LABUAN BAJO, mybalinews.com – The sunrise was obscured by thick, dark clouds that covered the morning sky.
Heavy rain and strong winds that lasted through the night hadn’t let up by dawn. This morning, we were greeted by a landscape of rain-soaked rice fields.
Traditional fried bananas and omellet were already served on the table for our breakfast. Fresh whole bananas were also available for those who preferred them unfried. The lodge provided slices of plain toast along with a toaster.
We had breakfast together at the edge of the rice fields, accompanied by a light drizzle and gentle breeze. In the distance, the hills that had been clearly visible from the lodge the day before were now veiled in mist.
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Today, we have plan to hike the hills. Our journey would lead us to Waerebo Village, a remote settlement tucked away behind the misty hills.
While we were having breakfast, our tour leader from Intrepid Travel, Yohanes Kosmas, shared some unfortunate news.
He explained that the heavy rain throughout the night had made the hiking trail to Waerebo Village extremely slippery. Yohanes said that hiking to Waerebo would be too risky for us.
“At Intrepid, safety is our top priority. So, I don’t recommend hiking to Waerebo Village—the trail is too slippery and dangerous,” Yohanes advised.
After some discussion, we decided to visit the start of the Waerebo hiking trail just to check the condition of the path. We stopped at the first post and eventually decided to change our destination to another traditional village called Todo Village.
We took a two-hour drive to Todo Village. Along the way, we made several stops to capture the stunning scenery—one of which was to photograph Mules Island from a distance.
The journey, though scenic, was quite exhausting, as much of the road was damaged and rocky.
Much like Waerebo, Todo Village is nestled in the hills at the foot of Mount Anak Ranaka.
However, unlike Waerebo—which can only be reached by trekking—the road to Todo is accessible by vehicle, making the journey much easier. This time, no hiking was required.
When we arrived in Todo Village, we were warmly welcomed by a local traditional elder.
Before entering the sacred grounds of the village, we were dressed in traditional woven. The men were given traditional head coverings, while the women wore headbands.
“This is the traditional attire of Todo,” explained Helmon Jehanus, a local tour guide in the village.
Helmon then led us into the village, sharing stories about its history along the way.
The ancestors of the Todo people are believed to have originated from the Minangkabau community in West Sumatra, and are known to have established the village centuries ago.
In Todo Traditional Village, several houses are built from a combination of wood and bamboo. They use local wood that is planted around the village, called worok wood.
We were invited into one of the houses called Niang Wowang.
Helmon explained that Niang Wowang is the main house where their village leader are usually welcoming guest. To enter Niang Wowang, we had to bow our heads, as the doorway was intentionally built very low.
“This is a symbol of respect,” Helmon explained.
We received a warm welcome from the village elder. At the house, they also serve us tea and coffee. The village elder took the time to explain the history of the village and its houses.
We stayed one night in the village, sleeping in a house called Niang Teruk. It was exciting to stay in the house, where we all slept in one room.
Despite its simplicity, each of us had a comfortable, thick mattress prepared. A simple toilet, equipped with a western-style sitting toilet, was located outside the house.
Ignasius Pang and his wife, Maria Daung, the owners of Niang Teruk, welcomed us warmly. We had lunch, dinner, and breakfast at their house, enjoying delicious, simple traditional food that was comforting for all of us.
It was a great experience to sleep in a traditional house, which turned out to be surprisingly warm at night, even though the weather outside was quite cold.
“That’s because of the materials used in the house; they help keep it warm inside,” Ignasius Pang explained.
The women of Todo Village, including Maria, also weave as part of their daily life. “If I have nothing else to do, I can usually finish one piece of weaving in three days,” Maria shared. We have bought some woven as souvenir from Maria.
In the morning, we concluded our visit to Todo Village, as we were heading back to Labuan Bajo for the next part of our journey—Komodo sailing.
We couldn’t wait for the exciting adventure of meeting the Komodo Dragon. (mybalinews/ERV)
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