West Timor: Safety in numbers on a great trip
West Timor: Safety in numbers on a great trip
Filomena Reiss, Contributor, Kupang, West Timor
Timor has long been a five-letter word, enough to scare away
the most intrepid traveler.
Even though the troubles in the east have largely been
settled, this beautiful island is still rarely visited due to
residual fear. Some countries, such as Australia, continue to
post travel warnings for the area because of the attacks on UN
personnel in the border area, especially Atambua.
West Timor is the southernmost island of Indonesia, closer to
Australia, geologically speaking, than Java. It is one of the
Lesser Sunda islands separated from Java by the Wallace line, so
the flora and fauna resemble those of Australia.
The main ethnic group of West Timor is the Atoni, who inhabit
the mountain region, while the second-largest is the Tetun, who
live mainly in Belu regency, as well as the Rotinese.
Sandalwood drew the Portuguese and the Dutch, who traded in
the precious, fragrant commodity from the 16th century, but then
West Timor was shunted aside on the international tourism map
after the troubles started hitting its eastern neighbor in the
1970s and the sandalwood forests had been all but cut down.
Our journey started in Kupang, where two reassuring guides,
Pak Alfred and Pae Nope, met us. Kupang is the capital of Nusa
Tenggara Timur, comprising Flores, Sumba, Savu, Roti, Solor and
other, smaller islands. The area is quite dry and barren except
for lontar palm, which grows well in this part of West Timor.
Kupang is not as noisy as other big cities in Indonesia, apart
from the blaring music that emanates from local minivans. It
seems that this form of transport cannot attract passengers
without a deafening sound system to drown out the opposition. A
few good hotels and restaurants sprouted up around Kupang in
anticipation of tourists.
On Sundays in Kupang, and for most of the island, it feels as
though there is a big celebration going on, which is
understandable, as 95 percent of the population is Christian. In
all their Sunday finery, people walk along the roads to their
respective churches, with many forced to wait outside the packed
houses of worship.
From Kupang, the route veers off to the east toward Soe. On
the way to Soe, stop at the village of Rotinese as it is
worthwhile to see how Pak Pah makes the famous musical instrument
known as a sasando. It has 16 or more strings, is made from
lontar palm leaves and bamboo, and sounds and plays like a harp.
The Rotinese hat is quite distinct from any other, and was
originally copied from the Portuguese helmet, which is also made
there. This small cottage industry brings in some income to the
family.
Soe is 800 meters above sea level and has a Mediterranean
climate, although it gets cool in the evenings. Soe is an
excellent base for trips to the hill stations and traditional
villages.
Two hours away from Soe is the traditional village of Boti.
The road to Boti is in poor condition, so be prepared to walk
nine kilometers to reach the village; it is nonetheless a very
pleasant walk and definitely worthwhile. This village has a
population of 311, headed by Ama Nun'e Benu, a customary raja
(ruler) who did not convert to Christianity, continuing to
believe in traditional village law and animism.
The people here wear only handspun, naturally dyed, hand-woven
sarongs. Tourists need permission from the traditional ruler to
come and stay in Boti. There is a simple, reasonably priced
losmen (lodging house) in the vicinity and a handicraft center,
which provide a little income for the village. A war dance
performance can be arranged here but book in advance as the
performers are village people who work in the fields for most of
the day.
The traditional markets are very colorful, especially Oinlasi
and Maubesi, which are held once a week under banyan trees or
along the road. Villagers from surrounding areas flock to the
market in their bright red sarongs, carrying agricultural
produce, betel nut condiments, hand-woven textiles, chemically
dyed threads, weaving tools, homemade baskets and mats,
traditional pottery, along with cattle, pigs, chickens and
captive dogs. The people are friendly and always willing to have
their photo taken, so it is an ideal spot for photographers.
The drive to Kapan and Fatunausus is breathtakingly
impressive, and the mountain scenery is spectacular. These are
the areas where the Atoni ethnic groups settled. Surprisingly,
mandarin trees grow well in this area. Cone-shaped traditional
houses, known as ume kbubu, dot the landscape. In the past, this
type of house was used as a living area, but they have now been
remodeled into rectangular dwellings.
Nowadays, the ume kbubu is mainly used as a kitchen and a
place where corn is dried and stored for future consumption.
Building this traditional house involves joint community work.
When someone decides to build an ume kbubu, villagers help gather
the necessary materials within the space of a week. Then the
frame is constructed the following week, and the thatched roof
completed within a day, which says something for the power of
community cooperation.
A walk through Fatumenasi forest brings to mind an Australian
forest. Tall trees, meadow grass and small lakes make for a
pleasant walk. It take a few hours' walk to reach Oeneno village.
The walk ends up at the base of a huge rock, where the locals
place offerings to their ancestors before planting corn and
performing other ceremonies.
Kefamenanu is in the north-central part and is an ideal
gateway for visiting some interesting villages like Maslete,
Temkesse, Fafinesu and Oelolok.
The royal palace of Maslete has the largest lopo in this
region: A lopo is a semi-conical house built on four stilts, and
a traditional meeting place for the elders. In this region every
house has a lopo built in front. It is like an extension to the
living room and a weaving place for the women.
Temkese is another interesting traditional village perched on
top of a hill. There are only 16 families in this village and
they observe a traditional way of life. You need a permit to go
to Temkese and picture-taking is not allowed unless one of the
elders agrees after an offering of betel nut. It is also a bad
omen for the village if anything is dropped on the ground.
As you travel further east you come to Belu regency, home to
the Tetun (sometimes called Belunese) ethnic group. The land here
is fertile and irrigated rice is cultivated, as well as corn,
planted twice a year. The Tetun claim that their ancestors were
originally from Malaka on the Malay peninsula. Lorodirma village
is hidden behind tall trees on a rocky hill.
During the time when West Timor was divided into different
kingdoms, a visitor had to pass two guard posts before being
received by the king. Haitimuk is a village with traditional,
thatched-roof houses, built on stilts about one meter high,
typical of these people. A queen once headed the village, but now
a raja runs it. The village of Besikama is a matrilineal society
where the villagers still recognize the queen or the "mama raja".
The textiles of West Timor are vast and colorful, similar to
those from other parts of the country but still distinct. The
styles, colors and motifs reflect the origin and identity of the
wearer, especially on market days. In Soe, men wear the red-
striped and finely woven middle-panel sarong. As you go further
north, bird motifs are seen in the textiles. In Belu, a fine-
striped blanket with a detailed ikat strip on each side of the
panel gives a distinctive look.
Buna and Sotis weaving techniques are often added to the
sarongs, which considerably increases the value of these
textiles. Most of the threads, chemically dyed, are imported from
Surabaya and are sold at traditional markets.
Before leaving Kupang, a visit to the museum is essential. It
is small, well laid out and informative, with a wide selection of
artifacts and textiles from West Timor and East Nusa Tenggara on
view.
West Timor was once called the "sandalwood island", but due to
overtrading in this precious wood by Dutch and Portuguese
traders, sandalwood can be found hardly anywhere. There is a
small sandalwood factory close to Kupang, but most of the wood is
sent to the master carvers of Bali.
Local tour operator Pae Nope, who also belongs to the Amanuban
royal family, is hopeful that many more tourists will visit this
part of Indonesia. A trip to West Timor is definitely a novel
cultural adventure and, in my experience, traveling there is both
enjoyable and safe.
Tips
* Visit during the dry season in May-October.
* Contact a local operator so they can arrange your travel
plans to make your stay more organized.
* It is hot in Kupang, but as you go north toward Soe and
beyond, it can get cool in the evenings, so bring a sweater.
* The restaurants beyond Kupang are still not used to catering
for tourists yet, so be prepared to eat warung (sidewalk stall)
food or if you are fussy, bring your own.
* Don't just start taking photographs in the traditional
villages: Wait until the guide has been given approval by the
village head.