada woman in Luba Village, Flores

making machetes in Luba Village, Flores

Many of the thatched roofs had unusual decorations on top; spears for protection, effigies, and small house replicas. Each had a meaning and was displayed on roofs of the most important clan members. I remember seeing a witch doctor’s house in West Africa with an effigy on top that, supposedly, could see visitors coming, and warn the witch doctor.

effigy on top of one roof in Luba Village, Flores

spears on roof for protection and ward off evil, Luba Village, Flores

Houses were decorated with buffalo horns and pig jawbones that showed the family’s prosperity (similar to Toraja-land in Sulawesi). Luba had four male ancestor parasols (ngadhus) in the center square. I’ll refer to them as “totems” for ease. Each belonged to a specific clan and had different rituals associated with them. Before a male totem is built, a baby pig or dog is sacrificed and buried in this spot. The totem is completed and big stones piled around the main post; representing this clan’s generations, male and female descendants. A water buffalo, a symbol of fertility, is then tied between the male ancestor symbol and a wall; its throat cut in a way so blood spatters on the totem; and the ceremony is over. Time to dance, drink Arak and celebrate

buffalo horns and pig jaws, Luba Village - Flores Island

more male ancestor houses along the road to Bajawa, Flores

the more buffalo horns, the wealthier the family in Luba Village, Flores

There were also three female ancestor houses (bhagas) opposite the male ancestor houses that resembled small rice granaries. Unlike the male totems, Female ancestor houses are only built when someone has a vision. The fourth bhaga had fallen apart, and until someone in the clan has a vision, it will not be rebuilt. (The embedded video will tell you everything!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

It was only a short walk from Luba downhill to Bena Village.

The best part of arranging an private trip, or traveling independently, is the ability to change your itinerary; exactly what we did. Guide Ricardos constantly offered to stop the car throughout Flores at different overlooks and viewpoints, repeating, “Tourists come to Flores for the mountain scenery.” Sorry, but how many mountain visuals can a person take before overload followed by boredom? We now know why the Lesser Sundra Islands is “the road not often taken by tourists.” Omitting local encounters that we love, Flores was boring. Our poor tour guide was appalled when we decided to cut the trip short, if feasible. Skip Soa Hot Springs and Riung, a beach stop for snorkeling. With that, Ricardos grabbed his cell/mobile phone and went to work changing the flight out of Maumere to Denpasar along with all hotel reservations. A done deal.

Another sparse breakfast at the Hotel Bintang Wasata. We’d lose weight if it wasn’t for all the junk food runs into mini-marts to supplement our diet. Into the car for a one-hour ride into the mountains surrounding Bajawa and past Inerie Volcano. The landscape is rugged and full of active, and extinct, volcanoes like Inerie. Inerie last erupted in 1882 and 1905; a perfect cone towering in the sky at a height of 2,245 meters/7,365 feet.

Inerie Volcana near Bajawa, Flores

volcanos and traditional villages are everywhere around Bajawa, Flores

the Ngada village of Bena, Flores Island

It’s easy to schedule a climb of Inerie Volcano beginning from Watu Meze village on the north side near Bajawa, or Watu Village on the south side. A climb of approximately 10 hours roundtrip if you begin on the north side. Ricardos pointed out different volcanos during the ride through Flores with the great majority, climbable and difficult.

A viewpoint stop before Luba to admire volcanos, different Ngada villages with thatch roofs tucked on the mountainsides, and the blue Sawu sea in the distance. Tourists are able to visit many of these authentic villages; some are more difficult to access than others, and require a long trek from jump off points. Nage, Wogo, Langa, Bela, Luba and Bena are the most commonly visited villages. A few are more modern than others.

Ngada man on the road, Flores, Indonesia

Ngada woman in Luba Village, Flores

Ngada man foraging outside his village, Flores

The Ngada people belong to clans and marriages take place strictly inside their own clan; cousins are allowed to marry; land is portioned out to clan members; and the oldest child receives the family inheritance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our driver let us out along a main road leading to Luba Village and drove away to park at Bena Village, the most visited Ngada village in the region. On the walk up to Luba Village, Ricardos related information about life in this area. We saw mangos, papaya, avocados and Cacao (where chocolate comes from). People cutting and carrying wild taro to feed their pigs. Candlenuts being collected and dried; a flowering tree common in Indonesia. Nuts turn yellow before dropping off, villagers collect the nuts, dry, and use the seeds inside with a high oil content to cook with. Parts of the plant are also used in traditional medicines, e.g. Candlenut oil is an irritant and can be used like castor oil.

Luba houses with candlenuts drying, Flores Island

We saw another variety of palm tree used by the locals to make Arak. These gigantic, and pendulous, clusters of small fruits are cut off first before squeezing for several weeks to get the palm juice out, and distilling

palm fruits used to make Arak on Flores Island, Indonesia

Luba Village, Flores Island

Welcome to the traditional village of  Luba.

What is Arak? Arak  is a highly alcoholic spirit and traditional home-brewed beverage in Indonesia. Think…stills, firewater, hootch, moonshine, red-eye, rotgut and you’ve got it. Imported alcohol can be taxed 400% in Indonesia so locals brew their own. Chances are you’ll be offered a drink of Arak somewhere in Indonesia. I strongly suggest you take a pass unless you are 100% positive your glass of Arak was brewed safely, and carefully. Four foreigners died of alcohol poisoning in July 2009, a few days after our Java/Bali trip. At last count, 23 tourists have died in Bali and Lombok from Arak while other foreigners and locals have been taken ill. Victims drank Arak tainted with methanol, known as wood alcohol, and used in rural Indonesia as fuel for lanterns.

It is illegal to sell alcohol without a license in Indonesia but according to Ricardos, the government looks the other way because it is part of the culture. No important event, ritual or ceremony takes place without Arak. Different varieties of Arak are distilled from grapes, anise, grain, molasses, plums, figs and potatoes in other parts of the world. You may know these libations as: Arak, Ouzo, Raki, Mastika, and in Iran, “Dog’s sweat!”

Arak sold here, Flores, Indonesia

Stands began appearing along one particular stretch of road displaying filled water bottles. Indonesians used old water bottles to hold and sell everything. They obviously weren’t filled with gasoline/petrol (a deep yellow color that looks like urine), soft drinks or distilled water. The liter bottles were filled with Arak, made from the male fruit of a particular palm tree. The finished alcohol content ranges from 40-45% and more than 100 proof. Enough to knock the strongest person flat on their back if they don’t go blind first.

How to make Arak?

- Men climb a particular species of palm that bears male fruit, and squish the fruit daily while still on the palm tree for five days. (Squishing male fruit daily sounds obscene but that’s exactly what they do.)

- The fruit’s liquid drips into a bucket high on the palm tree.

- The Arak makers climb the palm on the sixth day to get the juice bucket which is then distilled over a wood fire.

- The clear liquid drips through a bamboo pipe into a 1-liter or 2-liter water bottle.

local Arak distillery along the road in Flores, Indonesia

The first dripping of Arak is the most powerful while the second and third proofs are only 20% alcohol and 15% alcohol, respectively; still enough to get a good buzz going. Ricardos insisted on igniting some Arak for us to see how strong it was. (I bet pouring Arak, instead of kerosene, around a dwelling could set off a nice fire). And then the owner offered samples of his strongest distillation, 50-63 alcohol content, 100+ proof firewater! Even though his Arak was supposed to be very pure, we nicely refused. (Entire process in the video below.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

A liter bottle of the first dripping cost 100,000 IDR ($10 U.S.); 45,000 IDRs for a smaller bottle (less than $5 U.S.). Now that you know what we know about Arak, drink at your own risk.

Views of the sea, volcanos, and the hill town of Bajawa, situated at 1,200 meters/3,600 feet above sea level was in sight. This Ngada district is one of the most traditional areas in Flores. Tomorrow, we’d visit Luba and Bena, two megalithic villages. Our small hotel for two nights was Bintang Wisata, located in the heart of Bajawa next to the market, shopping areas and restaurants. This hotel was adequate, filled with tourists, had spacious rooms with attached bathrooms, and hot water.

Hotel Bintang Wisma, Bajawa - Flores

Lunch at Lucus, one of the three restaurants that cater to tourists; the other two are Camellia and Ditos. Lucas was the only game in town on Easter Sunday, and we settled in for noodles, rice and chicken sate while rain thundered down on the tin roof so loud, it was impossible to hear or talk over it. Eating lunch at 3:30p has one advantage: think of it as combo lunch and dinner to extend your budget.

It was a sunny Easter Sunday in predominately Catholic Flores. A big day for the locals that also meant nothing would be open in town. The breakfast room at Susteran Bunda Maria Hotel was “filled”; two Danes and an American from San Francisco were sitting there, traveling in the opposite direction towards Labuan Bajo, using public buses on backpacker’s budgets. According to the Danes, the best diving in Flores is around Labuan Bajo – better than Sulawesi and even better than the Philippines. The three also agreed that this little hotel run by the monastery was a miraculous find compared to dirty, bug-laden dumps they usually stay in for the same price, 15,000 Rupiah a night (less than $2.00 U.S.) including breakfast. The “hotel” section is a convent with 30 nuns and many novices.

Breakfast was on the skimpy side. One fried egg, rice, two pieces of toast and coffee but what do you expect for $2.00 U.S. a night? Too bad they didn’t kill that damn rooster crowing from 4:00a on, and serve it for breakfast!  Bajawa, today’s destination, is expected to be the highlight of Flores with its traditional villages.

crowded Flores church on Easter Sunday

Travels With Sheila and Flores children

A six-hour drive to Bajawa began on a narrow road that didn’t stop winding or turning for the entire distance. Stops for pee breaks along the road in the forest; hunker down, do your “business” (keeping a sharp eye out for snakes), look at unusual vegetation, return to vehicle. Stop to look at an  uninspiring lake from a viewpoint. Another stop in a small town to replenish our cookie, peanut stash, led to a cheese cracker discovery that was so yummy, we promptly snarfed down half the box.

Past a local church with people gathered outside for Easter Sunday services. When I asked Ricardos to stop to see what was going on, children came running from all directions. Because few Westerners come through Flores, children get excited when they spot tourist vehicles zooming along the road (tour company names are plastered on the sides). And they practically go into orbit if a tourist takes time to stop and interact.

Travels With Sheila mobbed by happy children in Flores

Today was the children’s lucky day as I, unintentionally, disrupted the church service. (Sorry, didn’t mean to.)  One little boy knew enough English to ask, “What is your name?” while others called out “Hello Mister” as they ran down the hill towards me. Guide Ricardos said that people on Flores use three words to describe Westerners: “Tourist”; “Bulay” = albino or white person; and “Mister” whether a person male or female. Now I knew why people were always shouting “Hello Mister” at me.

ferns in Flores, Indonesia

Flores child happily playing in the dirt

One, last interesting stop before Bajawa; to see how Arak is made.  What is Arak? Think…50-63 alcohol content, 100+ proof firewater!

It was now 2:30p, and we were starving. Ricardos took us to Agape Cafe in Ruteng (pronounced Rucheng). This restaurant is also recommended by Lonely Planet, and was the only place his agency considered suitable for western stomachs. Good lumpini (egg rolls), so-so bland noodles that tasted better when we added lots of chili sauce. Ruteng has two other restaurants recommended by others but Ricardos had his instructions, and no tour agency wants their clients to become ill.

Ruteng is a cool, clean city surrounded by volcanic hills and rice fields. Most tourists stay for one night only before heading back on the road. The only interesting sight in Ruteng is its market, a central meeting point for the local Manggarai people. The Manggarai weave, and wear, a typical sarong that I was only interested in seeing, not buying. With that, it was into the very stinky market thanks to vast amounts of dried fish.

tasty lumpini (egg rolls) at Agape Cafe, Ruteng, Flores

The Ruteng market was deserted because of Easter weekend. All supermarkets (mini markets) in Ruteng were closed and probably would remain closed tomorrow, Easter Sunday. The market was heavy on dried fish with only one stall selling typical Manggarai sarongs that appeared to be an optical illusion when you looked at them dead on. Other than schmoozing with whatever friendly salespeople happened to be sitting around, there was nothing to do in Ruteng. We walked out of the market, the typical afternoon rain began. Fortunately, we had finished seeing all that Ruteng had to offer.

dried fish strung together in Ruteng's market, Flores

Ruteng's large, inside market, Flores

handwoven Manggarai sarongs in the Ruteng Market, Flores

bright red chilis in Ruteng Market, Flores

A mad dash into the car for a ride over to our hotel for tonight, Susteran Bunda Maria Hotel. We had no idea where we were staying or where it was located, since Happy Trails had changed hotels on us. Not a bad thing since Susteran Bunda Maria Hotel was considered the best available in Ruteng. Part of a monastery located east of Ruteng, Susteran Bunda Maria Hotel had very clean rooms, albeit on the small size; a room with a double bed that had one side smack up against a wall. Guess who would have to climb up and over to get to the bathroom during the night? The two-story building had 20 rooms with bathrooms, hot and cold running water, no restaurant. They do serve a small breakfast, included in the rate.

Ruteng boy making his own fun with a tire and two sticks, Flores

Click here to view the embedded video.

Not at all hungry for dinner since we ate lunch at 2:30p, we asked Ricardos if he could rustle up some bread to make tuna sandwiches. (Foil, easy-to-open pouches of tuna salad go everywhere with us. Great for emergencies, like now!) He asked one of the sisters, and she materialized at 9:00p carrying a plate of bread. Umm…not hungry now but thanks.

Each day held surprises since the itinerary was sketchy. Nikolas pulled off the road at a small house that said, Lodok Cara Village, and I asked Ricardos, “What are we doing here?” “Going to see a view of rice fields.” “Where?” He pointed uphill. Confused, we followed him into a dark house where he instructed us to give the village head man a small donation, Steve signed our names in a register, and we walked outside with Ricardos and head man following.

Grabbed walking sticks and began climbing up mud steps on a the hillside path, hanging on to bamboo railings, through vegetation, to the viewpoint. And what a viewpoint it was! Looking down, and as far as the eye could see, were concentric rice fields that resembled gigantic spider webs. These fields were built by the Manggarai people. The Manggarai have a political system built on clans; each clan gets a piece of the land called Lodok by the local people. The field wedges looked unequal but looks were deceiving, as explained by Ricardos…

Manggarai rice fields look like a giant spider's web, Flores

“Each person in the clan is given a fair share. When they have a son, a piece of the pie is divided and given to that son. If you have four more sons, four more pieces are cut off and given to that son.” The photograph below gives a better idea of how each triangle originally looked before dividing. Their houses are built with a conical roof mirroring the fields.

each piece of the spider web rice field is an identical sized triangle, Flores

Travels With Sheila heading down from the spider web fields viewpoint, Flores

Not only was the viewpoint unusual, but also the first time we’ve ever seen rice fields shaped like spider webs. (Hiking poles made the climb easier on the muddy trail.) Next stop?  A typical Manggarai Village, Golo Ceru, and we hustled off because it looked like rain again.

Golo Ceru had only two houses rebuilt in typical Manggarai style with one difference; the original version wouldn’t have had any windows. I sent ex-Marine in to make a donation, and sign the guest book while I waited outside hoping there would be something more than two houses. There was. A circle in the center held a Banyan tree (believed to be spiritual); monolithic rock used for ceremonies, rituals, dancing, sacrifices; and graves of important villagers.  I can’t begin to tell you how long it took me to understand that the vaunted “monolithic rock” was this circle. A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock.

rebuilt traditional Manggarai house in Golo Ceru, Flores

Golo Ceru area for rituals and ceremonies, Flores

Traditional houses were once conical and arranged in concentric circles around the round sacrificial arena. Nothing old remained; all destroyed and modern houses built. One of the rebuilt houses was called the “Drum House” and would have housed drums, Gamelons, other musical instruments and heirlooms. The other house belonged to the chief and had 8-9 different divisions inside for the different village clans. I refer to it as a Manggarai conference room since each clan would send a representative here for important meetings. Clan reps would then go back to their villages with big news, “Hey, we are going to have a  ………. ceremony over at the Chief’s house. Liquor, dancing, a good sacrifice, and gossip.  Let’s Par-tee.“

protection carving on top of the Chief's house, Golo Ceru, Flores

Okay. The spider web rice fields were outstanding, the village underwhelming, let’s move on to Ruteng.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The M/S Expedition was completely refurbished in 2009, has spacious cabins with portholes or ocean-facing windows and private en-suite facilities. Of course the ship offers: an observation deck, guides, fleet of 14 Zodiacs, lounges, restaurant, gym, computer room with internet where available, and even rents mobile phones.

The least expensive of the cruises on sale right now begins at: $5,124 per person in a double cabin. This 11 day package begins in Accra, Ghana on April 20, 2013 (read all about our Ghana trip on this website) and ends in Dakar, Senegal. Passengers visit: Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau. This is your chance to learn about the history of voodoo and the slave trade; visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites; observe wildlife and birds up close; take Zodiac cruises to remote archipelagos; and explore local markets and colonial architecture in historic West African ports.

A step up in price is the 18-day Capetown, South Africa to Accra, Ghana cruise departing Capetown on April 5, 2013, rates from: $8,976 per person in a double cabin. From Capetown, South Africa, the M/S Expedition will make its way north to Namibia, Angola, Congo, San Tome, Cameroon, Benin, finally ending in Accra, Ghana.  (read about our South Africa, Namibia and Benin trips on this website.) I would almost kill to visit the Congo and Cameroon…

Last, but not least, is the “biggie” – a 27-day sea voyage that combines both cruises above, on April 5, 2013 from Capetown, South Africa to Dakar, Senegal, rates begin at $11,247 per person in a double cabin.

What is there not to like about a West Africa cruise especially when a person unpacks once and visits unusual destinations in Africa without the hassle? Sounds pretty perfect to me.  G Adventures is offering an early booking bonus of up to 25% off (factored into the prices above if you book before June 30, 2012. In all honesty, the prices are not outrageous if you think about the amount of days spent cruising. Hmmm…

New guide Ricardos and driver Nikolas arrived at Golo Hilltop Hotel, promptly at 8:00a. Ricardos referred to us as Ibu Sheila and Pak Steve, a term of respect to elders. Into the car for the 140 kilometer/87 mile ride to Ruteng, the first large town near Labuan Bajo. The road will wind through the mountains of Flores all week; in relatively better shape than Sumbawa, but slow. Twenty-five ton trucks routinely ply this Trans-Flores highway on a road meant to be used by vehicular traffic weighing less than seven tons.

Ricardos proceeded to fill us in on a mish-mosh of Flores information while driving along:

-  “Labuan” means harbor. That explains why there is a “Labuan Lombok”, Labuan Bajo, etc.

- Flores is a poor island. Only people who work for the Government, Civil Service and Chinese businessmen do well. The rest of the people survive on anywhere from 7-10 million IDR’s ($700-1,000 U.S.) a year.

barefoot, collecting wood with a machete at his waist, Flores

children collecting wood to sell, Flores, Indonesia

-  People live simply raising rice, corn, taro, cucumbers, vegetables, bananas, and coconuts in rich soil, due to its volcanic origin. Only 20% of Flores is able to be cultivated and every inch is used.

roasted ears of corn for sale along the Flores highway, Indonesia

old Dutch church on Flores, Indonesia

- Yesterday was Good Friday, and in preparation for Easter, villagers were washing clothes to dress in their best at church services. Flores is 80% Catholic

The most interesting sight today had to be amazing pig sties along the road. These pigs (or a domesticated wild boar) are  kept in wooden sheds on stilts along the highway and allowed out only occasionally. Pigs are eaten (love pork), sold and used for special sacrifice ceremonies. People may be Catholic but persist in their animist beliefs.

stilted pig enclosure along the Labuan Bajo road to Ruteng, Flores

"Can we talk?" Flores, Indonesia

Pigs are social animals and one immediately came to the bars of its cage to see what was going on when I walked over. These grayish, black pigs/boars had long snouts and were unlike any that we’ve ever seen. Ricardos told me that pigs even live in caves around here. A minute after those words were spoken, I shouted, “Stop.” A huge pig was resting in his cave while a few feet away, another was relaxing in a mud bath! Not only are pigs social animals but also highly intelligent. They will burrow into a mountainside to create a nice little, shady cave to spend the day.

a huge porker came out of its cave, Flores

piggy taking nice snooze in the mud of Flores, Indonesia

The mountainous road continued towards the cool city of Ruteng before stopping at the Spider Web rice terraces of Lodok Cara

Another one-nighter at the Golo Hilltop Hotel in Labuan Bajo. A car from Golo Hilltop came to the harbor and transferred us up the mountain to the hotel. Much indecision since neither the hotel nor us knew anything about Flores plans going forward. Always carry the local telephone number of your tour operator for emergencies. Golo Hilltop called the tour agency, and was told new driver and guide would pick us up tomorrow morning at 8:00a to begin our Flores Island exploration. That settled, staff showed us to a nice room with hot water and air conditioning.

Golo Hilltop Hotel is situated on top of a hill (duh…), about 1 kilometer/.6 mile from the city center in a quiet, relaxing location. All rooms are in long bungalows on different hill levels with a sitting area outside each room. The bungalows come with either fans or air conditioning, hot or cold water, to suit any budget. Golo Hilltop is Dutch run with a restaurant that served “average-tasting” food. However, the restaurant was open, airy and had beautiful views of the bay, little islands and dive boats making their way across the sea. Quite a few guests use Golo Hilltop as a base, and spend days diving in different locations. Whale sharks inhabit the waters in this area. Others use Labuan Bajo as a base to visit Komodo and Rinca Islands.

Golo Hilltop Hotel restaurant, Labuan Bajo, Flores

sea views from Golo Hilltop Hotel, Labuan Bajo, Flores

Several companies operates flights in and out of Labuan Bajo airport. Indonesia Air Transport (IAT), TransNusa, Merpati Airlines, Wings Air and Batavia Air. The schedules are irregular; some airlines offer once a day flights while others fly only certain days a week. There is a departure tax of 10,000 IDR ($1.00 U.S.).

Steve and I considered walking down to the center of town until it began raining heavily, again. Kill me if I ever, ever make arrangements to travel during a rainy season! Golo Hilltop Hotel was very helpful and told us a little about town. Labuan Bajo has: an ATM, banks, restaurants, guesthouses and many tour operators.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let’s recap the Lesser Sundra Islands to date - Lombok? Sun, beaches, and Mount Rinjani. Sumbawa? A big miss. Komodo and Rinca Islands? Definitely worth doing for Komodo Dragon sightings but from east to west, eliminating the Sumbawa journey. Flores? The jury is still out.

Note - Departures: May 27, June 10, June 24, July 8 and July 22; deposit must be made between May 9 to May 16.

Have you visited Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing? How about Shaolin, the birthplace of Kung Fu, also called Wushu? Steve and I visited interesting Shaolin Temple a few years ago and watched a Kung Fu performance; read the details on Travels With Sheila and watch one of the videos below.

Surf any of the commonly used websites for the least expensive fare to China, get a Visa and go!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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