some pictures from the last leg of our trip…
There was a human skull on the flat stone near the northern beach of Kepa Kecil, but that tourist took it as a souvenir. That was about 15 years ago. Fifty years old locals still remember those times when fellows villagers were fighting the other village on the hill. Headhunting, very different meaning those times, with some similarities with the actual term in human resources though, was still a practice in 1970. I’m not so sure if they really stop it, since the forests in east Alor are still under a shade of mystic.

Different souvenirs can be taken today. Ready to receive their visitors, the traditional villages near Kalabahi still have their charm. For a hand full of betel nuts, you can buy them for about 25 us cents in the local market, the villagers will happily show you the secrets of the village. House of spirits, bronze drums and all souvenirs they manufacture…souvenirs very different than the one taken from Kepa 15 years ago.

Even just a bit longer then 100 kilometer, Alor looks like a place still to discover. 54 languages are spoken on the island and people from Kalabahi still have their mystic beliefs about the people from south and east. The ones in south are blamed for black magic practice, while the one in east are some kind of flying guys, flying guys can’t be good guys. I presume the flying behavior is because the tree houses they have, from where they maybe fall from time to time. What is sure is that Alor people still hunt with bows and arrows and, after the hunt, they put their prey on motorbikes and drive back home.

We arrived there not for the villages, no time for the far east. Alor and Lembata is practically the last place to visit. From here it is just about closing the loop on our way home :(. We are here for the, suppose to be, one of the finest diving and snorkeling place around. So after some short visits to south and north, we moved on Little Kepa island.
There is a wonderful world down there. I promised myself every time, I will not leave home without an underwater camera again. From hundred of dolphins that join the diving boat, to the extraterrestrial shapes of frog fishes and nudibranchs….everything is just amazing. But those pictures, maybe next time.

The ferryboat takes us to Lewoleba, from where is a short bumpy three hour ride to Lamalera. Where dolphins and their big brothers, whales, are seen from a different angle than we use to.