Naked-Sumba Travel

The Exact Dates of Pasola 2016, Come And Visit Sumba, Indonesia

2016-02-01T06:09:00.004-08:00

The island of Sumba, in East Nusatenggara Province, Indonesia will held The Pasola 2016 ritual jousting battles during the months of February and March

In February Pasola jousting will be held in the villages of Lamboya, Homba Kalayo, Bondo Kawango and Rara Winyo. While in March these fights can be seen at Maliti Bondo Ate (Ratenggaro), Waiha and Wainyapu, Wanokaka and Gaura

The exact dates when the battles will take place are determined by the village elders at full moon rising, known as "naalbukolo". Here the Rato nyale plays a most important role to decide on the dates. It is difficult to estimate when exactly the Pasola jousting events will be held since the fights are not only organizedfor entertainment but are part and parcel of and an important ritual in the local belief called Marapu.

In Pasola, two parties prepare for battle, each comprising 100 men carrying wooden lances with a diameter of 1.5 cm but having a blunt edge. During the fight, men who have fallen off their horses may not be attacked. The belief goes that each drop of blood that falls on earth will fertilize the soil for the next harvest.

The Pasola battles are not only meant for fun and entertainment but this tradition has long been embedded in the culture of the Sumbanese people. Pasola comes from the word sola or hola, in the local language means wooden lance, but added with a prefix, pasola means a game to strengthen brotherhood.

For the Sumbanese, Pasola is a peaceful and friendly battle: a ritual required by tradition (therefore, not a war game), so that despite the fact that victims do fall, Pasola on Sumba is held to sympathise – as the legend goes - with the distress of their ancestor at losing his soulmate, which is at the core of this ritual.

The island of Sumba itself offers many amazing attractions to catch on film. Besides the exciting Pasola battles , Sumba is also famous for its Megalithic traditions, large stone graves as well as the Marapu traditions that have survived over the centuries.

The Pasola 2016 traditional jousting battles will take place as follows:

In February 2016

2 February 2016 :Pasola Lamboya, in the sub-district of Lamboya.

24 February 2016 :Pasola Homba Kalayo, in the sub-district of Kodi Bangedo.

26 February 2016 :Pasola Bando Kawango, sub-district Kodi.

27 February 2016 : Pasola Rara Winyo sub-district, Kodi.

In March 2015

26 March 2016 :Pasola Maliti Bondo Ate, sub-district Kodi Bangedo.

28 March 2016 :Pasola Waiha, sub-district Kodi Blaghar.

29 March 2016 :Pasola Wainyapu, sub-district Kodi Blaghar.

Pasola Schedule 2014

2014-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

Pasola festival 2014 schedule in Sumba Island, Indonesia

feel free to make your arrival schedule to Sumba island, Indonesia.

West Sumba:
Lamboya     : February 1st, 2014
Wanokaka     : February, 21st, 2014

Southwest Sumba :
Pasola Homba Kalayo. Kodi Bangedo : February 18th, 2013
Bondo Pasola Kawango. Kodi    : February 21st, 2013
Pasola Rara Winyo. Kodi     :February 22nd, 2013
Pasola Ratenggaro. kodi Balaghar : March 22nd, 2013
Pasola Waiha. kodi Balaghar : March 24th, 2013
Pasola Wainyapu. kodi Balaghar : March 25th, 2013

The Pasola Festival 2014

2014-01-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

Trapped in between the Indian and Pacific oceans, the archipelagic country of Indonesia is a home to tropical rainforests, pristine beaches, and people with rich customs and colourful traditions. Indonesia is truly an ideal place for getaway trips and holiday vacations. It caters to travelers wanting to splurge on lush hotels or indulge in stunning beach resorts, and it’s also a great place for those who want to do it the “Lonely Planet” kind of way.

The best way to discover the soul of Indonesia is probably to visit one of its many islands shunned from urban development, such as Sumba Island, famed for its Pasola Festival (aka: Pasola War Festival). At Sumba Island’s Pasola Festival, war rituals from ancient times are celebrated. The festival got its name after the word “Sola,” which means “long wooden stick”. It is the weapon used during the Pasola Festival of Sumba Island, and the violent displays can sometimes shock certain tourists.

The Pasola Festival is an important tradition because Sumbanese people believe it symbolizes agricultural prosperity. It consists of Sumbanese men in two different groups that ride horses throwing wooden spears at each other. The group that has lesser injuries is the winning group. Their beliefs suggest that bloodshed is an important offering to Mother Nature, and they also believe that those who perished have not been true to their fasting month.

The 2014 Pasola Festival will be held in West Sumba at 3 different places and Southwest Sumba at 5 different places and will happens on February and march. The date varies from year to year The precise date of the event decided by Rato during the Wulapodu (the month of Pasola the fasting month) and the meeting of Rato Pasola or tribe elders and government officials, so keep watch on the website of Sumba www.moripanet.com. If the date is set, book a flight to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, then take a domestic flight to Tambolaka (West Sumba). If you prefer to travel in groups, the local tourism office or the hotel of your choice usually have special tour packages. Indonesian roads are known to be far from perfect, and tour packages will definitely spare you from all the troubles.

While you waiting for the Pasola Festival you can enjoy the beauty of sumba nature such as beaches, lakes, waterfall, ect. Sumba Island will wake the inner boy scouts or girl scouts in you, since the terrain is perfect for hiking and camping. Just make sure to wear and pack the essentials. Tourists who frequented this island recommend taking flashlights, packed food and water, trekking shoes and mosquito repellant lotions. Do not forget to sample the authentic spicy cuisine of Sumba Island, and to relish the great beaches.

Odds n' Ends
Sumbanese people believe that the Pasola Festival teaches us all to break free from the material world. Locals and frequent tourists have said that the experience is not for the weak spirited. It is truly a different yet special way to connect with a certain belief. Tourists are given an experience unlike any other, and are privy to a deeper look beyond the notion of violence.

Watu Maladong The Exotic Sumba Beach

2014-01-21T05:49:00.002-08:00

Watu Malandong is probably one of the best-kept secrets of Sumba. Not too many Sumbanese themselves are in the know about this extraordinary beach.

We accidentally found out about Watu Malandong when we saw a picture of it made by a Catholic priest, in a postcard sold at a local store. And then we decided to look for it ourselves. We went to Kodi and started asking around. After some trials and errors, we finally found Watu Malandong.

We had to leave our car at the end of a dirt road and climbed down by foot (about 1 km) through some bushes. And then suddenly the vista opened to a vast beach bordered by a stream. But it was the sight of the boulders that had taken our breaths away. Describing the vista as "dream-like" may sound cheesy, but at that point we couldn't find any other word to describe Watu Malandong.

And apparently, the local Kodinese people believe that this beach is a sacred ground. When we arrived there, we understood why.

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- Distance from Tambolaka Airport: about 1,5 - 2 hours by car, southwest-bound to Kodi.

- Why we like it:
* The amazing view of the stream, and the giant boulders.
* A vast and thick stretch of sand that goes on and on.
* Strong waves that makes you want to be alert at all times
* Very few people know about it, to date.
* Please add you own points after you've been there :-)

Enchantment of the West Sumba

2013-06-07T06:26:00.001-07:00

West Sumba is one of island of Sumba regency in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia which consists of six sub areas namely: district Loli, district Waikabubak, district Tana Righu, district Wanokaka, district Lamboya and district West Lamboya. The city is located in West Sumba Kabupten Waikabubak.

West Sumba is situated between 9 ° 18 '- 10 ° 20' South Latitude and 118 ° '- 120 ° 23' East Longitude. The total area of 737.59 km2 of West Sumba with a slope of 14 ° - 140 °. West Sumba topography consists of plains, mountains and hills, all of which produce beautiful scenery of valleys stretching to the hills. But on the other hand, the topography of this sort lead to soil vulnerable to erosion.

Many of the potential of nature tourism in West Sumba such as white sandy beaches, lakes, waterfalls, National Parks Land Manupeu Daru, the hills and green valleys.


Marosi Beach

1. Marosi beach

Marosi Beach located in District Lamboya, about 32 Km from Waikabubak. Marosi beach is one of the prettiest beaches in West Sumba. The beach is close to the arena Pasola Hobba Kalla (Pasola Lamboya) and a number of traditional villages.


Rua Beach

2. Rua Beach

The beach is located in district Wanokaka. Because it is relatively close to the City of Waikabubak is about 27 km, then on a beach holiday is becoming a major alternative for the local tourists who want to unwind while swimming, fishing and soaking up the sun. From Waikabubak can be reached by motor vehicle about 1 hour drive.

Laipopu Waterfall

3. Laipopu Waterfall

The waterfall is located in the village Katiku Loku, district. Wanokaka, precisely in the National Park Land Manupeu Daru. Waterfall located in the region TNMT (Taman Nasional Manupeu Tanah Daru) has the advantage of the beauty of the water passage so that the stratified water droplets spread in different directions. Discharge water that is always stable in the set throughout the season beautifully verdant moss and plants around the waterfall object.
Things you can do is enjoy the beautiful waterfall with a picture taken, doing massage and feel the cold water with a water bath at about a waterfall that is relatively safe for visitors.

Laipopu way to the waterfall where it provides its own challenges that will reach every tourist attraction is faced with a suspension bridge made of bamboo, and passes down the watery path composed of stands of woody trees. to achieve Laipopu Waterfall can be taken approximately 45 minutes from the settlement through a varied trail.

Other potential that can be enjoyed by tourists is a parrot habitat, landscape of paddy fields and the village community craft Katikuloku of woven fabric and webbing.

Wow... as I said I can't stop to talk about Indonesia, there are too much beautiful nature scenery

Where is Sumba located ?

2013-05-22T02:37:00.002-07:00

The island of Sumba lies towards the eastern end of the Nusa Tenggara chain, which stretches from Bali in the west to Timor in the east. It is relatively small, undeveloped, island about 210 km in length with a population of about 510,000. Sumba lies to the south of Flores and the belt of volcanoes that runs through most of Indonesia. Its soil is based on coral and limestone and is not particularly fertile. The north and east of the island tends to be very dry, while the south and west is much wetter and more fertile. The rainy season lasts from December to March although it tends to be longer in the west and along the south coast. Because of the long dry season in many parts of the island access to water both for drinking and for agriculture is a big problem. Maximum temperatures throughout Sumba are uniformly in the low thirties centigrade although it can be slightly cooler along the central ridge of the low mountains.

For tourism, Sumba is unknown and for some politicians in Jakarta, Sumba is forgotten. They have no idea and information about Sumba. For many years ago, there was no information about Sumba. Often, I experienced some people in Java and from another island in Indonesia didn't know where Sumba located is. Many years in the past, whether the government in Sumba or Jakarta had no idea how to improve or develop Sumba. Sumba has been a forgotten island and it seems there is nothing to attract tourism, politicians and investors come to visit Sumba. If they heard SUMBA, they really confused and presume as SUMBAWA. Sumba has been a part of Nusa Tenggara Timur, the "Southeastern Islands", with its administrative capital in Kupang on the island of Timor. Sumbawa located in Nusa Tenggara Barat (Southwestern Islands), with its administrative capital in Mataram on the island of Lombok.

In recent times, the government has greatly improved airport In Tambolaka, Sumba Barat Daya. Mauhau in East Sumba and has been an access to the island and the road network linking administrative capitals of Weetebula (Sumba Barat Daya), Waikabubak (West Sumba), Waibakul (Central Sumba), Waingapu (East Sumba). Sumba has two pearls in Waingapu, East Sumba and Waikelo in Sumba Barat Daya. These pearls, as well as, airports have been a gate from everywhere to enter in Sumba.

Sumba is one of the poorest islands in the Indonesian Archipelago. There are many people are really poor; not enough food and clean water. Live in the simple house. Many children are bad nutrition; affected malaria and infants' mortality are high.

Even though Sumba is a forgotten island but culturally is rich. Most of cultural objects are related to the Marapu religion such as the shape of traditional houses, megalithic tombstones, funerals and Pasola ceremony. Besides culture, Sumba has exotic landscapes pure and nature; ong line cost and white sands beaches surrounding the island.

About Sumba (Angga Story)

2013-04-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

On July 4 to August 13, 2011 I was doing a geological mapping for my undergraduate thesis in Sumba Island. I got to meet new people, new culture, and I also got new experiences that I'd like to share with the world.

Sumba Island is divided into four regencies: Southwest Sumba, West Sumba, Central Sumba, and East Sumba with Waitabula, Waikabubak, Waibakul, and Waingapu as its headquarters, respectively. The funny thing is, each district in each regencies has its own language, thank God we have Bahasa Indonesia! Sumba also has beautiful sceneries almost all the way, such as Laliang Beach, Wanokaka Beach, Roa Beach, and one exclusive cottage at Nihiwatu, mostly occupied by foreigners. Everyday is summer here! Beautiful clouds, you could even see the stars at night (the most romantic scenery!).

Roa Beach

Beylis is the locals' term for dowry, and yes, it sounds just like Bailey's haha! This so-called Beylis system regulates the conditions that must be fulfilled should a man want to marry a woman. He must bring with him certain amounts of buffaloes, horses, and pigs to the woman's house in order to be able to take the woman with him. I happened to be very lucky because during my stay there, there are lots of celebrations and parties I attend. Everything is celebrated here, from the death of someone, marriage, building of a house, etc! Each party lasts from 3 to more than 3 days!

Mostly the locals here are Christians, with Catholics and Moslems as the not-so dominant religions. What I love the most about the religions here is the tolerance. Different religions are highly appreciated. Contohnya, ketika ada makan-makan dan pesta ini terbuka untuk umum, yang memotong daging sapi adalah orang Muslim, untuk menghormati aturan di agama Islam. Contoh lainnya, teman saya yang beragama Islam diminta untuk memotong ayam sendiri baru dagingnya dimasak untuk dimakan olehnya. Their tolerance towards other religions are high and I wish the rest of the Indonesians could act and behave just like the people of Sumba did. What a great example of inter-religious harmony.

Every year there are several festival held here, such as Fasola, Horse-race, with each village representative competes against each other for their pride. There are also tombs in front of each house to bury family members there.

The locals do farming, gardening, and raising for living, so they are able to supply themselves with rice, cassavas, and meats. Each family has two to three dogs to guard their houses. What I personally think the best of Sumba is the coffee! I bought 4 kilos of it and brought it home. My family also agreed with me. As for the locals living in cities, they work as civil servants. My first impression is they work hard and highly sociable. They are also very nice; as I rode my motorcycle, they would say something like, "Good morning! Good afternoon! Good night! Take care!" etc.

Traditional clothing here is very simple. Men would wear headbands, sarong, and parang, usually riding a horse to complete the look. Women would wear kain and sarong, but the old ladies don't feel like covering their breasts because they say they can't stand the heat.

Jesika - Herwin - Fitrah - Me - Isto at somewhere near Waingapu, East Sumba

As for me, I am blessed to meet my new family here at Desa Mamodu: Bapak Desa John Pajaga, Mama Desa, Nona, Apli, Putra, and Edo! Also Bapak Kevin, Lukas, Herman, Pak Dedi, and the others! You guys had been a wonderful blessings for me and Jesika (my partner). We made a promise that we will come back here in the next five years! :-)

Pasola Schedule 2013 Release By Rato

2013-01-18T20:26:00.002-08:00

Pasola Attraction

The Pasola Kodi 2013 schedule in Southwest Sumba District - East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia finally released by the Rato (elder) Pasola.

The Schedule was released in Kodi sub-district on Friday (18/01/2013) in a meeting that was attended by Rato Pasola of Mbokubani village, Wainyapu village and Tossi village.

February 5th, 2013:
Pasola Homba Kalayo, district. Kodi Bangedo.

February 7th, 2013:
Bondo Pasola Kawango, district. Kodi.

February 8th, 2013:
Pasola Rara Winyo, district. Kodi.

March 7, 2013:
Pasola Wainyapu, district. kodi Balaghar.

Source: Southwest Sumba Tourism Office

"During the Pasola Event, the Cultural Festival will be held" said Doni Wungo, the staff of the Tourism Departement.

With the Schedule released then the implementation of Pasola Kodi Event 2013 has been fixed and visitors from outside the island of Sumba, can be able to make the arrival schedule to Southwest Sumba, Indonesia.

Sumba Island Best Kept Secrets

2012-10-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

A WELL KEPT SECRET

Three decades ago Bali was thrust onto the main stage of tropical island destination travel by surfers seeking the year round “perfect wave”.

Sumba, with its south coast exposure to Indian Ocean swells from the bottom of the world, is emerging as a more affordable and more private alternative.
Like Bali in the seventies, Sumba is for the person with a pioneer spirit, not the faint of heart. Sumba Island is a diamond but she is still in the rough. She needs travelers with savvy and resourcefulness, not ones who expect first world services.

The next generation of Sumba travelers is becoming aware of the magnificent south coast on the Indian Ocean, the surf and the private beaches. The waves rival anything Bali has to offer; the beaches offer pristine white sand, and the people are unspoiled and friendly.

Did we mention waves?? Some water sports enthusiasts have already discovered the “perfect wave” for themselves. Surf boards, kites and other exotic sports equipment are regularly appearing on the south coast. What happens next on the coast is up to us and our good will. With a modicum of communication and cooperation, Sumba could easily become the envy of the water sports world.

Birding Indonesia's Sumba Island

2012-10-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Our group of four Australian and three American birders had a fine four days birding on Indonesia's Sumba Island in the Lesser Sundas. Our group scored 11of the island's 12 endemic species and a good smattering of other Lesser Sunda specialties.
We stayed at the People's House in Lewa, our base for birding at various points along the main road transecting Sumba through remnant forest patches which have been cobbled together to form the Langgalin National Park. Bird pictures will be posted later.

The staff at the People's House were top-rate, happily getting up at ungodly hours to meet the needs of birders. Nice species recorded on Sumba included Apricot-breasted Sunbird, Lesser Wallacean Drongo, Sumba Green Pigeon, Sumba Flycatcher, Pale-shouldered Cicadabird, Citron-crested Cockatoo, Red-naped Fruit-Dove, Great-billed Parrot, Elegant Pitta, and in the dry grasslands near Wainpapu, Sumba Button-quail. The only endemic that we missed was Sumba Brown Flycatcher.

We were ably helped along the way by our Indonesian crew including local guide Freddie, left in the foreground, and to his right Darwin Sumang, highly recommended to organise your visit to Indonesia.

Just to disprove the theory that birders only care about birds, a touch of culture. We stopped by some rice paddies on Sumba, west of Lewa, when the women workers in the field suddenly started up some sort of traditional dance, singing and chanting with considerable vigor and rhythm to match as they moved through the rice. Very nice.

Source : http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com

Sumba Island

2012-09-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

South of Flores, between Sumbawa and Timor there is an island where the traditional customs are among the best preserved in Nusa Tenggara. This is Sumba, a relatively large island, 11.153 sq. km. with a population that reaches about 600.000, the name of the capital is Waingapu. Much of the island consists of a flat, elevated plateau about 600m above sea level, where the coast is mostly steep and rocky. The island is divided in two regions, west and east, along ethnical and cultural borders.

Up to the 20th century there has been periodic warfare here between a large number of rival kingdoms. The old wars are remembered every year during the Pasola festival, but like in 1992 the fights can be too realistic, then two villages went to war and several people were killed and a large number of homes were burned down.

Today much of the population are Christian, as well as some Muslims, while a large minority still adhere to the animist “marapu” religion. Sumba is separated from the other islands in the region by deep waters, and due to limited natural resources it has not been much influenced by the rest of the world. An old pagan culture can still be found here, unlike the rest of Indonesia which has been greatly influenced by the large world religions and their culture.
History

According to an old myth the first humans came down to Sumba on a ladder from heaven and settled on Tanjung Sasar on the north side of the island. Another myth says that Umbu Walu Sasar, one of the two Sumbanese ancestors, was driven away from Java and brought to Sumba by the gods. He also settled on Tanjung Sasar. The other ancestor, Umbu Walu Mandoko, came by boat and settled on the east side. The fact is that the people here are a mix of Malay and Melanese, while the language is related to eastern Sumbawa, western Flores and Sawu. The death and burial ceremonies have significant similarities with Tana Toraja on Sulawesi.

Sumba was under control of the mighty Majapahit dynasty from Java in the 14th century. After the fall of Majapahit the island was ruled from Bima on Sumbawa and later Gowa on south Sulawesi. The society was however most influenced by the internal wars, even if there still was mutual economic dependency between the rival kingdoms. Horses, timber, betel nuts, rice, fruit and ikat was heavily traded between the various districts.

The Dutch did not find any commercial possibilities here at first and payed little attention to Sumba before they started export of sandalwood in the 18th century. Before the discovery of penicillin sandalwood was the only known cure for venereal diseases, and was an expensive commodity that was exported to Europe, China and Arabic countries in large quantities. The trade was constantly interrupted by internal wars, and in 1906 the Dutch invaded Sumba and placed it under direct military rule. A civilian administration was set up in 1913 where the Dutch ruled through the reigning Sumbanese nobility. The native rulers were not accepted by Indonesia when the republic took control of the island in 1950, but many became government officials and in that way they and their families still have much influence.
West Sumba

The western part of Sumba is green and fertile in the wet season. It has a mixed population with two different languages, many still live in their traditional thatched huts. While East Sumba attracts tourists due to it’s lovely ikat-textiles, West Sumba can offer more exotic traditions with unique houses, ceremonies and tombs. A traditional village typically consists of two rows of tall houses, with a square between. In the middle of the square there is a flat stone with another flat stone at the top of it. Here offerings are made to the spiritual forces that protects the city (marapu). Similar stones can be found in the fields where offerings are made in relation to planting and harvesting. On the open square there is often stone slab tombs of important ancestors.

In former days the heads of killed enemies would be hung in a dead tree in the village square, called “andung”. It is common today for tourists to visit some of these villages, preferably with a local guide to avoid any offending behavior. You will often be asked to donate a small amount of money, another custom is to offer betel nuts. It is a big offence to say no if you are offered a betel nut, in former days this was a declaration of war! Just accept it and put it away if you don’t like to chew it like the locals.
East Sumba

East Sumba has a different climate, it is more dry and mountainous, and the people here belong to one single ethnical group with one common language. Waingapu, the capital, is located here and is a hub for transport to and from the island. There are some facilities here, but the main attractions are located west and southeast on the island. Some traditional villages are located southeast of Waingapu and can be visited on a daytrip from there. This part of Sumba is best known for the “ikat” produced here, this is a woven textile that can take weeks and even months to produce because of a complicated production process.

Traditionally ikat was only used for special ceremonies and only by members of the highest clans and their personal attendants. During important funerals the corpse was dressed in the finest textiles to make a good appearance in the afterlife, and piles of extra textiles was often sent with the dead as well. Later the Dutch started to export ikat to Europe and Java, where it quickly became very popular. Other products from here are horses and cattle. Horses are still used for transport on Sumba and is a symbol of high status, the large grass fields in the interior of the island are well suited for horse raising.

The island is famous for its megalithic tombs and war rituals. A well known ritual is “pasola” were hundreds of men on horses throw spears at each other. The tip of the spears are cut off, but serious accidents, even deaths, occur frequently. The season to experience this festival is in February to March, it will take place in four different districts to satisfy the gods and bring a good harvest. The exact date and time is depending on the arrival of the small “Nyale” fish to the coast (also see Kuta, Lombok). The priests will study the fish and from it’s behavior predict the outcome of the harvest. When this is done the Pasola festival can begin, the fights will usually start at the beach and then move further inland.

Hinggi East Sumba Traditional Ikat

2012-08-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hinggi, a traditional ikat cloth, is one of East Sumba’s foremost material culture. As a component of the East Sumbanese traditional man’s dress, hinggi is visually impressive. Its patterns display attractive motives, decorative and symbolic, that depict religious conviction, power, wealth, status, honor and gender prestige, based on local and foreign sources that comply to traditional standards of quality. Intrinsically it indicates hinggi’s central role in social and ritual context, making it a highly prized item among the East Sumbanese, a matter that has been taken place since ancient days, and the international audience as well.

Throughout its long history, the making of the hinggi came in contact with outside powers i.e. through trade, colonialism, education, and industrialization, including today’s international tourism. From a cloth that functioned to serve the internal culture of its producers, hinggi became a commodity for outsiders that consequently affected its aesthetical aspects. Hinggi’s patterning went through changes towards new forms adjusting to external demand, especially for the past 30 years, resulting in salient differences between hinggis made for sale and those made for internal use. Significant visual changes are that of the introduction of secular designs depicting local cultural themes such as ceremonies and mock battles, conveyed in realistic expressions with smooth lines in a coinciding asymmetric configuration within a narrative set up, replacing traditional spiritual iconography which is relatively stylistic, abstract and stiff, in a diametrical symmetric setting with no expository relation.

New hinggi designs principally sprung up from three main themes i.e. the papanggang, a spectacular burial ceremony carried out for personalities of high social status; the pasola, a ceremonial (in the past real) battle between opposing parties; and the palai ngandi, a folk tale about the groom’s kidnapping of his bride. The three themes are presented in numerous variations, partly in combination with traditional symbolic motives, which now play a minor role in the overall configuration, besides the many more without them. However, the new designs have no role in East Sumba’s tradition. Traditionally designed hinggis continue to exist due to their importance in the East Sumbanese internal culture.

East Sumba Island – Ikats and Textiles Tradition

2012-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

East Sumba
East Sumba has a different climate, it is more dry and mountainous, and the people here belong to one single ethnical group with one common language. Waingapu, the capital, is located here and is a hub for transport to and from the island. There are some facilities here, but the main attractions are located west and southeast on the island. Some traditional villages are located southeast of Waingapu.

This region is better known for its “ikat” weaving. Traditionally only members of the highest clans and their personal attendants only used for special ceremonies and ikat. During important funerals the corpse was dressed in the finest textiles to make a good appearance in the afterlife, and piles of extra textiles was often sent with the dead as well. Later the Dutch started to export ikat to Europe and Java, where it quickly became very popular. Other products from here are horses and cattle. Horses are still used for transport on Sumba and are a symbol of high status; the large grass fields in the interior of the island are well suited for horse rising.

Handicraft:
Aside from ikat you can get others artifacts of primitive art in Sumba: Wood carvings, sculptured stones, lime containers, traditional jewellery (Mamuli,Marengo,Tabelo), basket work, long knifes( Parang), traditional bag(Kalieku), primitive musical instrument, household items and artefact for fishing or hunting.
There are 45 different clans (Suku) in Sumba and each one has their own Marapu and their own invisible spirits.

In a traditional Sumbanese house (Uma), you can find wood or stone carvings which are images of Marapu even human or animal representation.
In such house the are four pillars: one for men, one for Marapu (ancestor ) one for women and the last one for articles of value (spears, long knives, weawings, jewelry) and special plates, special earthen waterjar for Marapu. In some villages, you can still see skull trees dating from the time they were headhunters.

The horsemen of Sumba

2012-08-27T18:18:00.002-07:00

A horseman trots happily after defeating his opponents at the Pasola Festival in Kodi, Southwest Sumba.

Every year, from February to March, hundreds of horsemen from all over Sumba Island gather at a field, to reenact a traditional battle known as pasola. Armed with blunt lances, teams joust against each other, in an age-old ritual that takes place just before the harvest. One inviolable tradition strongly held by the fighting horsemen is that their rivalry ends in the 'battlefield' and not beyond. It is an exciting and colorful tradition that over the years has attracted visitors from other parts of Indonesia and overseas. Tempo contributor Seto Wardhana filed the following report from Sumba.

It was dawn but still dark when horsemen, wearing kalambo (woven poncho-like wraps traditionally worn by Sumba men) quietly rode into Mbukabani hamlet in Kodi district, West Sumba. But their horses neighed loudly, breaking the silence. They hurried to a thatched-roof house on stilts at the entrance of the village, where the communal elders live. They were greeted by 60-year-old Rangga Mete, a rato the Sumba word for communal elder who was fastening wuluhoro, an ornament, over his horse.

They were preparing to take part in the pasola, an annual ritual organized to welcome the new year of Marapu, based on the local animistic belief. "The Marapu New Year celebration happens to be close to the early planting season," said Martinus Leonardo Wunggo, 26, a staff of the West Sumba Tourism Office, to Tempo. This year, pasola fell on February 16 in Kodi.

The pasola is a ritual which recreates a war, in the Sumba tradition. Two groups of horsemen, comprising dozens, sometimes even hundreds of men, throw lances of 1 to 2 meters in length at each other. The tips of the lances are blunted to prevent injuries.

At about 7am, rato elders conducted a nyale ritual as a prerequisite to the pasola event. "The elders search for nyale (sea worms), which will determine the success of harvests in the coming season," said Gidion Gh. Panna, 34, appointed groundsman by the Tourism Office to look after the site. Locals believe the worms can show how the next season's harvests will go. The more worms that are found and the cleaner the shore, the bigger the harvests will be. "If the sea is dirty, the coming harvests will be poor. If no nyale can be found it means famine will prevail," Gidion explained.

Following the nyale ceremony, six horses hold a preliminary round of pasola on the coast for about an hour. Rato elders sit and watch the rituals thoroughly. When a lot more horsemen joined the fray, Rangga Mete signaled that the game be stopped. Then they headed for the Rara Winyo fields, where the celebration has been held for years.

By this time, the sun was scorching but thousands of spectators were packed on roadsides like sardines. They came from all over Sumba, in addition to tourists from other parts of Indonesia and other countries. The teams of horsemen galloped around the field, as if to warm up. The 'enemy' that day came from Tossi hamlet. The two teams separated on the sides of the field, plotting their war strategies. They each held five to six lances. After a while, a small truck appeared, carrying more supplies of spears.
They began in earnest when two rato elders crossed the field on horseback. Thereafter, the team of horsemen from both sides would take turns in attacking. They threw lances at their opponents. Others waited for their turn, mustering courage to rush into the field.

Tension hung over the viewers. They held their collective breath as a rider managed to ward off a spear hurled at him. They also applauded as another fighter succeeded in evading a lance attack by flinging himself to the side of the horse, much like the American Apache Indian, who probably does such tricks today in rodeos or cowboys-and-Indians movies.

Injuries are common in the fight. At the time, on one side of the field a rider fell down after a spear had struck his horse in the head. Several young men ran to him. An ambulance standing by promptly drove into the field. However, as he was definitely found without any serious injuries, he was only carried to the side of the arena and not to the nearby hospital.

The injured horseman was greeted by a rato, waiting to wipe his face and console him. According to local tradition, all injuries and illnesses can be healed by the elders with water that they have prayed and blessed. "Serious lance wounds can recover within four days after being wiped with water from an earthen jar. But if the injuries are light, the horsemen won't tell, because they're too embarrassed," explained Gidion.

The pasola ritual ended at 3pm, after five to six hours of 'battle.' This year, one complicated problem arose: the fans and supporters of the fighting horsemen decided they wanted to fight one another. So, the rato elders halted the event by again crossing the field on horseback. Then they closed the ritual by reading the fortune of coming harvests from a liver of a chicken. They also gave offerings to the spirits of ancestors to wind up the ritual.

***
The word 'pasola' comes from sola or hola, meaning a lance. The pa affixed to it (pa-sola, pa-hola) indicates this ritual is a war game of lances by men on horseback. A pasola normally takes place in February or March, depending on the region. For instance, in February a pasola is held in Kodi district while in March it usually takes place in Wanokaka, Southwest Sumba, and in Gaura, West Sumba.

The participants in this ritual hold on to one inviolable principle. "Whatever happens, the pasola must never go beyond this field. No grudges are allowed. Even if somebody dies, there will be no prosecution and no police investigation," Gidion made it clear.

In addition, they are forbidden to hurl lances at those turning their backs on their opponents. "In the war game lances must not be thrown at fighters who are retreating," Gidion noted. Sadly, fighting between participants or spectators is frequently inevitable. "Such fighting has happened only in the last seven to eight years," said Martin. He thinks it may be because the younger generation don't respect the traditional rituals as much as their elders.

No special requirements apply to pasola riders. Both adults and youngsters are allowed to participate, as long as they are brave enough. Usually, the family whose member plans to join the event will slaughter a chicken, as a form of offering and prayer for his safety. A rato will later read the horseman's chances in the intestines and liver of the chicken. If they look bad, the horseman may cancel his plan to take part in the ritual.

The meaning of pasola differs from one area to another though the ritual is about the same. In Kodi, the pasola is celebrated to mark the Marapu New Year. People in Lamboya district, Southwest Sumba, hold pasola as a planting season ritual to ensure they have an abundant harvest.

Likewise, the myth of pasola varies from region to region. In Lamboya and Wanokaka, people believe that the ritual began when a man from the area of Wanokaka, Umbu Dulla, was thought to have died at sea. Rabbu Kabba, his wife, thinking that her spouse had died, married a youth from Kodi named Teda Gaiparona. When everyone realized her husband was still alive, Rabbu asked Teda to pay belis (compensation) to the family of Umbu Dulla. When all conditions were met, the elders of both villages held a pasola to mark the incident.

In Kodi the legend is different. Gidion tells the story of a fight between two brothers, Mbukabani and his younger brother Tosi, to win the heart of a woman. The competition was won by Mbukabani. Then they celebrated it by organizing a pasola. "The schedule is determined by Mbukabani and followed by its surrounding villages," said Gidion.

***
Pasola is not only awaited by the people of Sumba, but by a large number of local and foreign tourists, who throng the grass fields and arena to watch this ritual. Officially, pasola is slated for February or March, but tourists find it difficult to pin down the exact date. Only rato elders can determine it.

This uncertain schedule has often prompted tourists to cancel their plans to visit Sumba. Apart from the quite high cost, transportation to the island is relatively difficult. There are no direct flights from major cities in Indonesia, they must all go through Kupang or Denpasar. Traveling by land and sea takes several days to reach their destination.

However, with Pasola being increasingly well-known, in 2000 rato elders reached an agreement with the government not to announce Pasola rituals at the last minute, but through a well-organized timetable. They decided to combine dates according to the traditional Marapu calendar, with the Gregorian calendar of the Tourism Office. "Our tradition and customs have been compromised to meet the tourists' demand. It aims to introduce Sumba and Indonesia to the world, while preserving the culture," said Martin.

With recent developments, the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Tourism Office can now plan a more organized visitors' schedule. This year it set a target of 750,000 tourist arrivals to watch the major event as one of the region's attractions. Additional infrastructure has been built for the comfort of visitors, like permanent toilets and seating areas. "With the seating areas, people can watch the event more comfortably, protected from the sun," Paulus Yo, a Lamboya resident living in Kabu Karudi hamlet, told Tempo.

In Southwest Sumba regency, newly established in 2007, most of the civil servants are still young and social-media literate. They frequently post pasola activities on their blogs, Twitter and Facebook networks. Unfortunately, in Tempo's view, most visitors are only familiar with the pasola and are ignorant of other interesting, traditional elements of Sumba.

Not many people are aware, for instance, that prior to the pasola rituals, there are other interesting ceremonies. "Most of them only know about the pasola," Martin lamented. At present, the Sumba and provincial administrations are striving to benefit from the popularity of pasola to boost the economy of local people though this effort has not yet been very productive.

According to Martin, the Tourism Office is cooperating with the Cooperatives Office to motivate Sumba's weavers so their woven products can be sold as souvenirs during the pasola week. Martin hopes Sumba Island will be famous not just for its pasola, but also for its other cultural features, particularly its creative industry and its beautiful natural environment: vast expanses of grassland where wild horses roam, beyond Sumba's annual pasola festival.

Magic in Sumba

2012-08-01T08:39:00.004-07:00

By : Kathie Armstrong Founder of the Quiksilver Foundation

A heartfelt mother-daughter experience outside a village hut on a remote jungle island proves that women of all ages, from many different backgrounds and cultures, can indeed change the world one moment at a time.

Do your part to better the world.

I glanced at my seventeen-year-old daughter with apprehension. Was I was doing the right thing taking her to a third world country with primitive tribal rituals, a jungle environment rife with malaria and dysentery? How would Abbie relate to indigenous natives who lived in grass huts without electricity, running water or toilets?

When we volunteered to work with other families in Sumba that summer, it seemed like a good idea, exciting, even glamorous, but now that we were on the plane preparing for takeoff, it was scary. Indonesia was rocked by a large earthquake earlier that day! The instant we set foot on the island, Abbie and I experienced a culture so foreign that it felt as if we had taken a gigantic step back in time.

I was astonished to see how quickly my daughter, the product of a sheltered and privileged environment, adjusted and thrived. She threw herself enthusiastically into every available activity: painting murals in schools, playing soccer with the kids, distributing clothing and malaria nets in villages and dispensing discarded eyeglasses.
Abbie was most excited about her assignment working with the volunteer dentist, a job that entailed holding a “spit bucket” so villagers with infected teeth, rotted from chewing betel nut, could eject blood and mucus accumulated during extraction. I couldn’t bear to watch and was relegated to sterilizing instruments. But my daughter graduated to pulling teeth by herself!

We noticed how many villagers waited patiently for their turn to be treated and had to come back day after day. Abbie decided that she wanted the money she had collected from a fundraising effort prior to our trip to go toward the training and education of a young Sumbanese nurse. However, we learned that most Sumbanese, if they go to school at all, usually don’t progress beyond third grade.

The president of the Sumba Foundation said he had met thousands of villagers. Not one had ever left the bush for school. Motor-biking through a small village about an hour later, he came upon a celebration in progress—a young girl had just passed a test to attend nursing school in another town, but her parents didn’t have the means to pay for it. As if by magic, the perfect candidate was found that day!

I’ll never forget our gathering on bamboo mats outside a village hut. Abbie smiled at a shy olive-skinned girl named Margaretha as it was explained in Indonesian that the American teenager with the fair complexion and red hair would pay for three years of nursing school. I still get chills just thinking about it.

Margaretha was stunned! Her family jumped up to shake my hands and hugged and thanked Abbie. It’s impossible to describe the depth of my emotions as I watched these two young women knowing that from that moment on they would always be connected.

Since Margaretha doesn’t have a postal address, she and Abbie are only able to correspond when mail can be hand-delivered. Abbie’s latest package contained a photograph of a proud young student nurse in a white uniform and a simple handwritten letter that began with “Hello my Sister …” Abbie, who has been preparing for her own career in medicine, has recently received a grant to research malnutrition in Sumba!

I have always believed that doing your part to better the world would bring its own reward. Now I know that doing together it with someone you love is reward enough.

Kathie Armstrong is the founder of the Quiksilver Foundation, a nonprofit organization sponsored by Quiksilver, Inc., a multi-national apparel and accessory company for youth. The Foundation is committed to benefiting and enhancing the quality of life for communities of surfers and board riders around the world with a special focus on children, education, science, oceans and the environment.

Source : http://www.lifemomentsforwomen.com

Pajura, Boxing Under the Moon Light

2012-07-30T14:11:00.003-07:00

Tentena in District Wanokaka Coast, West Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara seem crowded communities. They come from all villages in the district is to follow the ritual Pajura.
There are 14 villages that are usually involved. Indeterminate number of participating boxing. Depends on who wants to play.

Pajura Tradition

Pajura Sumba is a community tradition fisticuffs between villages. The scrapper is young children by using boxing gloves made of reeds. This ritual takes place in the early morning, starting at 00.00 until about 04.00 am.

Uniquely, the fists are held on the beach. The roar of the surf and the cries of spectators each bersahut-replication makes the atmosphere warmer boxing. While the scrapper yelled a voice like a horse neighing.

"There are 14 villages that are usually involved. Not necessarily the number of participating boxing. Depends on who wants to play," said Luke, an audience of Village Tarmanu to Kompas.com on Wednesday (3/13/2012) morning.

He said the boxing boxer gets hurt. Local people believe the bleeding is believed to be abundant harvests.

Tentena a night on the beach of darkness that was to be noisy. The only illumination is the light of the moon. Occasionally the light of cell phones and cigarettes across the fire.

While the spotlight may just glow in the time of preparation before the fist place. Spotlights are used to ease oversight in order to check the hand scrapper be fair game.

Pajura tradition can only rely on the moon. So that each boxer throwing fists into opponent in the middle of the night. Not surprisingly, the photos are very rare Pajura outstanding documentation.

For, if there is a camera flash light on the scrapper, they suddenly shouted to flash off. Sonny experienced the same thing, the photographer said.

"Each of my photographs, I was immediately cheered as flash. Hard once his picture, because the dark," he said.

Young and old busy watching the traditional rituals that appear every year. They are even willing to walk all the way to the boxing arena.

"I am walking 3 hours," said Meri (15) of the Village Waigale lightly.

Sumba society accustomed to walking long distances. Transport access is still minimal in this area. To get to the beach Tentena, asphalt roads, paths, and stone steps down to the shoreline approximately 100 steps, must be passed.

The journey from Waikabubak, the capital of West Sumba, taken about 45 minutes by car to the beach Tentena. Entering Wanokaka area, the street was completely dark. Lighting is minimal. Indeed, the power supply in West Sumba is still small. Lights off the norm.

Ritual is a series Pajura with Pasola. Pasola Festival is an annual festival that celebrated the community of West Sumba when starting the growing season. This festival has entered Indonesia and the tourism calendar years has attracted the interest of foreign tourists.

In celebration of this, each ward will compete dexterity on horseback, throwing the javelin into the opponent until the opponent to bleed.

This celebration is actually to welcome the harvest and predict crop yields. The more blood is shed when Pasola, the local community believe that means the rich harvest. This year, Pasola Festival is celebrated on March 14, 2012.

In West Sumba, Pasola lasted three districts namely Wanokaka, Lamboya, and Gaura. In the morning before Pasola, held tradition Nyale. Meanwhile, two days before Pasola, Pajura ritual held in Tentena, District Wanokaka.

Blood, Sweat and Cheers

2012-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

When the worm turns, the spears fly and blood flows in the wildest islands of Indonesia, where headhunting is commonplace and sacrifice appeases the gods who send the sea worms for the magical frenzy of sex in the surf that keeps Sumba safe for another year

By Ron Gluckman / Sumba, Indonesia

AFTER MAKING HIS LONG INCISION, THE PRIEST pushes aside the bloody organs and indicates that I should take a closer look. Feathers fill the air, which smells of death. Voodoo curses come to mind as I gag my refusals and peer into the gaping wound.

Still gripping his bloody knife, the priest screams, and I leap away. My guide chuckles, then translates the priest's incantation. "He says the signs are good. Now the festival begins."

It was only much later, after marching in the moonlight to the sea and splashing in the waves looking for worms, after watching warriors on horseback fight and fall in a rain of bamboo spears, and after the sacrifice of still more chickens and water buffalo, that I gained any insight into what the priest saw in the entrails.

By then, the battles were over and the warriors were licking their wounds. Pasola was proclaimed a big success. Sufficient blood had been spilled to certify another bumper rice harvest. Sumba had been saved.
Such is the cycle of life upon Sumba, where the Pasola fighting festival rages across wild lands that have never been tamed. Sandalwood Island is what the Dutch called Sumba, a small Indonesian isle on the Australian side of Flores and Sumbawa. Sumba supplied slaves - trophies of tribal warfare - as well as wood, but rebuked all attempts at colonization. The Dutch did not manage a presence on the island until the 20th Century.

War is the heart and soul of Sumba. Pasola is a huge jousting free-for-all that takes its name from sola, the word for spear. Pasola is preceded by pajura, boxing contests, while some vilages host competitions in which contestants exchange verbal abuse for hours.

Nobody really knows when Pasola started, or exactly when it will take place each year. Tourism officials in Jakarta and Bali boast of the brilliance of Pasola, then admit they have never seen it. "It's sometime in March. Don't worry. Just get to Bali. They'll know."

Then, he whispered a warning in my ear. "Something about watching the spirits," I told my photographer later. "He also mentioned that we should wait for the worms in the moonlight."

So, we left Bali long before the full moon, and headed east along the necklace of islands that lured the first Chinese migrants down the Indonesian chain thousands of years ago. A crowd of barkers waited outside the airport in Waingapu, when we landed in East Sumba. They offered expensive rides and lodging. And information, all contradictory.

Not that we expected to find much help in East Sumba, which considers itself a separate entity from the other side of the island. Sumba is split down the middle. West Sumba is tropical, Asiatic. The east is tough and dry, the terrain akin to Australia. Each side has its own diverse fauna, wildlife and language, but differences run much deeper. East Sumba has churches, an airport, and Ikat, a woven cloth famed around the world.

Cross Sumba, and you're in the Wild West. Looms never caught on here, but head hunting did. Skull trees sit in the center of Stone Age villages. West Sumbanese hold sacred many things from the past, including animism, animal sacrifice, blood-red betel nut, and Pasola.

Huge gravestones on scenic plateaus mark the final resting place of Pasola's past heroes. "To die in Pasola is the best honour," confides a nearly toothless man who steps out from a bamboo hut on the beach near Wanokaka. For weeks, he says, he has been forced to refrain from fishing. "Taboo," explains my young guide, Philipus Renggi.

In fact, the entire beach is traditionally taboo in the frenzied days before Pasola. There are stories of families being slain by monsters, entire villages wiped out after violating the sanctity of Pasola.

However, the beach bares other prints. Even the priests have been to the shore, sneaking peaks at the elusive nyale. These tiny seaworms are the focus of the festival. Normally, nyale reproduce by budding, but on one day just after the winter full moon, they wash ashore in a frenzy of fornication. The worms are seen as a sign from the gods. Fat nyale mean a rich rice crop. Thin or Brittle nyale can indicate flooding or famine.
Whatever the message, the arrivale of the nyale signals the start of Pasola, Sumba's unique form of jousting. Blood is spilled to appease or placate the gods, whichever way the worm turns. In olden times, fields turned red from the slaughter. Nowadays, bamboo spears are blunted to avoid excessive bloodshed. And there are also referees and Pasola police.

"Pasola has changed. There's been an emphasis on tourism for the past four years," says Patti Seery, an Asian arts enthusiast who spent nine years in Indonesia. "It's a shame, but inevitable. Sumba is so unique. A lot is changing, but not the culture itself."

Indeed, there is a certain precision to present-day Pasola that belies Sumba's dusty roads, thatched huts and bloody rituals. A huge performance is held one pre-Pasola night in Waikabubak, the main town in West Sumba. Scores of animals are sacrificed in the villages.

Long before dawn on the next day, we leave Waikabubak and begin the long journey to the ocean. New pilgrims add to the throngs at every turn. There is chanting, "wu, wu," the call of the worm.
The stars still blink in a black sky when we reach the water. The crowd pauses on the shore, while the priests scratch with sticks in the dirt, seeking signs of the spirits. They chant and sprinkle incense. More chickens are sacrificed.

While the rato (priests) huddle around the remaining chickens, elders light kreteks, pungent clove cigarettes. Old women blissfully chomp narcotic betel nut. We wait. And wait.
After a few hours, a rato pulls up his sarong and scurries into the sea. The crowd stirs. Another rato splashes into the surf and they peer into the waves, then return to shore.

There are three more false alarms before the priests find what they seek in the sea. By now, the sky is streaked with orange light. One rato reaches into the water and pulls up a fistful of what looks like muck. "Worms," Renggi says excitedly. The rato reaches his hand high into the air and the crowd explodes with cheers. At last, Pasola has begun.

We move to a nearby field and watch as riders and mounts slowly arrive. They come in groups of two or three, for an entire hour, until over one hundred ribbon-festooned riders are divided on opposite ends of the field.

Back and forth they pace. Some stop to sharpen bamboo spears on the sly among the rocks. Others adjust ornaments endlessly. Their impatience is palatable. But Pasola moves to an ancient rhythm. First, there are more sacrifices, and incantations. Again, the gods are consulted and, finally, when the signs are right, the spears fly.

A long game of bait and feint begins. Each team tries to lure opponents into vulnerable positions. The action is fierce and tiring. Eventually, courageous or reckless warriors attempt perilous moves. Spears find the mark, and riders fall. One takes a painful puncture in the shoulder. A horse is hit in the thigh.
The crowd screams with blood-thirsty fury. Police use sticks to hold them in line, but the surges are threatening. "Sometimes it ends like a riot," Seery had warned earlier. "The crowds go crazy and start throwing rocks."

The first year the police came to control Sumba's Pasola passion, the worms failed to come in the waves. Priests felt the presence of tourists had ominous overtones. To appease the gods, they decided to sacrifice some tourists. When the police intervened, a full-scale riot ensued and a many people were killed.
"That was a wonderful Pasola," recalls Rato, my driver, with a wide smile. I never find out whether he is serious, because a few moments later, whistles blow, and Pasola is suddenly over. The score is hard to ascertain. "There are no winners or losers," Seery says. "It's not like that. They fight together in a ritual to keep peace."

Nobody has died, but blood has spilled. Placidly, the crowd filters back to the villages.
Two days later, still perplexed by violent Pasola dreams, I wander into an antique shop in Waikabubak and find a book in English, "Sumba, a Unique Culture." Among the maps and spiritual mythology, is a complete guide to reading the signs in sacrificial animals.

Throughout the return flight to Bali, I study the strange diagrams. Once again, an odd congruity slowly takes shape, like out on the field when the spears flew and the sound of hoofs and war yelps filled the air. As I doze off, my dreams are not of sacrifice or blood frenzy, but of a strange peace destined to prevail until the next Pasola.

Source : ource : http://www.gluckman.com/PageIndo.htm

Ratenggaro and Wainyapu (KODI) - Southwest Sumba

2012-06-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Ratenggaro Village - Southwest Sumba

If you’ve got a sharp eye for funky tribal architecture and you happened to see our recent post on the back roads of Sumba, then you probably noticed that shot of Thomas fording the river backed by a series of unbelievably vertical thatched huts. That was Ratenggaro, perhaps the most stunning village in the entire Kodi tribal region (and perhaps all of Sumba).

Kodi is Sumba at its best, a region of superlatives. The huts are taller, the villages more traditional, the tombs a bit grander, the beaches more sweeping, the sculpture a little more plentiful… Kodi is simply awesome.

Discovering places like Rantenggaro is why we travel. Every time we start to get a bit jaded, we run across a truly incredible location like this which reminds us that – even in the 21st century – there are still discoveries to be made. The small headlands just west of Ratenggaro featuring half a dozen unique stone tombs is pure magic. Looking back at the huts perched perilously on the river-side cliff, the village feels like a surreal figment of – well – my imagination. This is precisely the kind of location I dream of finding, but rarely do.

But equally impressive Wainyapu lies just over the large river which winds its way out of the palms and empties into the waves behind us. Vast stretches of deserted golden sand sweep both north and south of the isolated villages. Not a tourist in sight. No stores or stalls or tourist paraphernalia. No high-rises or towers. Just a living National Geographic moment in all its uncropped glory. These locations are all but gone in most of the world.

As with many villages in Sumba, entering is far more awkward than in other parts of Nusa Tenggara. Adults stare at us suspiciously. Children dance around us excited by our visit. Breaking all the rules we believe in, we have no choice but to pass out cigarettes to some of the men.

Tribute is a requirement at each Sumbanese village whether you agree with it, or not. In addition, village elders ask for a cash donation signaling what we already know: While these villages appear completely isolated, they are two of the more frequently visited locations in western Sumba (although the guestbook reveals that “frequently visited” might be a bit of an overstatement.) After signing the guestbook and offering a few more cigarettes, tensions relax and we are invited into some of the high houses.

The interiors of the huge huts vary from quite simple to elaborately carved. In some of the houses, the occupants display large numbers of pig jaws. The hut layouts appear strangely unlivable and quite impractical when compared to other traditional communities we have visited. Many of the huts seem to be abandoned. When we ask why, we discover that many villagers have left Ratenggaro and neighboring Wainyapu to look for work in Waikabubak and Waingapu. Oddly, while some huts lie empty, villagers appear to be constructing new huts.

Particularly in Wainyapu, the forest of vertical thatched huts is carpeted with tombs and spirit stones (kateda) used for offerings. At times, these stone constructions seem to be almost piled on top of each other. Dogs and pigs wander through the tombs hunting for scraps of food. It’s definitely the quintessential tribal village scene.

Interestingly, despite the conservative influences of Christianity and Islam, many of the women in Rantenggaro and Wainyapu still go topless wearing only traditional ikat or cheaper sarongs. Somehow, I find that quite surprising considering the two villages are situated on the coast. (In Indonesia, such traditions are usually more easily maintained in more hidden inland regions.) Men and younger villagers seem to be quickly adopting western clothing, although many people wear ikats over western clothing and most men still carry swords.

But make no mistake about it, traditional beliefs are still strong in Sumba, especially here in Kodi. When travelers see this transition from traditional ikat to western clothing, they often mistakenly think that this clothing is synonymous with western thinking. It really isn’t. One upcoming post will reveal just how much Sumbanese can misinterpret Western behaviors, motivations, and technologies. It will definitely make you think twice the next time you pull out your camera.

Source :http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/1330/150546/Ratenggaro+and+Wainyapu?destId=356546

Little story about Sumba cultures and food

2012-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Has a great and unique position respect to the Sunda Banda archipelagoes, it is one of the biggest island on the East Nusa Tenggara region beside Flores and Timor. It represents an isolated sliver of probable continental crust to the south of active volcanic islands (Sumbawa, Flores ) within the forearc basin . It is situated to the north of passage from the Java Trench (subduction front) to the Timor Through (collision front). It does not show still the effects of strong compression in contrast to islands of the outer arc system (Savu, Roti, Timor), while the magmatic units make up a substantial part of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene stratigraphy.

Sumba island covers an area of 11,150 square km which is now populated by about 350,000 people. Generally the climate similar to other part of Indonesia where a dry season (May to November), and a rainy season (December to April). The island of Sumba is well known of its sandlewood, horses, impressive megalithic tombs, typical hand woven textile ("ikat"), and still untouched beautiful beaches.

Cultures

Sumba has a unique culture and their social life. Sumbanese are traditionally divided into three level of social life : (Raja/King) - Maramba, Customary Official - Kabihu, and Slaves - Ata. Sumbanese are living from farming, cattle breeding, rice-field farming and trading. Ones owns cattle will contribute to their social status such as if they had more cattle giving them a higher social status. Most Sumbanese are Christian (Catholic and Protestant), however, and part of them are still strongly keep their native and original religion called Marapu. Most cultural objects are related to the Marapu religion such as the shape of traditional houses, ceremonies, or kings' graves and tombs.
Traditional Events.

Pasola is the name of a war game tournament played by two groups of selected Sumbanese men. They riding their decorated selected horses fling wooden spears at each other. (The government allows the ritual game to take place, but the spears much the blunt). Pasola is a traditional ceremony of the Sumbanese held in the way of uniquely and sympathically traditional norms, every year in February and March and has become the focus of attention of the people since it is a part of the sacred homoge to the Marapu.

FOOD

As in the rest of Indonesia, Sumba food is heavily based on rice, supplemented by vegetables, a little bit of fish, meat and eggs. Sumba cuisine is known for its combination of contrasting flavors and textures, its influences having originated in all corners of the world, which varies in the method of cooking and the ingredients used.

Source : http://mb-indonesianfood.blogspot.com/2008/08/little-story-about-sumba-my-island.html

Staying a Night in Elopada Southwest Sumba

2012-06-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Story by : danieltrih's

By the month of May 2012, it has been 9 times for me back and forth visiting Sumba island, and yet the fascination of this mystical isolated island is still hovering inside my body , soul, and spirit. This time I got chance to stay in Sumba South West, which is predominantly inhabited by the Weejewan or Wewewa , namely the biggest Ethnic group in the island, about 125,000 in numbers. We stayed in one community, located in the top of the hill, called Kampung Wonga, Wonga Community.

To get to this community I need to travel for around an hour with car from the Tambolaka Airport, with cost of Rp 50.000,- per person or about AU$ 5.50, I suggested you talked clearly where to go and when you are gonna stop, cause the driver was pretty aggravated knowing that we were stopping many times, in the end his frown turned into grind, when we gave him more money. But it was not worth it, I was bit sicked seeing his grumpy face along the way, when we then decided to use him again in the next morning, but hey that was another story.

The Kampung itself is located int the top of the hill, to get there we need to walk up about 200 meter distance with 45 degree elevation. It was pretty steep walk, with some flat grounds to have a short break, especially for my mate Rose who was struggling with her swollen feet. One of the local said that in the past it was actually a natural form of defense against the rival tribe or the robbers,or a set of houses made up a fortress, used to have solid stone wall around it. . We stayed in one house right in the middle back of the compound, there are 4 houses, each house has around 6-12 members make up into 2 families, each house is led by a Rato a traditional Merapu Priest, conducting many community and household affairs. We will talk more about it in other post.

The house we were staying as you can see in this picture has one big porch, and 2 mini sitting spots in both sides. It was built 20 years ago, pretty new compared to the the other one which was erected more than 80 years ago. We ate lunch here and doing two of my favorite things to do, which are having siesta and talked about lot of things including life, love, spouses, purpose and coconut tree. In the left side of the sitting porch there were two ladies threshed the rice with traditional pestle, they seemed really skilled with that tool. Having had our lunch, we then were wandering around the communities.

Meanwhile I was just roaming around the place taking picture of lot of things including a lady who looked after her granddaughter and other kids. There are lots of ancient tomb stone around the houses and the playground,the tomb which Sumbanese use is sarcophagus-like with Dolmen mode of burial, this technique has been adopted since thousand years ago. Some experts said that the only place where the remnant of the Megalithic culture preserved and are still practiced by nowadays people in the culture, is in Sumba.

The kids were just scattered on what so-called playground in the middle of the Kampung , lots of laughter and cheers, such thing is not visible anymore in major cities where I am from, where kids are hidden inside the house because of reckless motorbike rider may hit them. What a heaven for kids here. But these kids also have the problems of their own, like lack of quality education, mal-nutrition, and violence that happens surrounding the community.

then ventured back to the house and sat next to this man at his 40, I think, and he is the Rato of the house where were staying. The Rato in our house is not only a priest but he also used to be a Military leader, which mean he gather, discuss, plan and mobilize the whole community to war when necessary, but now he left all of those after he became a Christian almost 20 years ago. He is now busy with Church and look after young kids in the community. Nevertheless, He is still, if you allow me to give my personal opinion, the most influential person in subtlest way, I’ve ever known.

Dawn came when we realized how exhausted we were, Stepanus my mate asked us to have wash before ate dinner, but I decided not to have one, saved it for next morning. We then went inside sitting around petromak a contemporary kerosine lamp which bright enough to illuminate the whole room in the building. We sang old hymn together since, not many part of the family could speak English, music is universal language, and Sumbanese has been knowing the old hymn when the Zending-Dutch Christian Mission Movement, had been around since 1850.

I went outside little bit and it was 8pm, I held my head up, gazing the sky, the stars were stunningly beautiful, reminded me the night sky in southern Hemisphere in Tasmania, I sat there by myself in silence for a while, and be thankful.

Source : http://danieltrih.wordpress.com/

Marapu, Sumba’s Animist Religion

2012-06-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Marapu, Sumba’s Animist Religion More than 60% of the population of Sumba Marapu (a kind of religion that believes the spirit of ancestors). The rest are Christians (both Catholic and Protestant). Only a small number of pupulation is Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Marapu derived from two words in Mar and Apu, which means grandfather as the creator and source of life. The main teachings of the religion Marapu believe in life while in this world and eternal life after death. Death means a person who is in fact the spirit world in the sky Marapu - Prai Marapu.

The spirits of the ancestors who are still alive and watching life. Rituals and ceremonies are a way to preserve and maintain relationships (thanks) quiet with Marapu. So long as you abide by the rules of the ceremony, Marapu will bestow your blessings, such as good relationships with family and neighbors, good health, the rice plants, multiply etc.

Marapu Priest

The word Marapu has different meanings, such as:

1. the occupants of the eternal heaven, who lead a similar existence to men. They live in couples and one of these couples was the ancestor of the Sumbanese.
2. the spirits of Sumbanese ancestors in Prai Marapu.
3. the spirits of Sumbanese's relatives
4. all spirits dwelling the universe. Marapu has mysterious and magical authority over human life.

So, Marapu has animistic, spiritual, and dynamic elements. This is obviously seen in every festival held in Sumbanese daily life that the festivals into magical factor strongly influencing the belief by placing spirits role as the main component. According to Marapu beliefs, any spirits consist of two elements i.e.

Rato (The Priest) Of Marapu

Ndewa and Hamanangu. In short, the Marapu concepts are the teachings about the balance of the universal life through which the happiness can be gained. The balance is symbolized by the "Ina Mawolo" (Mother of being) and the "Ama Marawi" (Father of Creation). Ina Mawolo and Ama Marawi live in the universe and take the forms of the moon and the sun. In mythology, they were husband and wife who giving birth to the ancestors of the Sumbanese.

To honor the Marapu, the Sumbanese put effigies, called Marapu statues, on stone altars where they lay their offerings in the forms of Sirih Pinang (a dish containing betel leaves, nuts and lime) and sacrificial cattle such as: chickens, pigs or buffaloes.

The statues of Marapu are made of wood in the shape of human faces. These images are usually placed in the yard of their houses or inside the traditional houses.

House of Marapu (dwelling place of Marapu)

Marapu, Sumba’s Animist Religion According to the Marapu belief, the main house is a symbol of God's present in their village. It is located in the middle of the Kampung (village)

Blood and Heart of Animals in Marapu Belief

Marapu, Sumba’s Animist Religion In Sumba culture some animals such as, chicken, pig and buffalo are good offerings to Marapu. By shedding the blood of animals it symbolizes:

* Life. We are grounding on earth and we live our life just because we have blood in our body. No blood it means no life.

* Reconciliation (forgiveness) with the Marapu and with the other. New era and future are bound in the blood.

* Fertilization. Shed the blood on the ground before rice plantation means ask for the Marapu to look after the field and will give a good harvest.

According to the Marapu belief

the fat of animals such as pig is a good offering to Marapu

For the Marapu belief buffalo is an important animal for Marapu Ceremony such as funeral. Marapu priest gives the blessing to the buffalo which offers to Marapu and later will be slaughtered as appear in the pictures below. The heart of the buffalo will indicate the fate of the owner.

Heart

A glimpse of future - reading the fate of human being through the heart of Buffalo.

Heart is a “letter” to read the fate of human being. Who you are for the next year will predict through the heart of animal. It’s a glimpse of future. Even, if someone is sick or experienced so many problems can be read and getting to know the cause of the diseases and the troubles. Other word; what happened in the past, connecting to the present even in the future.

Wulla Poddu
Each year, in November, some tribes in Sumba (Loli, Waukaka, Sodan and Umbu Koba) celebrates a ritual namely Wulla Poddu.

Lexically Wulla means month and Poddu means Bitter. So Wulla Poddu means holy month which all the people under some prohibitions or taboos such as to mourn the death, marriage, having party, building house etc. Actually, Wulla Poddu comes from agricultural custom.

It is a time for thanksgiving to the Marapu especially before planting season. The end of Wulla Poddu there are some ceremonies such as hunting board and sacrificing chicken. Fat of the board and shedding blood of the chicken is good for Marapu. Whole families of the tribe gathering together and celebrate the dismissal of the Wulla Poddu.

Villager bring rice for offering to Marapu. Marapu Priest, ahead, lead the people

They share their story and food to each other. It’s a time of family reunion. Also a time for reconciliation to each other; forgive and forgiven! But, the main meaning of the Wulla Poddu is still there: may our land, harvest, cattle and good efforts will be blessed by Marapu.

Hunting for poddu (the holy month). Located at Umbu Koba village, Sumba Barat Daya. There is a tribe who believes that harmony of the ecosystem will be good if the human being look after the environment. The people of this tribe has a time for hunting, planting, for harvest, etc… And those times will be celebrated with a special ceremony as a way to ask for permission from Marapu so that the efforts and planns of humankind will be blessed.

Marapu presented as a statute (totem) and placed in the middle of the village. Whole tribes gathering together as a family. They offer rice and meat to Marapu and also they share food to each other as a symbol of friendship and reconciliation.

Cultural Tourism of West Sumba

2012-05-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Waitabar Village - West Sumba

Culture is the heritage that must be preserved because the culture is the image of the nation and is the nation's wealth can be an attraction and as a wealth of tourism. There are plenty of interesting cultural attractions, unique and still preserved by the people of West Sumba until now. Several tours of West Sumba, namely

1. Village Customary / Traditional and Traditional House

Community of West Sumba generally build a traditional village on the hilltops. This is related to security issues. In the past frequent intertribal wars to fight over territory that residence in areas of high can be a kind of fortress. Additionally Development on the hilltop village can be attributed to pre conception of history which assumes that the higher the residence then the closer residents with ancestral spirits and gods.

For the people of West Sumba tradisoinal home or custom home is not just a place to live alone but also functions as a center for social and ceremonial life of them.

2. Megalithic culture

Stone for the grave

a. Gravestone
The archaeological often called Sumba as the living megalithic Megalithic culture or cultures that continue to live. Since the megalithic tradition on the island of Sumba / boulder appeared about 4500 years ago is still practiced by the faithful followers on the island.

In West Sumba relics of megalithic stone tomb decorated with statues and reliefs of interest can be found in every village customs. Sumbanese society set up right in front of the grave stones their homes. Tomb stone custom home and is considered as a manifestation of life and death, as well as to create a sense of unity because of the presence of a stone tomb believed to be able to maintain closeness with relatives who had died. Stone tomb made large and stately as a form of homage to the ancestors who have died as well as a symbol of social status owners.

b. Pull the Stone Ceremony

Pull the stone tomb or in a language called Sumba tingiwatu / sala welawatu is one of the largest and grandest ceremonies, because of cost, time and energy is not small. Manufacture of stone and withdrawal resistance was preceded by preparatory to discuss technical and financial issues. Further

- Resistant material search, location and type of stone should not be the origin selected. Vantage point is usually the main choice in order not to complicate the process of withdrawal. This type of stone should also be fitted. Should not be too hard to be easily carved but at the same time easy to be strong so as not porous

- Pieces of stone, after the material and determined the location of the next process to cut and carve the stone into slabs of stone tomb according to the desired shape. The procession begins with the reading of prayers and gift offerings of roosters, betel nut, egg in order to banish the spirit guardian stones.

- Pull the stone made to pull the stone that has been cut from the location of materials to the village or designated place.

In this ceremony a reflection of a culture of mutual cooperation, which directed the planning system and an orderly division of labor.

Source : http://www.anjieya.com/2011/11/cultural-tourism-of-west-sumba.html

The Story of Sumba’s Coffee

2012-05-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

In the world of instant coffee or Starbucks‘s expansion, i keep amaze of how Sumba people still preserve traditional way to have a cup of coffee. Using firewoods, the dry coffee bean is roasted on iron wok for almost two hours. The secret of well made roasted Sumba coffee? A piece of cinnamon bark and a chunck of ginjer. Add those ingredients while you stir up the beans over and over again until the colour turns black. Wait until it is cool for a while before it is ready to be ground.

Growing up as Sumbanese, you can’t never start your day without coffee. Maybe it is not as populer as Toraja coffee or Sumatra coffee (for now), but Sumba coffee definitely has its own worshippers. The taste? Sweet, warm, and with strong taste of Torabika coffee/cinnamon’s scent. Perfect to start your day in the morning and to spend your afternoon with your family. Just another thing that keeps me coming back home.

Textiles with Tales to Tell

2012-04-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Sumba is one of the many islands in eastern Indonesia where the ancient art of tying, dying and weaving the complex ikat textiles is still practiced. The weavings’ motifs are rich in cultural lore and tradition. Many are still used as bride-wealth and in ceremonies for house raisings and funerals.

Although chemical dyes reached Indonesia over a century ago, the weavers in some isolated communities still use plant dyes. They are supported by Ubud-based Threads of Life, a certified Fair Trade business that helps traditional ikat-producing communities in Eastern Indonesia maintain their heritage of natural dyes. With its sister organization the NGO Yayasan Pecinta Budaya Bebali, Threads of Life is active in remote communities on the islands of Flores, Lembata, East Sumba, Timor, Savu, Rai Jua, Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Bali.

“There are over 200 different dye plants in the palette of Eastern Indonesian textile artists,” explains William Ingram, co-founder of Threads of Life. “Indigo leaves for blue and Morinda root bark for the red are the main colors. But most plants are used in the various local oiling processes that prepare cotton for the red dye.” Yayasan Pecinta Budaya Bebali maintains a growing database of these plants, some of which are becoming increasingly hard to find, with support from England’s Kew Gardens.

The complex chemistry behind plant dyes is well understood by these dyers and weavers. Besides the dye plants themselves, they know that the red dye must be fixed to the textile by a mordant. The oiling, or mordant process, must include three elements -- a short-chain fatty acid, a tannin and a salt of aluminum. Many Indonesian communities use kimiri nut oil for the fatty acid, which gives the final textile a distinctive texture and aroma. The tannin sources are many, and each community will have its local favorite. The aluminum salt is extracted from trees of the Symplocos family, which contain a high percentage of it. The dyer must be skilled in manipulating the oil’s oxidation process -- essentially letting the oil go through a period of rancidity -- to ensure a good red colour. This step can takes at least two months, and historically was allowed to go on for years before proceeding to the Morinda red dye step. The longer and slower this process, the better the final color (and the higher the value of the finished textile).

The art of using natural dyes was eroded throughout the 1980s as the government pushed the use of synthetic dyes, and was almost lost during the economic crisis in 1998 when many of the remaining natural dyers shifted to chemical dyes. These shifts made it possible to create more textiles for sale more quickly and cheaply for desperately needed cash, and the old plant dyes were quickly being forgotten. Threads of Life was created at this time to offer support so that traditional weavers could continue to create heritage textiles using natural fibres and dyes. The organization provides advance payments for important pieces that may take years to complete, finds Indonesian and international markets for weavers’ work and helps remote communities network, share and build on their knowledge of natural dyes.

The intricate process of creating these traditional textiles is extremely labour-intensive. The cotton fibres are selected, spun, placed on a frame, then the motif is meticulously bundled and tied off to create the desired pattern. Most weavers create these designs from memory. Only in East Sumba, around the town of Waingapu, is the pattern strategized and marked onto the threads by men.

The World Bank and the Yayasan Pecinta Budaya Bebali performed value chain analyses of traditional textile production in Eastern Indonesia using one particular textile from Flores as an example of the time taken by dyers and weavers to finish the cloth. When the time and cost inputs were compared with market prices, the hourly income from the sale of the naturally dyed textile was almost four times that of the synthetically dyed equivalent. This is why young women are coming back to the weaving arts in communities where Threads of Life works. There is a good market for high quality ikat through Threads of Life, which now works with about 1100 people (mostly women) in 50 co-operatives on 11 islands in Indonesia. Its support makes a big difference to local economies and the survival of the craft.

It takes a skilled eye and nose to tell the difference between plant and chemical dyes. Some areas are clever at mixing chemical dyes to look natural. William taught me to smell the indigo, and to identify the rich smell of kimiri oil used to fix the red hues and which may cling to the fabric for a year or two. But nothing compares to a deep knowledge of the craft and its many dimensions.

Many of the textiles have tales to tell. Traditionally, animist symbols on textiles from Sumba have their heads towards the center of the cloth. This is because the cloths were worn across one shoulder and the animals could not be worn hanging upside down. Animals and plants, symbols of the old Marapu religion of Sumba, are still often seen, though the animals are not always represented in full; a buffalo might be symbolized by a footprint, or a plant by a particular leaf. When the Dutch discovered the ikat art form in the 1920s they were attracted to the more easily recognized motifs. Over time in areas where there was greater market access, weavers adapted traditional motifs and made the animals in particular more clearly pictoral to meet market demand. The single- direction ikats made around Waingapu are an innovation from the 1980s that responded to this demand.

“Different Sumbanese villages have distinctive motifs, “William explains. “One area uses only the rooster motif.”He then interpreted a weaving from Waingapu in East Sumba I had brought to show him.

This piece depicts a royal funeral. At the top is a traditional Sumba house full of funeral guests. Directly underneath it the body of the deceased, wrapped in many textiles, is being carried to the grave. (The body may be kept at home for years while the family accumulates enough wealth for the funeral. Depending on the wealth and status of the family, up to six attendants of the deceased are appointed as papanggang, or ritual attendants. The person is not considered dead until the funeral rites begin and continues to be attended to as a sick person would be. The attendants bring coffee, meals and sit in attendance. They also have specific roles in the funeral.)

As depicted on the ikat, two horses lead the procession with the body from the house to the grave at the bottom of cloth. One attendant rides a horse with a golden headdress and leads a riderless horse which carries the soul of the deceased. Buffaloes and horses are being sacrificed at the funeral by men with parangs to be eaten by the funeral guests. At the top of the ikat, other attendants carry roosters. William tells me that the funeral guests bring textiles and livestock to contribute to the funeral, and the host must reciprocate in kind. So these are important and expensive occasions.

“The weavers want to maintain their traditional culture and express their heritage through their textiles, and they want fair and sustainable livelihoods,” William tells me. “Our website and gallery are their bridge to a market that understands and values their work. Serious collectors sometimes make the long journey to meet the weavers.

SUMBA

2012-04-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Story by : EW Johnson

This is a true story about one of my adventures over a decade ago. I have taken great care to record things as they actually happened.

In college I would often roam around the old book archives in the basement of the library. One day I found an old book on remote societies. A picture in the book caught my eye. It had a small caption stating that the picture had been taken in Sumba but with no other information. At the time, I had no idea where Sumba was, but I was convinced that, one day, I would travel to that place. Further research revealed that Sumba was an island in Indonesia. Of course, I didn't know then how much of an impact that picture would have on my life.

Several years after college I was teaching at a university in Jakarta, Indonesia. As my Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) skills improved, I would venture to more and more of the remote islands of Indonesia. I still remembered that little picture that I saw nearly a decade earlier. Finally I decided that I was ready to travel to that distant island.

From my research I knew that the only airline that flew to Sumba was Sempati. I went to the Sempati main office in Jakarta and asked for a ticket to Sumba. Immediately the employee corrected me and said in Bahasa Indonesia, "You mean Sumbawa". I knew where Sumbawa was and that wasn't where I wanted to go. More employees gathered around to try to help. The conversation seemed to be in rerun mode. Each time I asked for a ticket to Sumba, they all said "Sumbawa". Finally I asked them to bring me a Sempati map showing all the places they flew to. I pointed to the island and all heads leaned down to get a closer look. Then, in unison, they said, "oh, Sumba". At last, I was then able to convince them to sell me a ticket to Sumba and away I went.

The plane was to fly from Jakarta to Bali where I would change planes and continue on to Sumba. I waited in the small dirty airport in Bali. The departure time passed. Still I was not concerned since such delays were to be expected. But another hour went by, then another and another and another.

I watched countless people come and go. A few of the faces seemed to be waiting as long as I was and they noticed the same about me. We were all waiting to go to Sumba. They explained that the flight to Sumba is usually delayed and then canceled by nightfall. They then made a somewhat panicked plea with the officials to get the plane off the ground since there was an American waiting. It worked and we quickly entered the plane.

I never saw a plane in such poor condition before. It was small, perhaps 12 seats, and we filled only half of those. As I took a seat the tray fell down. I messed with it for a while trying to get it to stay up. I looked around and noticed that some of the trays were missing and others were screwed permanently closed. The side panels of the plane were either missing or falling off. The seats were dirty and ripped. Big patches of the carpet were worn out. I frantically tried to fasten my seat belt, but found that there wasn't a buckle for the two ends to fasten together. Looking around I saw that most seats were missing one strap while the other seats didn't have any strap at all. I wondered if there was a life vest under my seat as I tried to tie the two seat belt ends together. I felt a little more at ease when I saw the stewardess enter the plane. I waited for the safety instructions which seemed more important to me then than ever before. The instructions never came.

The plane began its take-off, shaking and rattling so violently that I was sure it would never get off the ground. The trays that weren't permanently screwed shut as well as the overhead compartments all flopped opened. I think if there had been any oxygen masks they too would have popped out. I was once told that Australia used planes until they no longer met the Australian standards. They then sold them to Garuda Airlines in Indonesia who used the planes until they no longer met Indonesian standards. Garuda then sold the planes to Sempati who used the planes until they fell out of the sky. I was praying that this wasn't going to be the last flight to Sumba.

After the plane was safely in the sky and we all started to breathe normally again, the other five passengers gathered around me with lots of questions. "Why is an American going to Sumba?" I tried to answer all their questions. One of the passengers in particular was being especially nice to me. He said that he was the son of the owner of the only hotel on that island. From my research I knew that there was only one hotel on the island and that the hotel was on the other side of the island. It was an eight hour drive from the airport with no public transportation. That had me worried since I had no plan to cover that part of the trip.

The son of the hotel owner made lots of promises to me while we were on the plane. He said that there would be a car waiting for him at the airport and that he would take me to the other side of the island. He also promised to give me a discount on a hotel room, a jeep and driver once we got there and ride back to the airport when I was ready to leave. I thought this was too good to be true, but it was the only thing I had going for me. I had no way of knowing it at the time, but it turned out that he actually did keep every one of his promises.
We safely landed at the airport in Sumba. The passengers were taken to a crowded one-room building which served as the terminal. The walls were cinder blocks with little open slats to let the wind blow in. Looking through those slats, I noticed that it was just as busy outside as it was inside. There were military police officers everywhere. I suppose this was normal. When the plane arrived, everyone came to watch.

A pickup truck brought our luggage from the plane. My new friend set his duffel bag next to mine and asked me to watch it so he could look for his driver. Several minutes later he called to me through the slats in the wall. "I found my driver, grab my bag and come." he yelled in Bahasa Indonesia. I picked up my bag and his and walked past the numerous military police officers.

I sat in the back seat of his car with his duffel bag by my side and we began our eight hour journey. It was dark by that time and I was exhausted. The duffel bag made a good support pillow for me as I slipped in and out of consciousness. The narrow road followed a path that resembled the sine curve and the driver navigated it as fast as the car could possibly go with the horn blowing the whole way. It was amazing that we didn't crash with all those blind curves, in the dark, and on a road only wide enough for one car. We did, however, hit three dogs, a dozen or so chickens, and burned out one horn.

The hotel had a friendly atmosphere. It consisted of several one-room, somewhat modernized, huts. It was such a relief to get there that any hotel would have seemed great and, since it was the only hotel, it was perfect.

The next morning my jeep and driver were waiting. I had the most recent and probably the only map made of Sumba. That side of the island had many blank spots on the map.

"Is there anything in these blank spots?" I asked my driver in Bahasa Indonesia.
"Yes."
"What?"
"Don't Know." he said.
"Lets find out."

That's how it went every day. In the morning we studied the map and picked another blank spot to explore. The driver seemed to be enjoying our adventures as much as I did. He pointed to another spot on the map and said that he had noticed a new road in that area and away we went.

We drove a couple of hours on that new road when we saw several large rocks lying in a straight line across the road. We got out of the jeep to get a closer look. The driver had no idea what it meant. We talked about the rocks and what we should do. After a while we agreed that we had traveled too far to turn back now so we rolled the boulders off the road. Several miles later we again encountered more large rocks neatly placed in a line across the road. The driver and I had a much shorter discussion this time and rolled them off the road. A few more miles down the road we found sticks stuck in a straight line across road. The sticks were about one foot apart with sharpened ends pointing at an angle in the direction that we were coming from. Without a word the driver and I jumped out, pulled the sticks out of the road, and continued on our way.

Soon after that we saw some children playing, the first people we had encountered on that new road. When the children saw us they ran away screaming. The driver said that was because they had never seen a car before.

We arrived in the first village we had seen that day and were stopped by a man wearing a military camouflage hat. Other men started to gather around our jeep, all wearing various articles of military clothing mixed with their civilian clothes. One had the hat, another wore the military boots, another the military shirt. Between them there was perhaps one full uniform. They didn't worry me much, but I did see three M16's stacked in tripod fashion a short distance away.

They brought me to an open walled hut while my driver was taken somewhere else. I waited for what seemed like a long time. I talked to friendly kids all around me so I wasn't too nervous though I was a bit worried about my driver.

Finally one of the men that had stopped us came to ask for my passport. I had learned long before never to take my passport with me when traveling around Indonesia. A US passport was worth too much on their black market and if I gave it to someone, such as the man who stood in front of me, I would probably never get it back. I told the man that I left it in Jakarta and he went away. A minute or two later he returned and asked for some other type of ID. "I left my wallet in the hotel" I replied in Indonesian. He left again but quickly returned. "We need some ID!" he demanded.

Suddenly reality hit me. No one in the world knew I was there. I was in a country which most Americans couldn't find on a map, on an island that most Indonesians didn't know existed, in a blank spot on the map, completely ID less, and being held by some self-appointed police officers. I searched for something, anything with my name on it. All I had were my Marine Corps. dog tags. I had worn them for ten years, rarely taking them off. I handed those to him and away he went one more time.

He returned a few times to see what I would give him to get the dog tags back. I acted like the tags meant nothing to me although it sure felt strange without them. Feeling that he was getting nowhere with me, he brought me to see the boss. Inside a room sat a real military police officer in his best dress uniform. I was shocked. That was the first time that I had seen such a dress uniform and here it was the middle of Sumba. Perhaps that explained my long wait, he had been changing into it for my benefit.

He handed my dog tags back and said that I was free to go anywhere I wanted. I thanked him and went out to the jeep. The driver was waiting but there was a slight problem. Two of the men who had originally stopped us were holding our jeep hostage. I explained that I had no money and reached into my pockets to show them. My pockets were stuffed with small individually wrapped pieces of candy. That was my usual practice. Whenever I traveled in Indonesia I would first stuff my pockets with these candies. Then I would hand them out to the children as I walked from village to village. When the adults saw how happy the children were with me, they would invite me into their village. I pulled several pieces of candy out of my pocket. The two men got very excited when they saw it so I handed each of them two pieces. They accepted and gladly released our jeep, shook our hands, and waved us a cheerful good bye as we drove away. Later my driver told me that they had never had candy before.

A short distance further up the road we entered a traditional village where a large funeral was going on. I've seen many of those in Sumba. They are more like a party rather than a funeral. The family of the deceased would have to save for years after the death of their loved one before being able to afford a great funeral. The driver and I joined in on the festival. They traditionally slaughtered five pigs that day. The pigs feet were tied together and a long stick was placed between the feet. Two men held the ends of the stick. The religious guru chanted in the local dialect for a long time, apparently blessing the pigs some how. He then pushed a sharp stick into the pig's heart. After he finished with all the pigs they were placed on the ground and lit on fire. Once the hair was burned off they started to scrape the skin off. The party, and thus the deceased, would be remembered for a long time.

An old man sitting on the porch of a nearby hut called me over. He wanted to talk. He spoke in the local language which my driver translated into Bahasa Indonesia, and which I in turn translated into English. Back and forth we talked. What an amazing conversation we had.

It turned out that he was the father of the deceased. Questions and answers flowed fast. He explained that it was his 12 year-old daughter for whom the funeral party was being held.

"How did she die?" I asked.

"She was shot in the back by a military police officer."

My heart stopped for a moment thinking of the tripod of M16's and the military police just down the road. "Was it them?"

"No. She died in Bali."

I relaxed a little. "How long ago did she die?"

"Five years."

"Why did you wait so long before having the funeral?"

"We just received the body on the plane from Bali." was his reply.

"I was on that plane and watched the baggage being unloaded. There was no coffin aboard." I insisted.

"The son of the hotel owner put her in his duffel bag." he said.

"The duffel bag! The duffel bag?" I gasped. "No chance. That bag was too small for a 12-year-old girl."

"He had to chop up the bones first," the old man explained.

What had I done? Had I smuggled the body past the police officers at the airport? Had I used it as a pillow for the eight hour drive? Had I done something wrong? I thought for a moment. I noticed how happy the father and the whole village was. Then I too was happy with what I had unknowingly done.

Source : http://remotepacific.blogspot.com/2008/09/sumba.html