West Timor: Safety in numbers on a great trip<\/p>\n
Filomena Reiss, Contributor, Kupang, West Timor<\/p>\n
Timor has long been a five-letter word, enough to scare away
\nthe most intrepid traveler.<\/p>\n
Even though the troubles in the east have largely been
\nsettled, this beautiful island is still rarely visited due to
\nresidual fear. Some countries, such as Australia, continue to
\npost travel warnings for the area because of the attacks on UN
\npersonnel in the border area, especially Atambua.<\/p>\n
West Timor is the southernmost island of Indonesia, closer to
\nAustralia, geologically speaking, than Java. It is one of the
\nLesser Sunda islands separated from Java by the Wallace line, so
\nthe flora and fauna resemble those of Australia.<\/p>\n
The main ethnic group of West Timor is the Atoni, who inhabit
\nthe mountain region, while the second-largest is the Tetun, who
\nlive mainly in Belu regency, as well as the Rotinese.<\/p>\n
Sandalwood drew the Portuguese and the Dutch, who traded in
\nthe precious, fragrant commodity from the 16th century, but then
\nWest Timor was shunted aside on the international tourism map
\nafter the troubles started hitting its eastern neighbor in the
\n1970s and the sandalwood forests had been all but cut down.<\/p>\n
Our journey started in Kupang, where two reassuring guides,
\nPak Alfred and Pae Nope, met us. Kupang is the capital of Nusa
\nTenggara Timur, comprising Flores, Sumba, Savu, Roti, Solor and
\nother, smaller islands. The area is quite dry and barren except
\nfor lontar palm, which grows well in this part of West Timor.<\/p>\n
Kupang is not as noisy as other big cities in Indonesia, apart
\nfrom the blaring music that emanates from local minivans. It
\nseems that this form of transport cannot attract passengers
\nwithout a deafening sound system to drown out the opposition. A
\nfew good hotels and restaurants sprouted up around Kupang in
\nanticipation of tourists.<\/p>\n
On Sundays in Kupang, and for most of the island, it feels as
\nthough there is a big celebration going on, which is
\nunderstandable, as 95 percent of the population is Christian. In
\nall their Sunday finery, people walk along the roads to their
\nrespective churches, with many forced to wait outside the packed
\nhouses of worship.<\/p>\n
From Kupang, the route veers off to the east toward Soe. On
\nthe way to Soe, stop at the village of Rotinese as it is
\nworthwhile to see how Pak Pah makes the famous musical instrument
\nknown as a sasando. It has 16 or more strings, is made from
\nlontar palm leaves and bamboo, and sounds and plays like a harp.<\/p>\n
The Rotinese hat is quite distinct from any other, and was
\noriginally copied from the Portuguese helmet, which is also made
\nthere. This small cottage industry brings in some income to the
\nfamily.<\/p>\n
Soe is 800 meters above sea level and has a Mediterranean
\nclimate, although it gets cool in the evenings. Soe is an
\nexcellent base for trips to the hill stations and traditional
\nvillages.<\/p>\n
Two hours away from Soe is the traditional village of Boti.
\nThe road to Boti is in poor condition, so be prepared to walk
\nnine kilometers to reach the village; it is nonetheless a very
\npleasant walk and definitely worthwhile. This village has a
\npopulation of 311, headed by Ama Nun'e Benu, a customary raja
\n(ruler) who did not convert to Christianity, continuing to
\nbelieve in traditional village law and animism.<\/p>\n
The people here wear only handspun, naturally dyed, hand-woven
\nsarongs. Tourists need permission from the traditional ruler to
\ncome and stay in Boti. There is a simple, reasonably priced
\nlosmen (lodging house) in the vicinity and a handicraft center,
\nwhich provide a little income for the village. A war dance
\nperformance can be arranged here but book in advance as the
\nperformers are village people who work in the fields for most of
\nthe day.<\/p>\n
The traditional markets are very colorful, especially Oinlasi
\nand Maubesi, which are held once a week under banyan trees or
\nalong the road. Villagers from surrounding areas flock to the
\nmarket in their bright red sarongs, carrying agricultural
\nproduce, betel nut condiments, hand-woven textiles, chemically
\ndyed threads, weaving tools, homemade baskets and mats,
\ntraditional pottery, along with cattle, pigs, chickens and
\ncaptive dogs. The people are friendly and always willing to have
\ntheir photo taken, so it is an ideal spot for photographers.<\/p>\n
The drive to Kapan and Fatunausus is breathtakingly
\nimpressive, and the mountain scenery is spectacular. These are
\nthe areas where the Atoni ethnic groups settled. Surprisingly,
\nmandarin trees grow well in this area. Cone-shaped traditional
\nhouses, known as ume kbubu, dot the landscape. In the past, this
\ntype of house was used as a living area, but they have now been
\nremodeled into rectangular dwellings.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, the ume kbubu is mainly used as a kitchen and a
\nplace where corn is dried and stored for future consumption.
\nBuilding this traditional house involves joint community work.
\nWhen someone decides to build an ume kbubu, villagers help gather
\nthe necessary materials within the space of a week. Then the
\nframe is constructed the following week, and the thatched roof
\ncompleted within a day, which says something for the power of
\ncommunity cooperation.<\/p>\n
A walk through Fatumenasi forest brings to mind an Australian
\nforest. Tall trees, meadow grass and small lakes make for a
\npleasant walk. It take a few hours' walk to reach Oeneno village.
\nThe walk ends up at the base of a huge rock, where the locals
\nplace offerings to their ancestors before planting corn and
\nperforming other ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Kefamenanu is in the north-central part and is an ideal
\ngateway for visiting some interesting villages like Maslete,
\nTemkesse, Fafinesu and Oelolok.<\/p>\n
The royal palace of Maslete has the largest lopo in this
\nregion: A lopo is a semi-conical house built on four stilts, and
\na traditional meeting place for the elders. In this region every
\nhouse has a lopo built in front. It is like an extension to the
\nliving room and a weaving place for the women.<\/p>\n
Temkese is another interesting traditional village perched on
\ntop of a hill. There are only 16 families in this village and
\nthey observe a traditional way of life. You need a permit to go
\nto Temkese and picture-taking is not allowed unless one of the
\nelders agrees after an offering of betel nut. It is also a bad
\nomen for the village if anything is dropped on the ground.<\/p>\n
As you travel further east you come to Belu regency, home to
\nthe Tetun (sometimes called Belunese) ethnic group. The land here
\nis fertile and irrigated rice is cultivated, as well as corn,
\nplanted twice a year. The Tetun claim that their ancestors were
\noriginally from Malaka on the Malay peninsula. Lorodirma village
\nis hidden behind tall trees on a rocky hill.<\/p>\n
During the time when West Timor was divided into different
\nkingdoms, a visitor had to pass two guard posts before being
\nreceived by the king. Haitimuk is a village with traditional,
\nthatched-roof houses, built on stilts about one meter high,
\ntypical of these people. A queen once headed the village, but now
\na raja runs it. The village of Besikama is a matrilineal society
\nwhere the villagers still recognize the queen or the \"mama raja\".<\/p>\n
The textiles of West Timor are vast and colorful, similar to
\nthose from other parts of the country but still distinct. The
\nstyles, colors and motifs reflect the origin and identity of the
\nwearer, especially on market days. In Soe, men wear the red-
\nstriped and finely woven middle-panel sarong. As you go further
\nnorth, bird motifs are seen in the textiles. In Belu, a fine-
\nstriped blanket with a detailed ikat strip on each side of the
\npanel gives a distinctive look.<\/p>\n
Buna and Sotis weaving techniques are often added to the
\nsarongs, which considerably increases the value of these
\ntextiles. Most of the threads, chemically dyed, are imported from
\nSurabaya and are sold at traditional markets.<\/p>\n
Before leaving Kupang, a visit to the museum is essential. It
\nis small, well laid out and informative, with a wide selection of
\nartifacts and textiles from West Timor and East Nusa Tenggara on
\nview.<\/p>\n
West Timor was once called the \"sandalwood island\", but due to
\novertrading in this precious wood by Dutch and Portuguese
\ntraders, sandalwood can be found hardly anywhere. There is a
\nsmall sandalwood factory close to Kupang, but most of the wood is
\nsent to the master carvers of Bali.<\/p>\n
Local tour operator Pae Nope, who also belongs to the Amanuban
\nroyal family, is hopeful that many more tourists will visit this
\npart of Indonesia. A trip to West Timor is definitely a novel
\ncultural adventure and, in my experience, traveling there is both
\nenjoyable and safe.<\/p>\n
Tips<\/p>\n
* Visit during the dry season in May-October.<\/p>\n
* Contact a local operator so they can arrange your travel
\nplans to make your stay more organized.<\/p>\n
* It is hot in Kupang, but as you go north toward Soe and
\nbeyond, it can get cool in the evenings, so bring a sweater.<\/p>\n
* The restaurants beyond Kupang are still not used to catering
\nfor tourists yet, so be prepared to eat warung (sidewalk stall)
\nfood or if you are fussy, bring your own.<\/p>\n
* Don't just start taking photographs in the traditional
\nvillages: Wait until the guide has been given approval by the
\nvillage head.<\/p>",
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