As the crew heaved and tied off in practiced unison the seven sails billowed and flapped as ropes snapped into place. The sails filled and caught the breeze. The sleek wooden schooner came into its own …. we were sailing. We cut through the white waves (Ombak Putih) with ease and, from the comfort of my lounge chair on a freshly polished deck, I felt life couldn’t get any better at that precise moment.

Such are the delights of taking a sailing adventure , but it was not all smooth sailing. In addition to the extraordinary sights, deserted beaches, untouched coral reefs, crystal clear waters, sunrises, sunsets and friendly tribes people, we were to ride out a storm in the Sunda Straits great enough to force us to change direction and take a less dangerous route. We were to stand captivated as we watched Eddy the dragon slayer take on a komodo dragon and we were to witness the age old custom of whip fighting during our visit to the mountain people on the island of Flores.

Sit back, take a coffee and join me on this captivating journey across the Lesser Sunda Islands. A journey as timeless as the ship which brought us there, the Ombak Putih, which in itself is worth telling a tale as it captures much of the mystique of the trip itself.

The Birth of A Bugis Schooner

The Ombak Putih is a bugis schooner, meaning it was built by the Bugis people, a legendary tribe of sailors and boat builders who use a ship building technique that has remained unchanged in hundreds of years . The bugis people are originally from South Sulawesi but many conduct their trade in other places in Indonesia, like Kalimantan, where the Ombak Putih was built.

Before starting the design and planning of a bugis schooner the master ship builder and the ship owner must forge a working relationship which centers around harmony, as this implicates a long life for the ship, little risk and good fortune. The strength of the ship is not only determined by construction factors but also by mystical factors.

The master builder must go into the jungle on his own in order to commune with the spirits before he may choose and fell the first tree. The first tree is the most important and before it is cut he must enter into a dialogue with the tree and pay honor to its spirit. With axe in hand, the master builder strikes in an upward direction symbolizing the fortune of the ship will always rise.

He plans the building of the ship in the jungle, in his mind, and in fact no written designs or blueprints are ever used. The Buginese people build by oral tradition and know exactly how much wood will be used, how much it will weigh, what type of construction factors they will employ and of course, the mystical factors play a part as well. The shipwrights and apprentices learn their skills as early as 12 years old.

Ceremonial acts are held when the three pieces of the keel are joined together. Inside the holes that join each piece, gold is placed symbolizing wealth. Iron is added for strength and hulled rice is also placed, for prosperity.

The launching of a 200-ton pinisi is done manually and takes around 200 men to push the ship into the water. The night before, Islamic songs and traditional Buginese songs are sung and the supernatural spirits are honored.

Once the ship is in the water, the shipbuilder stays with his ship. He becomes the Captain, presumably for the life of the ship or his. When I was introduced to our Captain on board the Ombak Putih , I had an enormous respect and admiration for exactly what this title meant.

The Journey – Sumbawa to Flores

We set sail from Bima, in Eastern Sumbawa. Our 8 day journey was to take us to the islands of Komodo, Flores, Sumba and Savu, however the best laid plans can go astray. When you are in the hands of nature on the high seas things can change quite suddenly.

After a smooth night’s sleep we woke up in Flores, one of the biggest, most rugged and beautiful islands of the Lesser Sundas. We were given our first glimpse into the culture with a visit to the traditional village of Ngada. This involved a one hour bus ride up into the highlands where we were made very welcome by the village chief.

We were invited to take our honorable seats in a small hut and soon we were sipping palm wine, chewing beetle nut and taking some tobacco. The giving was then up to us and Cor, our European cruise director and guide, handed the chief a couple of rupiah which served to symbolize the act of giving.

Soon a full scale whip fighting dance was in progress involving a group of men cracking their whips, and yelping as they danced, challenging each other to power of the whip. The men were extremely animated and vocal in challenging their adversaries. This was accompanied by the antics of the local crowd which made it seem the tribal equivalent of WWF wrestling. This fascinating display of dance and war is never over until blood is drawn and these mighty warriors wore their lacerations with pride, as they are the marks of bravery.

The women then performed a bridal dance involving bamboo poles and some speedy intricate foot work keeping them out of harm’s way as the bamboo poles opened and shut quickly. After the ceremonial dances we were able to talk with the people while being invited to beat the gongs and try out the other traditional instruments.

We were made to feel very welcome and actually didn’t want to leave, however lunch was calling and the food served on the ship was worth the bus ride back. Every day the chef presented a new menu which was a blend of European style food and local Indonesian fare.

Sailing challenges in the Sumba Strait

After lunch we set sail for the Island of Sumba, stopping along the way to enjoy an afternoon of snorkeling at a deserted beach on an equally deserted island.

The month of March and April are typically the best times to sail in the Sumba Strait, as the calmest of seas prevail. However we battled a huge storm on the second night and ended up with a much different outcome from our original plans. After dinner our cruise director handed out the sea sickness pills and soon after the waves started to get noticeably larger. Within no time at all dining room chairs were flying across the galley. When the table rose off the floor there seemed to be a bit more nervous tension mounting. Several people had already made their way to the railing and were making their own personal offerings to the sea. With glasses dangerously clattering in the kitchen, the captain called a meeting and we made a wise decision to head back. It was only 45 minutes back to a sheltered bay.

We were never really in any peril. The Ombak Putih is equipped with 2 GPS’s on board, a depth sounder, radar, and satellite connection. Being built of strong ironwood and knowing we were in the hands of professional seamen , I never felt unsafe at any point. It was actually quite exciting and became the focus of subsequent conversations for the duration of the trip.

With a visit to Sumba no longer possible we readjusted our schedule and sailed through a series of sheltered bays to the island of Komodo.

Komodo Island – Dragons and Bravery

We were in for another adventure when we visited Komodo Island. After only being off the boat 5 minutes we saw our first Komodo dragon. On closer inspection we realized we were actually surrounded by them, as they blend perfectly with the scrub and grass. The ranger, Eddie, explained it was quite unusual to see so many dragons in the one area. There were 7 Komodos in total and although the size makes you a little nervous (they stretch out to about 3 meters), they have a gentleness about them which I found quite captivating. As one started to move slowly towards us, Eddie, who stood guard with only

a 2-pronged stick, assured us we were in no danger and then went on to explain how one of his colleagues had his arm ripped off by a Komodo. Feeling a little like prey surrounded by the Raptors of Jurassic Park, our group surveyed the rest of the Komodos who were grouped around us. One particular slow moving Komodo started to make an advance, with a very strong determined look on his face. He began to make a bee-line for one of the ranger’s huts. He proceeded to haul himself up the staircase and successfully nose his way inside.

Eddie the dragon slayer reacted with lightening speed, charging at the dragon like the knights of old, grabbing him by the tail. We couldn’t see what happened next, as the two of them were now inside the hut. The banging and crashing coming from inside kept us all on edge, hanging in nervous suspense. Within minutes Eddie emerged triumphant having managed to wrestle the dragon and proceed to haul him out by the tail . As we stood open-mouthed in wonder, all Eddie could say was, “He was after our food. We have fish in there and he must hunt for his food naturally.” Cheers and shouts of “Eddie, Eddie” followed as we realized that this brave soul Eddie was not just a Dragon Slayer, he was an environmentalist as well.

Komodos are actually slow movers and live to a ripe old age of about 50. Their hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. Although they can run at speeds of up to 30km an hour this is only in short bursts. Poor hearing and limited vision means they hunt mostly by smell. Although the Komodo dragon has a relationship with the dinosaur, they are not descended from them. The Komodo dragon is a large monitor lizard.

Komodo Dragons need only bite their prey once in order to kill them. After an attack and a successful bite , the wounded prey will slow down and eventually die. The septic salvia of the Komodo eventually poisons the animal and allows for the final kill.

After lunch back on board the ship, it was relaxation time. In fact every day involved a cultural exploration trip in the morning then lunch back on board followed by sailing in the afternoon to a remote and uninhabited island for snorkeling and beachcombing. The snorkeling, especially around the back of Komodo Island, was spectacular. The live coral displays that we were able to swim and snorkel amongst makes this part of the world unique.

Our afternoons became a bit of a ritual, and our crew would row over with chilled wine served on the beach , at our request. A while later a basket of fresh muffins, raisin pancakes or fried bananas ( a scrumptious local dish) would arrive via our chef much to our delight. Our short sails in the afternoons amongst the many islands dotted along the way, became a favorite part of the day. A real sense of awe ensued at the majestic scenery of white powdery sand beaches stretched magically between the blue ocean, jagged hills and smoking volcanoes. The romanticism with which the early explorers wrote of their travels amongst these islands came to life for us in the most dream like way.

Riung, Flores

The small fishing village of Riung, complete with its 10 stilted bamboo dwellings, was the next port of call. We were met there by our guide Moses, who escorted us into the mountains and took us to the traditional village of Wogo, with its symbolic male and female thatched roof huts and megalithic stones standing in solemn reverence to its past Kings and Warriors. The cool mountain air was a welcome change to the heat of the day and on our return we were very excited about our next stop at the local hot springs.

We had the opportunity to bathe in the soothing warm waters of this natural idyllic pool followed by a thundering natural Jacuzzi of torrid jets from the hot water waterfall. An exhilarating experience.

One can not visit Flores without seeing the stunning Three-Colored Crater Lakes. This involved a bus trip up the mountain, which was very slow and windy but well worth the arduous ride and the views from the top were outstanding.

The colored lakes of Keli Mutu which lie within the volcano’s crater actually change color with some regularity . On the day of our visit we saw one lake turquoise, one green and one maroon, but our guide told us on his previous visit, that one of the lakes was silver. Helicopters have taken water samples from the lakes for chemical analysis but little is known why they change color. Due to the varying mineral content you never know what you are going to see until the day. The area is steeped in tradition and the local people say the dark colored lake, which varies between black and maroon, is where the bad souls go.

Two of the three lakes must be observed from a distance, as they are caustic. Last year, we were told, a Dutch tourist accidentally fell in and only a part of his body was recovered one week later. He was exploring in an out-of-bounds area, which was foolish and he met his fate in the turquoise lake. Apart from the unfortunate tourist, no one has ever ventured down to the lakes.

Sika Tribe, Flores

Our next cultural experience took place in Watublapi, Flores, where we were treated to a ceremonial dance performance by the Sika tribe. We were again treated to a welcome of palm wine served in coconut shells, hand rolled tobacco, which we all lit up and tried, and the bitter tasting beetle nut. We were in a very merry mood watching the entertainment which involved a young man balancing on top of a bamboo pole, hoisted up high into the air by his troop of dancers . The women sung and imitated “calls of the wild” as we sat entranced in this performance in the middle of a small jungle clearing. Their obvious enjoyment of the tribal dance was infectious and with the palm wine enhancer it didn’t take much for us to join them, at their invitation, in the grand finale.

The people of Watublapi are skilled weavers and after the performance they invited us to view their looms and spinning devices. They showed us all the steps – from taking the cotton from the kapok pod to spinning it on a wheel. As the wheel whirred away they demonstrated how a ball of cotton was made. They simply stretched the kapok out from the wheel, creating a long strand and before our eyes we saw it turn into a ball of cotton. The women sat together on the jungle floor, clacking on their weaving looms and most seemed to have a permanent meditative smile. It was clear to see they really enjoyed their work and their traditional way of life.

We found Flores a very friendly place. The people are not poor, but live mostly by subsistence, growing rice and crops and providing for their families with supplementary income from things like weaving and carving. They seem to be aware of the need to preserve their culture and heritage by keeping their traditional way of life. For them it is how they pay homage to the spirits of their ancestors. With the Christian missionaries arriving in 1920, 85 % of Flores people are Roman Catholic, however they also honor their ancestral beliefs and practice their animist customs. It is a unique blend and seems to work for them.

Our journey ended in Maumere with no one wanting to leave the ship and board the plane home. The places we visited had woven a memory of white sandy beaches far from anywhere, spectacular volcanoes and mountains, the wonder of seeing Komodo Dragons in the wild, plus the smiles of the wonderful people we met along the way. It really was a cruise of a lifetime, mixing remote destinations with luxury travel. A trip to the Lesser Sunda Islands is a timeless adventure which will no doubt draw you back to Indonesia’s ‘unity in diversity’ and other treasures which lie waiting. Sometimes the journey is just as good as the destination.

Story by Stephanie Brookes
Photos by David Metcalf

Fact File

Indonesia Cruises – PT. Ombak Putih - +62 361 766 269
info@indonesiacruises.com
www.ombakputih.com
Ombak Putih Facts:
Length 36meters
Beam 10 meters
Decks 3 (main, lower and upper)
Accommodation 12 double occupancy cabins
Cabins AC and private bathroom in each cabin
Cruising Speed 8 – 10 knots
Communications USB/VHS/SSB radio, satellite phone
Displacement 420 tons
Number of crew 17 Indonesians, 1 European Cruise Director
Construction Kalimantan, 1996/97
Port of Registry Benoa, Bali, Indonesia