Flores, one of the large island in the Lesser Sunda group, is just two and a
half-hours east of Bali by MERPATI’s regular flights,
is. A spectacular ridge of smoking volcanoes runs right down the middle, and
there are heavy tropical forest in the interior and eastern parts. A Portuguese
trader from Malaka sighted the eastern point of Flores 400 years ago who named
it the Cape of flowers. There are few flower to be seen on land, but the under
water sea gardens, a mass of colorful and one time blooms, are in such abundant
profusion as to make the coastal waters a diver’s paradise.
There was once a species of elephant of Flores, and until today ivory tusks are
an important part of dowry payment. A thick veneer of Christianity, which was
introduced first by the Portuguese trading fleets and spread later by Dutch
missionaries, now overlies the original strongly animist culture. Flores
currently has the largest Roman Catholic community in Indonesia. Churches are
dotted all over the countryside, and the mission plays a strong role in the
community’s economy.
Music is an important part of life in Flores, and an integral part of every
festive accession. Songs are rendered in complicated 4 – part harmony with
lilting melodies and lively rhythm. Percussion instruments are most common :
slit bamboo drums, small gongs, simple xylophonist and drums made out of coconut
tree. There is also flutes and other bamboo instruments, and primitive one –
stringed lute, which is played with a bow. War dances and fertility rites are
still practiced, and the woman performs graceful “ round dances “ with simple,
repetitive steps that increase as the night goes on. The Ikat weavings of Flores
incorporate intricate weft design, each clan having its own special motifs. Three crater lakes lie just the east of Ende, starkly beautiful in the contrasting colors of their waters. Fifty years ago one lake was blue – green, one dark green and the other red. Over the years the colors are constantly changing as the minerals discharged by the semi-active craters affect the waters. The area surrounding this spectacular crater scenery is known as the Kelimutu Reserve, after the towering peak of Kelimutu, which dominates the view.
Underwater diving around the coast is exceptionally good, and numerous rare species of fish and coral have been sighted in the luxurious Coral Sea – gardens off the shores of Flores. Special scuba diving holidays are catered for at the Sao Wisata Resort, all equipment included. There are numerous tiny villages to visit and watch the woman at their traditional pastime, dying and weaving lengths of cloth on simple handlooms. |
