Flores Overland 2

We slept in Bajawa the first night of our trip. The second day consisted of many stops. We picked up a fellow traveller for thus day, a rumanian with a very good grasp of Bajawa and also an avid adventurer.

Firstly, we visited a startegic viewpoint atop a volcano crater which allowed us to look out upon other volcanoes, the main one being Mount Inerie Volcano.

We then made our way to a bamboo forest and workshop. We saw how they treat and seal the bamboo to make it more durable and also were able to see the showroom of houses, fueniture and small gadgets all made of bamboo. Very impressive!

Next up was a waterfall. As it was Sunday, Ivan knew that everyone would be at church, so he took us on a little adventure to see numerous waterfalls. To get there we drove through very humble local villages with people going about their sunday morning lives.

From here we went to lunch to a restaurant with privileged views over a valley under Mount Inerie where the Ngada People are settled in numerous villages. We were able to visit their tribe's capital village. This tribe have a mixture of old spiritual beliefs and catholicism.
Originally from India, they also have a caste system. 8 clans, 8 chiefs and 8 megalyths with altars for offerings (cows, arak and pigs). Nadu (the umbrella-like structures symbolising men) and Baga (little houses synbllising women) are covered in fresh animal sacrificial blood for their new years' celebration (Reba).
They have an abundance of tamarind, hazelnut, cashew and spice trees around. They do not farm rice, so they trade for it. Their main assett is the blue indigo plant, Tarum, a renowned clothes dye (used often for dyeing the jeans material).

On the way back, Ivan stopped the car and picked a few nutmeg fruit for us as well as cut us some cinnamon bark off a tree on the roadside. Where were so surprised at how available it all is!!Read more