Rugged Rote

28 December 2009

After surviving the flooded roads of West Timor, I headed to Pulau Rote - I had wanted to go there for a very long time and finally I was going to get there!! I was dreaming of beautiful remote beaches that I was soon to discover...


The ferry journey was about 2 hours...and those two hours felt like a very long time as I had heard and read that on several occasions this boat had actually sunk and many people had drowned. Obviously I checked out where all the exits were (in case the boat went down and I needed a quick exit) and I contemplated how I would scramble over all the bags, boxes and other goods that were sitting in the doorway.

 But once the TV was turned on and I was entertained by Indonesian Karaoke and a small snack...I tried to forget about disasters and I began to again start dreaming about the beautiful beaches I was soon to discover!

Once I arrived in Ba'a Harbour, I took a local bemo (a long with A LOT of other people)...heading to Nemberala, in the south of the island. Obviously like all bemo trips all over Indonesia, it was the usual story of stopping at different spots along the way and waiting to pick up more passengers before we had a full load. We spent quite a bit of time in the centre of town...it was market day and it was hot and busy.

Once we got out of Ba'a we headed off on our two hour journey along the bad road to get to Nemberala. I was excited to be in a new place again...not a lot to see...small houses scattered around small villages, buffalos having a bath in the swamps. It was scenes that I hadn't seen for some time and it was nice.

I arrived at Losmen Anugurah, recommended by a good friend who knew the owner - Mus!
A small simple bungalow with a mandi out the back...it was perfect for a few days of quiet beach life and winding down!

I headed straight to check out the beach...and it was beautiful! A long stretch of white sand, fringed with palm trees and no one in sight except for a few fisherman out at sea and a big black pregnant pig...! I was yet to learn that I would spend my quiet days on the beach with this pig...snuggled into the wet sand near the foreshore...obviously to cool down in the sweltering hot days on Rote.

New Years Day 2010 - All the local children in the village spent the day visiting all their neighbours...Mus explained that the tradition here is that on New Years Day, all the children walk around the village to all their neighbours' houses to wish them 'Happy New Year' - the children carried small plastic bags with them and they were given cake at each house they visited. If their plastic bag gets too full, then they simply go home and empty it and go back out again - very cunning and very cute!

I spent nearly one week on Rote...soaking up the sun, going for walks in the village and travelling around to check out the other beaches. Bo'a was also beautiful. Quiet villages and I felt extra special that I was the only tourist on the island! Can't quite believe that I have these beautiful beaches all to myself!