Jembrana Regency is the least populated and most heavily
Javanized regency of Bali. Four of five inhabitants earn their
income from farming or fishing. Jembrana is also the least
visited part of Bali. Not even rudimentary English is seldom
spoken here. Its isolation only came to an end with the inauguration
of the Gilimanuk-Ketapang ferry service in the 1920s. Today,
most tourists speed through the region along the 134-km-long
road from Denpasar to Gilimanuk. Most of Jembrana’s
hotels are located in Medewi, Negara, or in Gilimanuk, the
location of the ferry terminal.
Jembrana offers unique dance and gamelan forms, isolated sea
temples, and a 71-km-long stretch of highway paralleling a
coast lined with rocky, sandy beaches pounded by high surf,
but there’s a dearth of historic sights and cultural
performances. The one significant attraction of the region
are its traditional buffalo races, or Mekepung, held to celebrate
the end of the rice harvest in August, September and October
outside the regency capital of Negara, the main town of the
regency, 33 km southeast of Gilimanuk.
Although Negara gets credit for the buffalo races, they actually
take place at Parancak next to a river estuary in the vicinity
of the capital. Being a colorful and bizaare mix of sport
and circus, with pairs of riders and teams thrashing around
an oval track, kicking up dust and sweat, this spectacle out
of Ben Hur is well worth the trip.
The races are held every dry season in July, August, and between
September and November. This year trials begin on the 22nd
of July. Biannual championship races - The Bupati’s
Cup and The Governor’s Cup - take place on the Sunday
before Indonesia’s Independence Day on 17 August, and
again every other Sunday each September and October.
Dates are different each year, so obtain a current schedule
from Negara’s Department of Tourism (tel. 0365-41210,
ext. 3393) at the kantor bupati, or check with any Balinese
kantor pariwisata for the dates and exact locations. Many
tour agents sell all-inclusive trips to the races.
Getting there
It’s at least a 3-4 hour ride one-way by minibus or
car to Negara from southern Bali. With the races starting
on Sunday mornings, you’ll want to stay in the area
overnight - the last thing you want is to drive all the way
from Kuta in the morning and then drive back again later that
night. That would be a 6-7 hour round trip, minimum, not counting
the races.
Much easier on your body is to spend the night in a small
local guesthouse, ready for the 9 a.m. start. There will be
no more than a handful of Westerners at the races, so unless
you have a large group you won’t have to book in advance.
Negara has a number of guest houses and penginapan, but for
more comfortable accommodations try the Wira Pada Hotel, Jl.
Ngurah Rai 107 (0365) 41161 which has fan and a/c rooms (Rp85,000
and Rp125,000 respectively). Another option is staying in
one of several inexpensive accommodations in Medewi, the surf
spot 30 min. to the east.
Mekepung
The sport of bull racing was introduced by Madurese agricultural
migrants from the island of Madura off the coast of Surabaya.
These thrilling water buffalo races take place on erratic
four-km-long tracks beginning about 9 a.m. before the heat
makes the big bulls sluggish. The festival is staged to please
the god of harvest, and the winning bulls are used for stud.
Admission is free and mostly locals attend the event. There
are lots of food, drink and trinket sellers, fans rooting
and cheering, and the betting is furious. It’s possible
to attend rehearsals, trials, and competitions, and even to
commission a bull race.
The buffalo and their jockeys come from all parts of Jembrana
district, sponsored by two clubs which are organized by the
regional government according to whether they live east or
west of Negara’s Ijo Gading River.
Only the island’s handsomest, sleekest water buffalos
are chosen to compete. Before race time, the trained bulls
are dressed in silk banners, their horns painted, big wooden
bells are placed around their necks. After the teams are paraded
before the crowd of spectators, their ornaments are stripped
off and the beasts teamed with their brightly clad jockeys.
Each pair of bulls pulls a small two-wheeled cart manned by
a precariously balanced jockey.
Before the start chili paste is applied to each animal’s
anus to give it that extra push. To gain speed, the jockeys
twist the bulls’ tails and lash the animals’ backs
with whips. Each buffalo has a pancake of red blood dots on
its backside, as the jockeys often use a whip with a nail
in it.
Entrants are judged not only for speed, but are also awarded
points for strength, color and style. These heavy, awkward-looking,
normally docile animals can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers
per hour. Like Roman chariots the beasts and their drivers
come thundering down the tracks, kicking up mud all the way
to the finish line. You have to see it to believe it.
E-mail : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2007 PakBill
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