Larantuka, lot of fun.

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My trip to Larantuka on september, 30th to November 6th 2011 is my assignment on Trans TV (Indonesia National Television). It was very far, tiring and a lot of fun traveling.

At that time, my colleagues and I need to filming the Javanese doctor who served for a year there. A young woman from different tribes living in a strange place for a lot of interesting stories.

Because of Larantuka placed in Sumba island in East Nusa Tenggara province, we have to use two different planes. From Jakarta, we left at 6 am to Denpasar, Bali and fly again using smaller aircraft at one o'clock. Because the sole of transit hours, it forced us for five hours just to see people come and go at Ngurah Rai airport, Denpasar.

Finally we arrived in Frans Seda airport in Maumere. The sun had shifted far to the west. While we must take a four hour drive to the east of the island of Sumba. On the advice of the driver, we had to stay overnight while purchasing various supplies.

***

next day, we step on the gas directly to Larantuka. A city that was mentioned the Vatican in Asia. The majority of devout Catholic-friendly living peacefully with other religious minorities. It's the real Indonesia.

As the driver said, a trip to Larantuka not easy travel. In addition to the winding path, too full of holes and repair until we have to occasionally stop to rest. At 2 p.m, we arrived at dr. Indra's home.

dr. Widi Indra Sari Dewi lives in the Waimana village since six months ago. Her served in a health clinic to serve patients from several neighboring villages. It was beyond expectations, the village is full of people who are very friendly typical of eastern Indonesia. Full of smiles, greet each other and even stopped to take dinner. Much different from the individual nature of people in big cities like Jakarta.

How lucky we are, on the day we arrived was the closing day of the month of Mary. The month in which all the Catholic communities make the event a special Mass for Mother Mary. It was a festive celebration and very different from other places in the world.

***

Three days we stayed at Waimana village. Many interesting things ranging from local community life, culture and living habits. Because the village is situated on the beach, we always eat fresh fish and enjoy the sunrise every morning. It's a perfect life.

Once we finish filming the story of dr. Indra, we returned to Maumere. Because there are still two days remaining before returning to Jakarta, all the teams want to go to Kalimutu lake. Three colors of the legendary lakes in the district of Ende.

Kalimutu crater lake is actually a result of a major eruption thousands of years ago. It contained not water, but sulfur. Color change is still a mystery to most researchers. According to myth, the three colors (green, red, black) is where the ancestral spirits dwell. The colors represent the age and ancestral deeds during his lifetime. But now, the lake is no longer the three colors. The second one light green lakes, and lakes are located at the height remains in solid black.

If you want to bring a souvenir from the Sumba island, you should buy woven fabric made by local artisans such as those sold here. Because it takes a long times to make it, the price is quite expensive. A sheet with thirty inches width and one meter long could be worth six hundred thousand rupiah. (about six dollars)

***

Travel to the Sumba island was the ending of my work at Trans TV for four years. Many valuable experiences and lessons that I acquired during my duty in Trans TV. Meet different people, came to a wide range of exotic places in Indonesia and of course, the kinship between Trans TV's fellow crew can not be replaced by anything.

But life goes on. And the need for new experiences elsewhere will add to the quality of life. At least for me personally.

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Comments

[krzysztof nitjsefni]

you sure you've been to Sumba and not Flores?
Maumere, Kelimutu... they're on Flores :)

[danioo]

Yes, it is on Flores
Hi Krzysztof Nitjesfni, thank you to corrected my article. My bad, of course Maumere and else are on Flores, not Sumba. Cheers.