BAJAWA – A BOWL CITY OF CULTURE & TRADITIONS

by Andreez Dhenameda – Travel Writer & Tour Organizer

BAJAWA is small and quiet town surrounded by mountains in the middle of the Flores island. This mountain bowl city is the urban centre of Ngadha tribe and the capital of the Ngada regency. It is the highest (6,000 feet elevation from the sea level) and coolest town in Flores with population of 40,000. As Ngada is known as the most cultural town, although there are efforts of the local people to be modern in styles, on the other side Ngadha tribe is still strong grasp in their culture and tradition. There are also something interesting; most of people is strongly influenced by Christianity which was evangelized by Dutch Missionaries from the 18^th.century. Like many other tribes in Flores island, Ngadha tribe still practice their tradition and culture. Bajawa is a place where we can see a perfect match between Christianity and local cultures, a good cooperation between Catholic Church and local tradition and culture. This last decade, Catholic Church has been intensively working to find the roots and the meanings of social life of Ngadha Tribes those match to Christian teaching and “baptize” it. So Ngadha tribe is proud of being Christian in their cultural root. In this spirit of living in cultural atmosphere of Ngadha tribe, there was built duplications of Ngadhu on the gate in entering to the Missionary Centre (Sint Johannes Berkhmans in Mataloko)

near the town, there are many places and event to see such as villages (still retain their traditions / customs) volcanoes, hot spring, local culture and life style etc. When we visit this town timed perfectly coincide with the local happens, the trip will be more and more interesting; such as on December till February there is a traditional thanksgiving day which is known as REBA in Bena, Bajawa, Mangulewa, Wogo and Jerebu’u or Ghole, in June – July there will be SAGI or SUDU-a traditional boxing in Soa or Wolorowa, or some other scheduled ceremonies and local events. But any time of your trip it is always interesting on its natural panorama, traditions and its friendly people.

BENA VILLAGE, some 8 km away from Bajawa. This is the most visited traditional village. Most beautiful one but the village has been already only for the tourists. To reach this village, we will have to past through the base of the mighty active Inerie Volcano which always over its tremendous that fascinating whomever. Away from this village down to southern there are some traditional villages that so rare to be visited by tourists, Nage, Bela, Suza and Jerebu’u a fertile valley which is most covered by coco-palm; a place almost unreal on this hectic and changing world.

WOGO VILLAGE; This village is highly recommended to be visited. Some 15 km away eastward  from Bajawa, passing through Mangulewa, a  village covered by coffee and bamboo plantations. This village is just away from the Missionary center in Mataloko. Although the village is so close-linked to the modern life style of the European and missionary Activities, the local people still keeps and practice their culture and traditions. There are traditional houses built in  original shapes and there are still exist  the symbols  of their cults to the ancestors in traditional ways. SU’A UWI or VI’I is still hanging on particular room or at  the most respected  place. (SU’A UWI is sticks of bamboo tied with dried squash and coconut shells  symbolizing  a will and testament  of the ancestors with all their generations and it bequeath legacy to the generations. Among the modern villages Sua Uwi is still exists and well kept there are well arranged  in every  main house or Sa’o Ngaza and rows of NGADHU, BHAGA and TURE in the village plaza are still well maintained. We can see  it in  Kampung Mangulewa and Turekisa where although all the houses on the villages look to be modern in style but the local people  still keep their traditional way to keep their tradition and culture treasure. NGADHU (an umbrella-like with a carved wood pole supporting the thatched roof covered by some palm-fibers with the male statue shape on it top holding a sword on one hand and spear on another hand-to symbolize their male ancestor), BHAGA (a small house-shaped structure counterparts the Ngadhu, symbolizes the female ancestor) and TURE or  WATU LANU (an altar or ceremonial base where the offerings of pig and chicken rice and palm wine are offered) in the center of the plaza and still be the main figure of the village.

Atmosfer Indonesia Tours has its special privilege and cooperation with the local people in Mangulewa , Sobo and Wogo villages in providing its local ceremony and colossal dancing in welcoming the groups of visitors who come to the region such as Jai and Teke dances.

MISSIONARY CENTER; northern away just a stone throwing distance from Wogo traditional village,  there is a complex of old buildings from the age of Dutch colonial; a headquarter of all Missionary activities includes education for the local boys for Church services. This missionary centre is still remain and well conserved and is now used as a basic educational centre for Catholic Missions. On the right side of the main road there is a home of the missionaries which is now used by local catholic priests for their monthly retreat or by local Christians for discernment. The fields around the buildings are well managed as farmland for breeding and agriculture the way to teach the local people in effective way of farming. This Missionary Center is also the pride of people of Ngadha and even people of whole Flores as this Missionary Center has been working hard for social education and social awakening in East Nusa Tenggara. The writer has also one of the “products” of the institution; attended the educational program on this institute in 1987-1991 the most wonderful moment being there to learn many thing.

NGADHU an umbrella-like with a carved wood pole supporting the thatched roof covered by some palm-fibers with the male statue shape on it top holding a sword on one hand and spear on another hand-to symbolize their male ancestor. The carved wood pole is of a type of wood named “SEBU” the hardest vegetation on the area through a series of ceremony from how to mention which tree, process of cutting down, carving and carrying in to the village, installation and culminated with killing the buffalo on this Ngadhu. Making Ngadhu is a beginning step of promoting and building a new clan. The carved wood of pole is hundred even thousand years old in accordance with when the clan is built by a strong and rich man once upon a time. So It is so rare to see the process of making Ngadhu in complete stage except the process of renovation the thatched roof. We only seen this process in a reconstruction of making Ngadhu in my lovely village Mangulewa when I was 9 years child followed the old people carrying a carved wood that was covered with black big shawl (Lu’e) from out side the village and singing “e..e mau e e mau e “ means “be tame, be tame” along the way. Those people cared and treated it and carrying as a Reverend Ancestor. It is a lucky now if we can see this process but only a process of making Ngadhu to reinstall and to change the pole. We never heard someone build a new clan and make a new Ngadhu due it has long consequences in their life, build up the new community of clan and providing all the valuable goods, lands and inheritances for the whole generations of the new clan along the life cycles.

BHAGA is a small house-shaped structure counterparts the Ngadhu, symbolizes the female ancestor. Why should be a house shape? Ngadha tribe has a deep Philosophy in every structure of a house and shortly a house is just like a Mother that protects and cares the son and daughter in her from the pregnancy to our end, from the sun shine to the sunset. She protects the child over the frame time and ages. This is the reason why Ngadha Tribe does not left this philosophy behind.

TURE or LANU is a row and well structured megalith use an altar or ceremonial base where the offerings of pig and chicken rice and palm wine are offered) in the centre of the plaza. Every Ngadhu there is a stone pole “Ture” which is usually used to tie up a buffalo that will be killed in a specific ceremony. Other flat big stone is a place to put other offerings such as rice, palm wine and a small slice of pig or chicken heart. It is offered to the ancestors that is strongly believed be there on specific event together with the living “children” in a clan

MENGERUDA HOT SPRING: Just about 25 km north from Bajawa. Formerly we have to go to Boawae then you may have to change a truck heading North from there, but now it is easier to reach this place; just drive down from the town of Bajawa through amazing and picturesque view and spend less than US$ 0,5 for entrance fee and get in to the hot water running like a river as much as it satisfies you. Water quality is Japanese standard. Since the local people are so sensitive with moral and ethic cases we are recommended to bath with a swimming suite at least.

DERO or SUDU or SAGI

Soa is another village near to the Mengeruda Hot spring. The village has a unique culture that slightly different from other Ngadha tribe and more similar to the Keo tribe in Boawae, For example, the people in Soa has unique tradition of Sagi and different dialect in speech. The most interesting thing is Sagi or in other words also said as Sudu a popular art of boxing fight in a village plaza where a mature man shows his expertise and bravado. This art is held after harvest season on June and July. One night prior to the boxing event there are some young men and women (even from other villages in Bajawa, Mangulewa or Boawae) gathering on the village plaza (into two groups) and chanting popular songs  jesting other group until the dawn. This event is called Dero

Mt INELIKA

Unique! Far our before local people (even me who spend my childhood near there in Bajawa) never realize Inelika as an active volcano, but what a wonder! On February 2001, I got a phone from my family that there are some earthquakes some days preceding the eruption of Inelika. That eruption made craters and volcanic lakes with red and black colors like Kelimutu in Ende other regency east of Bajawa.

Mt. INERIE. This is the highest still-active volcano at 2,245m above sea level and never gets eruption might be caused of so many hot springs around the region. The volcano is southern of Bajawa town just on the way to Bena. This is the main sight of Bajawa and has been a compass for local people in predicting the seasons in traditional agriculture.

ARA WAE RARU; is a local saying for local-made liquor. Due Ngadha tribe has a deep root of culture and worship to the ancestors where they express their communion or unity of the living and their ancestors in eating and drinking (moku bhou-ka inu or Ti’i Ka Ebu Nusi), wine is needed in every cycle and series ceremony besides as a means to intimate any relationship when starting to talk important case in any community. The Latin proverb In Vino Verrum Est – In wine there is truth, a perfect and meaningful proverb for Ngadha tribe. Ngadha tribe begins important thing with a steps of building intimacy by drinking together, from the same bowl cup made of a piece of coconut shell (Se’a Mane).

To fix the local demands for both tradition of drink together and ceremonies, there is a specific way and process of making local wine. The are some steps from climbing and cutting up the blossom of wild palm from where the milk comes out to the further process of boiling and re-boiling to get the pure wine. This process can be found every where on the region but the most popular place where people produces the palm wine is in Toda a village near to Mataloko. Toda people are popular in producing white palm milk. But the people in Aimere South of Bajawa are popular for producing both white palm milk and the processed wine which is known as Ara Wae Raru.

UNIQUE TEXTILE, among the many interesting thing to see on this region there is colorful and unique textile productions. Textiles on Bajawa dominantly black covered and being flowered by white and red color to build features. The motives and colors of the textile have deep philosophy for its social life and social strata. There are some popular motives just like Gaja (elephant), Manu or Wai Manu (chicken foot print), or Jara Bhara (horse in white feature). For woman wears sarong (Lawo), there is Lawo Butu the highest rank textile and specifically wear by a woman of the highest social strata, but has been very rare to find and has not be reproduced. This textile features dark color with some white cotton with colorful knitted beads builds specific motive. The existing remain Lawo Butu is reaching hundred years old. Roy W. Hamilton of the Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California Los Angeles had made a deep and more comprehensive research on the textile of the tribes in Flores includes Bajawa. He has released his nice book GIFT OF THE COTTON MAIDEN.

RIUNG – is a small fishing village among the mangroves, lies on the North coast of Bajawa. Bugis stilt houses are something unique to visit. Gigantic lizards (from Varanus Komodoensis family) are also found here, but so rare but so wild to escape from being seen. We do not guarantee to see this wild lizard on each tour program we organize. The main thing to see on this destination is the seventeen islands (Pulau Tujuh Belas) with the wonderful marine park where we can view it from our local wooden-boat. The islands have beautiful white sandy beaches and good snorkeling. To reach to Riung, it is highly recommended to drive through Mbay better than straightly from Bajawa via Soa to Riung. As per the time writing when we did a yearly inspection couple of weeks on June we found some points are good and very exotic but some points are dangerous for an un-experienced driver (*****)

TRIP & TOUR TO BAJAWA

Travel from Bali to major destinations is absolute comfort by Domestic Flight to reach the Islands. To go to Bajawa there is a common way by flight from Bali to Labuan Bajo or From Bali to Maumere. Land tours in Flores will use medium size of coach suits to 20 – 30 passengers. But on some occasions, the larger coach will be substituted by minivans due to limited road access. A matter of fact, we will always try to include smaller, slightly off-the-beaten track places, where tourism is relatively unknown. Such surprising locations reveal the true soul of Indonesia.

Better hotel with modern facilities is now growing there In Labuhan Bajo Ramada Bintang Flores*5 But Bajawa still only small hotels; Villa Silverin is the best among others with good facilities.

Be realistic, the trips will sometimes be an adventure that available for any travelers except disable! Some spots are moderate but others are strenuous that can only be followed by qualified participants. Be realistic about your physical condition and the trip’s level of difficulty. Each group departure will be conducted by our qualified English Speaking Tour Leader. From the moment you arrive in Bali till your departure, an experienced licensed Indonesian guide, speaking your native tongue, will accompany and assist you throughout the journey. He/she will tell you enthusiastically all about the Indonesian way of life thus providing a fascinating insight in the history and culture of the biggest island-nation on the globe.

ATMOSFER’S REGULAR TOUR PROGRAM

08 DAYS 07 NIGHTS FLORES CULTUREXPEDIA

DAY 1 DENPASAR – LABUAN BAJO – KOMODO (L, D)

Depart from DENPASAR by IAT at 09.30 and arrive in Labuan Bajo 11.15 Welcome service at the airport, then direct transfer to the harbor, embark to Sojourn cruise to have a leisure sailing to Komodo Island. Lunch, Dinner & and overnight served on board.

DAY 2 KOMODO – LABUANBAJO – RINCA ISLAND (B, L, D)

After having breakfast on board start with a mild hiking on “Jurassic park” KOMODO ISLAND to meet and observe the gigantic reptile on the earth. We will also find many wild animals like Timor deer, wild buffalo, long tailed macaque, wild boars and also numerous of birds such as lesser sulphur crested Cockatoo, collared kingfisher etc. Our tour will be conducted by local ranger along this natural preservation.  Keep your eyes look up as sometimes you will find young Komodo dragons on the tree for their safe. Return to the boat and for lunch then proceeds to the Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) for swimming and relaxation or snorkeling in unspoiled coral reefs among the colourful tropical fish. In the afternoon continue sailing to Rinca Island to see the dragon and then sailing to LABUAN BAJO. Dinner and overnight at HOTEL NEW BAJO BEACH.

DAY 3 LABUAN BAJO – RUTENG (B, L, D)

After having breakfast at the hotel, head up to RUTENG, passing through the lush jungles and some scenic landscapes along the way. See “LINGKO” spider web rice field on CANCAR. Reach the very cool city Ruteng then in the afternoon we will have an excursion to Ruteng Village to see traditional houses and proceeds to TAGA Village to enjoy “CACI” fighting dances. Meals at local restaurant. Overnight at HOTEL DAHLIA or AGUNG III.

DAY 4 RUTENG – BENA – LUBA – BAJAWA (B, L, D)

Heading up to BAJAWA. Fresh morning walks in RANAMESE’s tranquil surroundings. On the way stop to see the process of making traditional wine “arak” liquor in AIMERE. Drive through to BENA and LUBA traditional villages to visit a “living museum” of the traditional tribes of Ngadha; a traditional village set on the foot of INERIE Volcano (2245 m). Lunch will be served at local restaurant and dinner will be served at Hotel. Overnight at Villa SILVERIN or similar.

DAY 5 BAJAWA – WOGO – TODA (B, L, D)

After having breakfast at the hotel at 09.00am drive eastward passing lush coffee and Bamboo plantations to visit another traditional village in WOGO. Feel a warm cultural welcome with shawl hanging traditional welcome and join in a traditional social dancing with local people. We will witness and join the local people for some colossal traditional dances. We will also see the rows of traditional houses and it Ngadhu, Bhaga and Ture on the village plaza. Visit the old building of school built by Dutch Missionary center. Proceeds to Toda Village to see the process of how to produce palm milk other kind of the palm we seen in Aimere. On the way back to Bajawa we will stop at MANGULEWA village to see coffee plantations. In the afternoon drive down to the hotel in Bajawa to have a rest. Dinner at the hotel

DAY 5 BAJAWA – SOA – RIUNG (B, L, D)

After having breakfast at the hotel, to drive down to SOA, dipping and soaking in the warm spring running in cascades. Of course, there will be great hunger after a dip. We will have lunch provided by local people. After having lunch, we will have a sight on a traditional boxing on the village plaza site. Then continue driving to RIUNG. Dinner and overnight at PONDOK SVD a guest house owned by a Poland priest and managed directly by Catholic Missionary.

DAY 6 RIUNG – MONI (B, L, D)

Half day island excursion. Swimming and snorkeling. Before noon sail back to RIUNG mainland. After lunch proceed to MONI via ENDE’s scenic landscape with stop at Pangga Jawa  a beach with blue and green stones spread along the beach and also some stops for taking picture. Dinner and overnight at HOTEL FLORES SARE or at the monastry of the Franciscan nuns.

DAY 7 MONI – KELIMUTU – MAUMERE (B, L, D)

Wake up early in the morning to have an excursion to KELIMUTU, a mysterious three colored crater lakes.  Expectedfully we will witness the sun rise from the top point of Mount Kelimutu. Back to hotel for breakfast. And then proceeds driving to Maumere. Some stops along the way like in Wolowaru to observe a typical traditional houses of the Lionese. Visit Sikka old village with strong Portuguese influences and to see the process of making ikat weaving. Drive downtown to the city. Lunch will be served at local restaurant. Rest of the day free and relaxation on the beach. Dinner and overnight at HOTEL SAO WISATA or SEA WORLD CLUB.

DAY 8 MAUMERE – LEDALERO – BALI (B, L, D)

After having breakfast we will have a half day tour to visit LEDALERO Museum for its interesting collections of ethnological objects from the region and prehistoric artifacts of East Nusa Tenggara. Lunch at the hotel. Transferred to the airport for flight to Denpasar by MZ. 6551 at 14.50 and arrive in Denpasar Ngurah Rai Airport at 17.50. On arrival we will be directly drive to restaurant for dinner. Then you will be transferred in to hotel for overnight.

Package Tour Include:

• Return Air Ticket Denpasar – Labuan Bajo and Maumere – Denpasar
• Airport Tax in Bali Airport and Maumere Airport
• Conservation Fund in Komodo Island
• Accommodation based on twin sharing,
• Full Board Meals,
• Private Tour AC or non AC car, Return Private Boat to Komodo
• Entrance Fees/donation,
• Komodo Conservation Fee
• Professional English or German speaking guide,
• Refreshment.
• Anti-mosquitoes cream

Package Tour Exclude:

• Tipping for Guide and Driver
• Other personal expenditure not mentioned above

Seasonal Surcharge

High Season surcharge will be applied on 01 July until 30 September