Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2019 | Page 100

98
Travel | Alor
1
Dressed in traditional ikat headdress and sash,
the Abui chief locks eyes with his opponent, bracing
for combat.
Drawing their swords, ancient metal flashes
as the blades are removed from ornately
carved wooden scabbards. The weapons slice
through the humid morning air; the warriors
demonstrate their fighting technique, passed
down across the centuries in this remote
corner of the Lesser Sunda Islands.
The men spar for a few minutes, swords
clanging with the impact of each attack
and defence. In the end, their faces break
into smiles, laughing with each other to
break the tension from just moments
before. And though the battle is just
a demonstration, it’s easy to imagine
the fierceness and fighting skills of the
warriors who were the grandfathers
and great-grandfathers of these men.
We’re exploring the islands east of
Flores during a 12-day cruise aboard
a 40m traditionally built phinisi boat
known for its spacious liveaboard facilities
and its exploration of Indonesia’s exotic
beauty. My friend Corey and I have been
waking up to an eye-popping panorama
every morning for the past seven days, and
on Day Eight we’ve arrived just outside
Kalabahi, the capital of Alor.
We’ve spent an unforgettable morning
with the Abui people, beginning with
a traditional dance performance led by the
group’s matriarchs. The women begin with
a slow, shuffling cadence, their handmade
anklets clanging to keep time with the
rhythm, the ebony-coloured soil polished
to a glassy sheen by their footsteps.
Towards the end of the dance, the
performers invite us to join them.
We scramble to follow the intricate
The sun sets over Alor for the crew and passengers
aboard the Seven Seas phinisi boat.
Corey Ridings checks out the fiery local peppers at the
Kalabahi market in Alor.