Flores and the tourist mafia

Flores from above

On my flight out from Jogja, I got more exited than ever to move on to the island of Flores.  Everything I'd read said that Flores was the best island for general adventures and off the beaten track exploration.  We pretty much flew over the entire length of the island, and I saw nothing but mountains and rugged coastline.  Arrival in Maumere on the east end of things was quick and easy, and I unexpectedly joined in a taxi ride directly from the airport with a couple from NY.  Winding our way through the mountains as the sun went down was downright magical, though we arrived in the town of Moni a bit later than I had hoped for.  I was shocked at the cost of a bungalow room for 250,000 rupiah (about $25), but as it was late and dark, I didn't really have much choice.  I awoke at 4am the next day to catch a motorbike ride up to the crater rim of Mount Kelimutu, with its famous multicolored lakes.  Again, crazy expensive at 60,000 rupiah for a 30 minute ride, but again, my only option.  The lakes and mountain were quite nice, and I spent about two hours up at the top taking pictures.  I bugged a local fellow for more information, and he said whenever there is volcanic activity, the lakes can change color, ranging anywhere from white to green to blue to red to black.  Apparently in the 60's, the lakes were red, white, and blue.  'Merica!

Two of the three Kelimutu lakes

I decided to walk the 7 miles back down to Moni, and enjoyed the quiet countryside and peaceful morning.  As I neared Moni, a lady called me over to chat for a few minutes, and eventually showed me some of the traditional ikat weaving that she does.  Not only does she do everything by hand with a backstrap loom, but she makes all her own dies and even her own cotton thread.  I'm pretty sure I overpaid a bit for a scarf, but she was nice, and I was impressed that she could make a finished product from raw materials.  How many people in the developed world can start from pure basics and make something?  On top of the scarf, she tried really hard to get me to buy a full body sarong.  It's the traditional outfit of people here, worn by both men and women.  They're beautiful, but I told her that I just didn't see myself wearing one around town.  I have a tough enough time looking respectable in regular pants and a shirt...I don't think I'm going to pull off a sarong.

I tried to trade this lady hats, but she
wasn't going for it

Typical country farmhouse on Flores

Ikat weaving.  Apparently this one would take over
two months to finish

As I wandered around Moni, I realized that everything was priced at least two or three times what I'd pay in Sumatra or Jogja.  I tried to find some information on the bus onward to Bajawa, but after hearing many different things (no bus on Sunday, only one bus very early, maybe one bus around noon, etc.), I finally got roped in by a few guys rinning a taxi/tourist van.  It cost a bit more, but I was assured that the bus wasn't much cheaper and that this was a faster, more comfortable option.  Conveniently, these guys had connections at a few hotels and restaurants in town, and tried hard to get the four of us in the van to continue with them to Ruteng the next day.  They said they had to go no matter what, and would give us a great price, but us tourists talked it over and decided to stay in Bajawa for an extra day to do some sightseeing.  Suddenly, their plans had mysteriously changed and now they could wait around an extra day to take us.

This is the internet access point in Bajawa.  3 computers
in a plywood shack.

Breakfast in Bajawa.  I think it was fried tofu, tempeh, a
hard-boiled egg, cabbage, and meatballs covered in
peanut sauce.

I really didn't plan to stick around Bajawa, but a pretty Italian girl wanted to explore by motorbike and asked me to stay instead of her having to pay for an expensive private driver.  She was a bit more high-maintenance than I usually like to associate with, but I figured what the hell, and we ended up having a really nice time zooming around and visiting the traditional villages.  The next day I hopped in what I thought was a shared taxi with two French ladies, hoping to get off the tourist mafia trail.  Turns out that it was a private car that they'd hired for seven days to drive them all around, and they were just nice enough to let me ride along.  I wasn't aware of this until much later, but was confused when the driver acted funny when I asked how much the fare to Riung was.  Looking back, I'm pretty sure he was trying to get me to pay for an expensive ride, but didn't want to discuss it in front of the ladies, because they'd instructed him to take me along for free since they'd already paid in advance.  I ended up leaving super early one morning, and he never got a chance to confront me about the money.  I bought the ladies beers at dinner the night before, so I felt OK about things.  Riung was uneventful except for some delicious grilled fish dinners and a great BBQ on a deserted island beach while on a snorkeling trip.

A stop on the tourist trail...

Lunch on the beach