The island of Flores' reached after 9 hours by ferry from Sumbawa. A crossing in a quiet, almost sleepy, hailed for a few seconds to a couple of dolphins. Labuanbajo (or Bajo), the port of arrival, and 'a pile of stinking village that has a certain charm. The bay overlooked by houses and steep slopes covered with vegetation down to the sea appear to have come from the pencil of Hugo Pratt, a scenario worthy of the adventures of Corto Maltese.
A few nautical miles from here there are the islands of Comfortable and Rinca, inhabited by fearsome dragons, lizards a couple of meters long known for being carnivorous and hungry. The islands are part of a national park and visit with a group of other passengers. The ranger who welcomes us to base camp Rinca us to walk for a couple of hours and helps us to find a dragon sleeping in the shade of a rock and the animal, he says, and 'digestion phase' cause in the last few days and 'pappa a deer. We learn that the dragons do not kill and eat their victims, but now the infecting bite with their saliva and this causes a fatal disease in the unfortunate beast that is guarded by dragons until death: an ambush that can 'take weeks. When there is' a particular food shortages, the dragons will also kill each other: cannibalism! After a few days
Bajo, at the 'western Flores, I move eastward, reaching the center of the island. I visit the villages of Ruteng Bajawa and, inland, where nights are surprisingly cool, around 10 degrees. The landscape around Bajawa and 'particularly attractive and lush rainforests, volcanoes, perfect cones, traditional villages where they still live in houses with thatched roofs. Hire a moto-taxi for a whole day in order to explore some local villages. The first visit that enjoys a spectacular location on a natural balcony at the beginning of a narrow valley: volcano to the right, the hills on the left and the blue sea on horizon. Not far into the forest, two creeks, one of ice water, the other boiling, combine to form a natural thermal bath, gorgeous. Let me first take this opportunity to "shower" hot weeks after.
In the afternoon I stop in the village of Wogo. E 'being the funeral (rite Catholic) of an elderly resident. Here I meet Ervin, a local girl, who speaks excellent English and explains some of the traditions of the local population (the Ngada), including that of burying people more 'important in the center of the village under umbrella-shaped structures or miniature house, they are "consulted" before making important decisions such as sowing, harvesting and marriages. An interesting and mysterious mix of Catholicism and animism. Brings me to see the megalithic stones as high as 3 meters from the origin and meaning obscure. After the funeral Ervin invites me in some houses (rectangular wooden structures, one floor, mezzanine, and the thatched roof) where the relatives of the deceased (practically the entire village) came together and are consuming a meal. Even offered me a plate; issue of rice with beans and stringy pieces of meat (maybe pork) and difficult to chew gum, I try to do my best and I eat rice at least I do not want to offend anyone! After Ervin introduced me to a ten people are taken to another house where I find myself again with a plate (identical) under the nose, ugh! Same ritual as before. On the threshold of the third house, however, 'take the girl by the arm and begs her to finish the round of introductions, I have the stomach is about to burst! I greet you and I close this very special cultural experience. Back to
Bajawa and that 'now evening and pitch dark. The only place open seems to be room on the ground floor of a house where a group of kids sitting on the floor, is playing the Playstation 2 on three different televisions (must be the game room of the country). Shove the nose and immediately invite me to a challenge in football, play some games with Italy, winning almost tutte; mi diverto un sacco a urlare in faccia ai ragazzini "Pippooooo!" o "Gila!" ad ogni gol. Piovono pacche sulle spalle e risate generali. Football mania.
Dopo Bajawa faccio tappa alle pendici del vulcano Kelimutu. L’attrazione del luogo e’ la presenza di 3 laghi colorati all’interno della caldera: uno marrone, uno quasi nero e un altro turchese. Spettacolare. Sembrano tempere sulla tavolozza di un pittore. La colorazione delle acque e’ dovuta alla presenza di minerali nella roccia. Secondo una tradizione locale i laghi sono abitati dagli spiriti dei morti. Dalla cima del vulcano riesco a scorgere l’azzurro del mare lungo le coste meridionali e settentrionali (l’isola e’ abbastanza stretta) e, sforzandomi, arrival almost see the tip of the island. The landscape is' a succession of volcanoes, many of which are active smoking and cones.
Flores' all ups and downs: winding roads, serpentine, narrow valleys, ravines and steep slopes. Soil and 'black and often covered with thick tropical vegetation. A beautiful volcanic island and capricious.
A local guide told me that they have evacuated an area just east of the island in what they are waiting for the "pop" of a volcano. Wow. Quiet, I'm going in the opposite direction. Term stay in Flores in the city 'of Ende, one of the' big island, where, on the waterfront, there ' a lively fish market, fresh. I just caught tonnarelli bloody and still end up fairly quickly, once cut, boats on the back of a pick-up. The pungent smell of fish is mixed continuously to the more 'fresh vegetables, sold a little more' in the. All the differences between then end of the black sand beach, a prey to the mouth of noisy seagulls or dribbled by legions of kids to run after a ball. Overwhelming reality 'of Indonesia.
Rene '
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