Separated by swift, narrow straits, the small string of islands that make up the Solor and Alor archipelagos lie off the east coast of Flores. The Solorese share strong cultural traits, speak the same language, and have experienced much of the same history as the people of Flores. A mixture of Malay and Melanesian, a portion of the population have Portuguese features, while others are unmistakably Papuan.
With a sword in one hand and a bible in the other, the Portuguese Dominican missionaries controlled the area during the 16th to 19th centuries. Dutch Jesuits and Franciscans arrived between 1860 and 1880. As a result of all this proselytizing, the majority of the inhabitants are Christian, although in the ports there are sizable Islamic communities.
The missionaries still maintain a strong presence, but tribalism and mysticism are still pervasive. A superstitious people, in several interior villages skulls of ancestors are still displayed in full view; in other villages no one goes out at night. Ask about the community houses (kokay), where you can observe rituals taking place right under the missionaries' noses.
The people are difficult to get to know beyond the initial meeting, though the men are fond of drinking tuak and often ask travelers to stop and drink with them along the trails. It's believed that if a stranger shares tuak, then he is not an enemy.
These small islands are green but not thickly vegetated except at the higher elevations. Fishermen before farmers, most Solorese live in communities that hug the shore, with scattered small villages on the interior slopes. Most of the farmers practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
Each island has something of historical and cultural interest - traditional villages, moko drums, elephant tusk heirlooms, traditional dances and ceremonies, but nothing that approaches the fascination and excitement of the several villages of the region which still practice a dangerous and primitive subsistence form of whaling.
On the south coast of Lembata, Lamalera (pop. 3,000) is one of only two whaling villages in all Indonesia (the other is the Muslim village of Lamakera on the north coast of Solor). Few other villages on Lembata are so dependent on fishing and so poor agriculturally.
Lembata is a dry island because of hot, parching winds blowing up from Australia, creating expanses of scrub grasslands, inland stands of eucalyptus trees and open savannahs. Each district has its own dialect, customs and brand of animism. The quality of Lembata's fine homespun ikat weaving and other fabrics is commensurate with Sumba's.
Trek to the Whaling Village
Larantuka is the starting point for twice-daily ferries across the Flores Strait to Lembata. Check with the syahbandar at the pier in Larantuka. The ferries stop at Waiwerang on Adonara before reaching Lewoleba on the west coast of Lembata, directly north of Lamalera, the most receptive and user-friendly whaling village to visit.
From Lewoleba on Lembata, bemo or trucks carry people and goods south, passing in front of Losmen Rejeki daily at about 8 a.m. en route for either Boto or Puor (Rp20,000, 2-3 hours), from where you must walk the remaining three to four hours over a bad road down to Lamalera. Take water, sunhat and mosquito repellant. Alternatively, you may hitch a ride on the back of a motorbike.
You could also take one of the very crowded kapal motor that shuttle from one coastal village to another. These boats usually don't run on any set schedule, but they are more apt to leave on Monday or Tuesday. Ask around at the market for the one leaving for Lamalera.
To return to Lewoleba from Lamalera, get an early start (by 6 a.m.) on your walk up to Puor or Boto to catch the daily bemo, as it returns to Lewoleba from one of those two villages at around 10:30 or 11 a.m. Rubber times (jam karet) applies always.
The Whale Hunt
Lamalera is comprised of friendly settlers from the Kai Islands, Central Maluku, Ceram and Flores. Though the population is Catholic, animist temples are dotted around the village. Each clan has its own boat and boathouse. Their 10-meter-long boats (pledang) - painted, named, and decorated on the bow and sides with slogans in Indonesian or Latin - are built without nails; only wooden pegs and rattan are used. Planks are cut with the necessary curve instead of being artificially bent. To maintain the flow of life force, plank ends from the base of the tree always lie toward the bow of the boat.
The whaling season runs from about May, when the rains end and the seas are calmer, until around October when the rains return; the best months to witness the hunt are May, June and July. Villagers also hunt sea cows, manta rays, turtles, sharks and porpoises, but always prefer to go after a whale. Boats are manned by 7-14 helmsmen, oarsmen and harpooners. After spotting a whale and before they go in for the kill, the whole crew urinates, pulls down the sails and says a communal pater noster.
From a flimsy platform extending forward from the bow, the spearsman leaps with his three-meter-long bamboo-shafted harpoon at the end of a long palm-front rope to give it extra thrust, sometimes landing on the back of the whale like Captain Ahab. If the whale spouts bright crimson, it's a fatal wound. Sometimes a boat is pulled all the way to Timor by a maddened, runaway whale. The villagers take about 20 whales a year, mostly sperm whales, and place their skulls on gateways around the village.
Where to Stay
Set on the hill overlooking the town and bay is Guru Ben Homestay. Ben can possibly arrange for a ride on a whale boat if it's the right season. Guru Ben's is quiet and has nice scenery. Two other homestays, Bapak Yosef’s and Abel Beding’s are down in the village. All three accommodations are Rp 50,000 and include three meals a day. When a whale is caught the whole village gets excited, and when it's butchered the whole village stinks. At those times it would perhaps be better to stay at Guru Ben’s on the hill above the village.
E-mail : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2004 PakBill
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