ALOR ISLAND – In the Far east of Indonesia What Would Happen To The Beautiful Clear Sky, Beautiful Clear Beaches, Beautiful Coral reefs

As I sit in small outrigger canoe between Alor and Pulau Kepa out in Pantar Strait. I look into the swift swirling current. Under the boat a dazzling forest of soft corals is clearly visible through the crystal clear water. As the boatman paddles furiously to defeat the current sweeping us towards Timor, schools of tuna and other pelagic fish cut and ripple the smooth surface of the water all around us. In this most beautiful and pristine region at the far east of the Lesser Sundas, the dazzling necklace of islands stretching for over a thousand kilometers from Bali ton Timor. I never fail to be amazed by its amazing diverse cultures and beauty of these islands. Name like Lembata, Solor. Flores and Komodo are synonomous with adventure and remoteness which most travellers are never fortunate enough to experience. As the last island in the clain. Alor has its own stunning natural beauty which lives up to all expectations. Unlike most of Flores to the west and Maluku to the north. Alor has a distinct dry season without the covering of green forest of its northern neighbours. What it lacks in greenery on land, it makes up for with its rugged mountainous terrain and almost untouched beautiful white sand beaches. Kota Kalabahi, the only town of any size on Alor, is a small town spread in a narrow strip sprawling over a few kilometers between the mountain slopes and the large ocean bay. With its busy port, and its air and sea links with Timor and Flores, the past few years has seen some more modern development in the middle of town. Happily the wonderful and colorful markets, the fantastic seafood at night warung on the waterfront, and the wonderful smiling people remain as welcoming as ever.

On the Kalabahi waterfront and narrow streets of the old town you see a kaleidoscope of faces – the dark Alorese, and faces from Java, Sulawesi, and the islands of Maluku right out to Papua. While many islanders practice a mixture of Christianity and traditional religion, the sound of the azan and the sight of many women wearing jilbabs reminds you of the Islamic influence on the towns and in some of the coastal villages. Being a thousand kilometers to the east of Bali, Alor is a place simply off the map for most travelers. With its rich surrounding oceans teemimng with life, it has always been a diving mecca. Its mountainous terrain and historical isolation away from the trade routes of Asia have left Alor with many aspects of nits culture intact. Much of the island remains so remote and inaccessible that even today the only real mode of transportation to many places is by boat. Some thirteen tribes of Alor still maintain their own language and dialect. A trip to a traditional tribal village is easy and an essential activity. In the mountains, not far from Kalabahi, there are still thatch roofed villages, constructed as they have been for centuries. Bumpa Lola, about a 40 minute sometimes rough drive from Kalabahi followed by a short strenuous hike, is set on a large mountainous knoll overlooking the ocean with steep drop-off is on all sides. The alternatively narrow, steep and rocky trail to the village obviously made it an ideal village to defend from the marauding head hunting neighbouring tribes in Alor’s distant past.

As I wandered into the village, I received a wonderful reception from a few hundred people having a large party marking the occasion of the building of a new thatch hut. While perhaps 20 or 30 people worked on the roof, everyone else was in full party mode. I was seated at the bench in the centre of the festivities, offered sirih (betel nut) given plently of delightful spicy food, and contantly plied hot tea. As the musicians played Alorese music and everyone feasted, the work off cutting and fitting the roof continued well into the afternoon. Takpala is on the opposite side of the island from Bumpa Lola, easily reached in about 30 minutes from Kalabahi. The village, with its wonderful Alorese traditional houses intact, is situated in the mountains with a commanding view of the sea. Somewhat fortuitously, the passing of a local cruising ship from Australia had the people here performing traditional dances and displaying for sale the wonderful ikat for which Alor. Like so many other islands of these parts, is justifiably famous.