It was one of my bucket list to do this whole trip, one of that was visiting Waerebo Village. Waerebo is a part of Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. In 2013, as written on their site, UNESCO Present the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award 2012 to Waerebo Village. The award was given as a recognition of the community to restore the village including the house where they live now called Mbaru Niang House. Nowadays, the material to build the house is very hard to find, such the material to make the cone roof (we heard this news even from our local guide). In Waerebo, they live by following their traditional way of living back then.
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Day 1
From Labuan Bajo, at 6 am in the morning on the fourth day, we were picked up by Pak Jonathan. from deChocolate Hostel, Labuan Bajo. We rent Pak Jonathan's car for our overland trip. We got his contact number from a blog travel which were given by one of my friend. When we contacted him to drive us to every corner of Flores, he said ok and we agreed on the price given. So that's how all the journey started. If you want to know his contact number, please let me know. Pak Jonathan is a kind, patient, and funny person. He also gave us trip tricks during our journey.
Anyway, during our overland trip we tried to follow our self made itinerary, enjoying the nature, the air and the culture. As I remember, we need about 12 hours to reach this first destination, Waerebo. We arrived at the car park about 2 pm then prepared stuff to take with us to the top. Then we had to reach the first posts as soon as possible. There are two ways to get to the first posts. Either you choose an ojek (motorcycle for 50k for each person) or you can walk on your feet (free). We chose to walk because we heard that it wasn't too far. At first we tried to walk, then after 10 minutes walking, we considered that the road is an uphill, no sloping road. lol. At the first 30 minutes, me and my travel mates already got so tired. O ya, actually we had a local guide when we climbed the Waerebo. We choose to have a local guide as we read from various sources, it was better to go with a local guide. Local guide here is a person who lived near Waerebo and accompany us during the journey to Waerebo and when we stayed there. Luckily we met another kind person. He used a motorcycle to get to the first post and tried to bring all our bags, then he came back for us and drive us one by one to the first post. Lucky us, the track to the first post was a little bit far from what we're imagined. At the first post, we tried to get some lunch and met a grandpa who rent us a wooden stick (10k only). The stick helped me so much to stick on the soil or rock during my tracking to Waerebo. This was my very first journey to climb that high, if I google it, the village is located at about 1200m above the sea level.
If you want to go there, please use clothes, shoes or sandals that make you comfortable for tracking. From the local guide we heard that two days before was raining so the road become a little bit slippery. We only brought the stuff for one night stay at Waerebo. In our way to Waerebo, we met so many locals and foreigners. It was a very great experience, sweating but happy, full of a nice smile, and encouraged each other not to give up. The weather was so good, the air was so refreshing, and the water was so clean, in the middle of our way we took the water from a fountain, so refreshing. The people who want to visit Waerebo was not only the young people, but also some oldies around fifty to sixty. And I think that was so great, at those age they wanted to do that experience. Big applause for them. They even told us not to loose to them after seeing our tired face.
After tracking for 4 hours, we arrived at the gate of Waerebo, but we can't go directly to the village as we arrived, we have to tell them first that we want to enter the village with a sign by hitting a bamboo for several times. From this site we already saw the beauty of Waerebo that made us so excited. After that, the local guide told us that we can enter the village and directly went to the main house (the house in the middle), the house in Waerebo called Mbaru Niang. We were welcomed by the elders and a translator that explained us about the house and the surrounding. When you entered this house you should give some money as a tribute for the village. Then we escorted to the house where we would slept that night. As all the house was full, we lived in the newest house that built by the local to anticipate the increasing of guest. I remember sleeping in my grandma house. You would get a bed, a thick blanket, welcome drink (coffee or tea), dinner and breakfast. You should pay around 325k for a night for each person (quiet pricey though). Oh ya prepare your weapon for the cold weather such as socks, a warm jacket and trousers.
The weather was so cold, but we challenged ourselves to take a bath at night to experience the real cold. And once again it made me remember my grandma place. At night that should be some shows, but when we were there, they just lost one of their family member not so long ago, so there wasn't any shows as their respect to the family.
One thing that I remembered the most at the first day we were there, the moment I met the kids in Waerebo. I asked for their names but they asked me for some chocolate or even asked money to buy candy/chocolate. When you didn't give them what they wanted, they would left you behind. The translator once told us not to give chocolate directly to the kids, then I knew why. So for us as traveler, let be a wise traveler. In facts it was bad for the kids.
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Day 2
We wait for the sunrise in the morning, but it was cloudy. Then we enjoyed the morning by walking, seeing the activity of the folks, sight seeing the surrounding (including the library, the grave, view from top), of course taking some pictures, talking with the visitor, and enjoy the breakfast. The food was good enough. We decided to go down before 10 am, so we can catch another destination.
Before we left Waerebo we gave some books and chocolate for the kids but not directly to the kids but to the people in charge. Then we bought some coffee, saying goodbye to the locals, and reluctantly had to leave Waerebo, while we want to stay longer.
So, lets travel more, wanderer
Adios,
Fitri
