Mountain views in Flores; the Bajawa pasar (market); local kids goof for the camera; Mt. Kelimutu (next post); the wedding party.The day we spent in Bajawa was a memorable one, and definitely one of the best so far.
We started the day with a tour of surrounding villages & sights (we went with the family). We had hired a guide the night before (whose name escapes me at the moment), and he was soft-spoken and knowledgeable.
The traditional villages we visited were fascinating. There's a picture on the previous post of what they looked like: straw & bamboo huts surrounding a community area. In the middle of the community area were 'male and female' totems, representing the deceased ancestors from the various different clans inhabiting the village. These villages were largely Christian, but like in Toraja they held on to their animist roots. During special celebrations they make sacrifices at these totems to appease their ancestors and bring blessings upon the village. We did not witness such sacrifice, but I think the 25 buffalo we saw slain in Toraja was plenty.
After visiting three villages (all located in the mountains with nearby amazing views), we ate lunch at our guide's home, then went to the local hot springs. The hot springs were FANTASTIC! We hadn't had a hot shower in Flores, and these springs were jacuzzi-like, and even included a waterfall. It felt great to finally get in a decent bath. Several of us hadn't really showered in a while, since it was cold in the mountains and room-temperature water promised a chill to the bone.
While at the hot springs, Laurent took off his glasses and set them on a rock while he washed up. The next thing he knew...whoops! They were washed away by the swift current and disappeared under the blast of the waterfall. It was mini-crisis time. He hadn't brought a second pair, and he's blind as a bat. The family searched for a while, but the swift currents and thundering water basically made it a hopeless cause.
I had already left the water and was drying off on the shore, but I saw that Laurent was distressed and the family had given up hope, so I figured I should at least give it the ol' college try. I waded around in the churning, waist-deep water near the falls for a while, feeling around the rocks on the ground with my feet for anything unusual. It really did seem hopeless, but my toes sensed something that felt slightly different, so I pinched something with my feet and brought up...Laurent's glasses! It was truly a one-in-a-million shot, and that combined with the fresh shower put us all in a great mood.
But the day wasn't over. The evening before, the family had been wandering near the Bajawa market and had seen preparations for a wedding reception--then were subsequently invited to attend! The wedding was taking place while we were at the hot springs, and we got back in time for the reception.
It was pretty wild. Over 300 people were there, and of course we were the only Westerners. It was not unlike a Western wedding reception, however. White wedding dress, a receiving line, dinner, some crazy uncle on the mic cracking everyone up, & dancing. We wished the bride & groom our best (selamat burbahaggia!), dropped an envelope in the basket, and then had a seat to watch the remainder of the guests arrive. We were pretty nervous, so we had slipped a few Bintang beers into my backpack for the reception. While we sat, we covertly sipped at our Bintangs, worrying about committing too much of a faux pas. After a while, however, the Bintangs and the situation got the best of us, and we were cracking jokes with each other and having a few laughs. When you aren't supposed to be laughing, that's always when things seem funniest.
Maria suggested we should rob the envelope basket, and I made a subtle motion indicating that I was raising a gun in the air, and the next thing we knew we were laughing so hard we were nearly falling off of our chairs. Needless to say, it drew a few glances in our direction. Oops. International incident?
Not to worry. After a bit we settled down, ate a fantastic meal (the best in Flores), and then danced with the wedding party. It was great fun and the guests seemed thrilled we were there and joining in. We left shortly after midnight, but the party raved 'til dawn...a great day all around.
Next up: revenge of the udang.
