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Published: October 30th 2023
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Mentawai had been on my bucket list for many years, and I and two friends decided to visit it in July this year. We decided to go with the Tour of Mentawai, travel agent which took care the trip arrangement.
The fast ferry connecting Padang city to Siberut island, the biggest island in Mentawai region, runs twice a week on Saturday and Tuesday. We opted to leave on Tuesday and arrived at Muaro port by 6 am, which was packed with people, luggages, not to mention surf boards. Despite the chaotic and unorganized boarding process, all passengers and their belongings were timely boarded by 8 am. Afraid of getting seasick, we took the non-airconditioned seats at the upper deck. Thankfully, the sea was quite calm and we enjoyed the ride. Unfortunately, one of the four ferry engines broke down, and the ferry ride took longer than usual; it was an eight hours ride compared to the normal ride of four hours. By the time we arrived at Muara Siberut, it was 4 pm.
The Mentawai islands consist of 70 islands, located approximately 150 km off the western coast of Sumatra. The Northern of Siberut, the biggest island, is known
for its white sand and crystal-clear water; it is also considered as the surfer paradise for its perfect breaks: E-Bay, Hideaways and Kandui. The Southern Siberut is where the indigenous Mentawai people live. The infrastructure in this island was so poor that there was no road connecting the Northern to the Southern Siberut; the only methods of traveling was by ferry.
Once arrived, we were transported by a minicab and headed towards Rorogot village, where our homestay was. The house belonged to the daughter of Toikot, our host in the final destination village. The homestay was an elevated wooden house with distinct-shaped roof. It’s a squared shaped house with no furniture in it. The guest room was at the front of the house was separated by a partition. A mosquito net and floor mat were provided for the guests, and the bathroom was located outside the house. Thankfully, the house had electricity, but we were disconnected from the world as there was no telecommunication signal!
After breakfast the next day, we left with a pompong, a motored-wooden boat, heading towards Madobag village. After cruising along the river for one and a half hours, we arrived at Rorobot riverbank,
The house of Toikot
at Madobag Village where a few ladies porters were waiting to carry our bags to the village. Before we left, we were warned the path heading to the village might get muddy; it was advisable to purchase rain boots, which we did. Little that we knew, it was not merely muddy, but it felt like a sinking sand! The mud was so thick and slippery, and if we were to step on it, our feet would sink up to the ankle, making it difficult to lift and to make the next move. Proudly, our host told us he had created the path by placing tree trunks on the ground to make it easier to walk. Not that easy, we arrived two hours later, which the locals normally took only half an hour walking barefoot.
Just like the house at Rorongkot village, this one was a stilt square-shaped wooden house with no walls. On the front right of the house, there was a seat plank, a table and a wood-fired stove on the left-hand side. The kitchen was at the back, but we could not find any bathroom, only to be told we had to do our business in nature at the river
nearby! Our room was next to the main house, where mosquito nets and floor mat were provided. There is no neighbor. The closest house was 2 km away, a house belongs to his brother Cookie, also a Singkerei. Toikot lives with his son and daughter in law.
To become a Singkerei or Shaman, Toikot had to go through a process, a few of which criteria were to refrain from touching his wife for three months, to eat monkeys and to consume certain vegetables, after which process, he had to be tattoed using the traditional methods and had to go through initiation ceremony. Once he became a Singkerei, Toikot had to wear traditional clothing which covered only his groin. If these rules were broken, the locals believed its impacts could be fatal.
Toikot, 92 years old, is one of the most popular Singkerei in Mentawai; during his younger years, he had visited a few countries overseas. As we arrived, he noticed and was attracted to my friend’s Garmin watch; we directed his attention to my bracelets instead, and he was so happy that he immediately performed an eagle dance without being asked.
For lunch, we brought beef rendang
and dried beef from Padang, which were considered a delicacy by the tribes. The staple food was primarily sago; protein intake was obtained from sago caterpillar. The tribes don’t have the concept of breakfast, lunch and dinner; they eat whenever they feel hungry. Other than tending the animals, the tribes do not cultivate any plants. They mainly use whatever resources available in the forest. Women are in charge of getting wood, collecting sago and catching fish, while men were in charge of hunting. Toikot owns nearly 100 pigs and chickens, all of which were roaming around at the ground, and at night, they found the resting place below the house.
After lunch, Toikot went to the forest to collect the ingredients for poison making: omai (Antiaris Toxicara), lombok (capsicum annisum), tuba (derris elliptica) and baglai (Alpinia galanga). When he was back at the house, he showed us how he made the poison: all the ingredients were grounded, and once all mixed and became watery, he applied at the tip of the arrow to be heated on the stove. It is said that the poison was so lethal that animals shot by the arrows would immediately die. Later on, we
were shown as to how the ladies caught fish at the river and prepared the sago. While preparing the sago, Toikot's daughter-in-law jokingly said she would love to cut our legs as she simply wanted us to stay longer. That was a compliment to receive!
Later in the afternoon, we received a guest, Cookie, who was the brother of Toikot and also a Singkerei. When asked how old he was, he answered it in English “I don’t know”. Interestingly, the tribes received a lot of foreign visitors from whom they learned how to speak English. Cookie received his name from foreign visitors as he loved the cookies they brought. He lived alone in a house bigger than Toikot’s as all of his children had moved out. These days, he is no longer able to receive any guests as his house is no longer in good condition. I could not help thinking as to how he lived by himself – without any help. Soon, his grown up grandson showed up with his son, and it was said that his grandson wanted to become Singkerei. A few other people dropped by as well, all were friendly towards us.
One thing
I noticed about the Mentawai tribes was their look. Their features were similar to those of Nias, and according to google, their ancestors were from Nias whose roots were from Taiwain! Unlike the people of Nias who often fought with their neighbours or adjacent villages, the people of Mentawai seemed to live a peaceful life. They visited each other's house and seemed to be more family orientated. Perhaps, they seemed to mind their own business because their houses are isolated. No neighbours but forest.
After dinner, we retired to our room, while the men continued chatting while puffing cigarettes endlessly. We didn't dare to go to river to freshen up before going to bed, not even with our flashlight. There was no electricity. Indeed it was a tough evening! The next morning, we decided to return to Rorogot village and cut short our stay at Madobag village. We were glad we made the decision to visit this village and got to know Toikot and family. If you ask me if I would like to be back to Siberut, I'd say, yes, but to enjoy the beautiful beach of the Northern Siberut island.
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