Flores culture rich in tradition, talent and depth
By Yacob Herin
MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): A strong awareness of Portuguese culture pervades Paga village, about 43 kilometers east of Maumere, the capital of Sikka regency in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.
The old Portuguese language is spoken here, and books in Portuguese, along with religious items and statues made in Portugal, are found in Catholic churches.
This is not so surprising as East Nusa Tenggara is located next to East Timor, a former Portuguese colony.
Martinus Mori, 78, a customs official at the village, said Portuguese history in the area dated back to the 18th century when two Portuguese missionaries arrived from Oecusi, East Timor, and spent the rest of their lives in Paga.
The villagers learned not only about Catholicism but also about Portuguese culture, including the popular Bobu dance, which is performed exclusively by males at Christmas festivities.
"Since then, the locals have also held a traditional procession around the villagers featuring the statue of Jesus every Good Friday, before Easter day," Martinus said.
According to Martinus, the villagers hope Indonesia and Portugal will restore the broken political tie so that the residents can visit each other.
"They also wish that one day Portuguese cultural experts will visit Paga village and see a performance of the Bobu dance and sing Portuguese songs together."
In fact, Sika regency offers more than Portuguese songs and dance.
Paga village, located off the Trans Flores highway, is beside the South Indian ocean. Paga beach has a pristine shoreline with white sands perfect for holidayers who want to escape from the daily grind.
About 12 kilometers north of the village is Nua Bari village, a traditional village 835 meters above sea level.
Nua Bari has great tourist potential, a factor not yet fully exploited. Megalithic tombs are found here; visiting this place transports the visitor to the prehistoric period. Wooden masks and handicrafts from the Hindu period and many other archeological items are on sale. There is also a piece of ivory tusk which has become a fossil, estimated to be 300,000 years old, according to Itje Jimmi, a local hotelier.
There are at least 700 megalithic tombs in 12 hamlets in the village. The stone tombs, similar to ones found on nearby Sumba, south-west of Flores, remain part of daily rituals. The tombs were made of huge stones found in the river.
A family must prepare the tomb before somebody dies. Construction of the tomb must take place far away from the village; it is only later transported to the village in a ceremonial procession. Upon its arrival at the village, a banana trunk was placed inside the tomb until somebody in the family died. It is believed if the tomb is empty, the youngest member of the family will die.
When a death occurs, the body is put in a semi-upright position, like a baby in the mother's womb, and is covered with a slab of stone. It is glued to the body with ash mixed with locally made white wine, a process which prevents an odor of decay. The tomb is usually put in the yard of the house.
The body remains in the grave until only bones remain. These are later taken out and washed with water to be shown to relatives of the deceased not present at the burial ceremony.
The family should put aside money for the traditional ceremony, and if they cannot afford the ritual, the body is buried in the ground until they collect enough money to fulfill their duties.
Sikka Regent Paulus Moa said the regency enjoys annual tourist growth of 7.5 percent, thanks to the Waioti Airport which can accommodate F-28 airplanes.
Accommodation should not be a problem for tourists: several hotels are located in Maumere. But those who want something different should try the Paga Beach cottages located in a spacious eight hectares.
Rooms are available for between Rp 10,000 and Rp 15,000 a night.
Natural beauty is the main attraction of Paga Beach cottages. Trees and bushes are everywhere in the compound. On the beach one might see wild species like babi landak Flores (local porcupines) passing by, while at the cottage compound, there are iguanas (Varanus pagaencis), a small reptile similar to the komodo dragon. There are also some 100 pigs roaming there.
Staying in the cottage is in fact like staying in the middle of the forest. The chirping of the birds and the crashing sound of waves form a pleasant background noise.
The antique traditional furniture is made of stone and wood, providing guests with a feeling of being in a different world, far from the modern world. These are comforts not easily found elsewhere.
Reto Cristian Camenzind, a Swiss tourist who visited in 1995, wrote a poem, Mystery, in the guest book:
"We hear them coming/ they are coming again to look at our tombs with curious eyes/ Where do they come from/ what do they have in mind/ ...
"They look so strange/ They are too tall/ Wear these funny clothes and carry glasses on their noses/ But we like to be taken into their boxes that they can look at us again once they're back home/ A mystery/ It's mystery."
Two years later, another guest, Barbara Southon from Australia, replied in Response to A Mystery:
"Listen to us coming yes we look/ we come from many places in our minds -- many thoughts/ We're experiencing culture rich in talent, tradition and depth/ It's a celebration we can share with and laughter taking picture all the time/ We are strange and complex some long for your simplicity and depth interwoven in your laughter. When we look at you/ When we're back home/ We are touched again/ Just for a moment by the mystery.
A group of tourists from Java, however, had a totally different experience, according to Itje Jimi, owner of Paga Beach cottages. They were nearly killed as they thought that the cottage employees were "easy" girls. One of them, an engineer, asked a woman: "How much is the cost for one night?"
The woman left the area. But shortly after, about 50 people, armed with machetes arrived on the scene and threatened to kill the man who made the proposition. He was saved by some other locals, who did not want to see him killed there and taken to the police.
Local customs strongly prohibit prostitution; it is believed to bring bad luck.
"So, when you come to Paga Beach, don't ever ask about prostitutes," Itje Jimi said.