SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO THE 'TOURIST THING'
21 August 2014 | KAMPUNG VILLAGE, ALOR
LIL
The 'entrepreneur' with whom we have been dealing had a plan for yesterday: a visit to a 'real' traditional village. A dirty dozen of us took the bait. The village, as we all suspected, is a traditional village...on the tourist trail. But, it is what it is and it is well done. I'm fairly certain that the natives are not brought in daily for our benefit, based on the evidence...no helicopter pads, no big Trailways bus parking lots, etc.
Yes, they did their traditional dances and songs, which are remarkably similar to what we've seen on other islands. More interesting though was that we were able to climb into their homes and see how they really live. The huts are multi-level. The first (very rickety) ladder takes you to the kitchen/eating area. Frankly, I was quite surprised that they cook inside, considering these huts are made of wood. In many of the villages we've visited in the past, in the South Pacific and in Indonesia, the cooking is done outside, often at a communal pit or structure. On the next level are the sleeping quarters, and, as you might imagine, very, very basic.
And, no 'traditional' village is complete without their array of products to sell: beaded necklaces and bracelets, tapestries, straw baskets, etc.' I was hoping to perhaps buy an ikat...a traditionally hand-woven, hand-dyed tapestry. My readings (from the Lonely Planet) had some good pointers as to how to differentiate the real deal from machine-made items. Armed with that info, I was ready. However, on the way to the Ikat hangings, my suspicions were raised. I'm always wary of authenticity when I see necklaces made out of the colored plastic beads we used to use when we were kids. So...ixnay on the ikat, as well.
No visit is complete without food, and we were treated to coffee and delicious fried bananas.
As an aside, travelers need to be cognizant of the culture vis-a-vis taking photography of locals. In many places, it is taboo. In others, guide books recommend asking permission, or actually giving some scheckels in exchange. Here, it is quite the opposite. You would expect photo ops in a tourist attraction like the village, but in the markets, in the streets, in fact, just about everywhere, people want their pictures taken and are happy to mug for the camera. With the display feature on digital cameras, it makes it even more fun. Showing them the photo elicits giggles and laughter from them and requests for more photos. And, why not. Cameras have the handy delete feature.