Riung, Flores

Our stay in Maurole ended with a Gala dinner and a display of traditional dancing.  The dances were performed by a range of age groups but the little ones (four and five years old) were just too cute.  Even though, this time, it was all done to some rather monotonous canned music rather than the live hand-made instruments of previous occasions, it is always such a thrill to see the amount of effort that is put into these events for our benefit. 

We were presented with a gift of a hand woven scarf with the inevitable speeches but one really has to appreciate all that is done for a group of foreign visitors who are unlikely to ever visit these shores again.

I guess they live in hopes that we'll spread the word for future visitors to this fledgling tourist industry.

The following morning, we moved on to a quiet little bay with a gorgeous panorama of stark mountain views and found the first really decent spot to anchor in since arriving in Indonesia.  The snorkelling wasn't brilliant but the water was so warm and the air so hot that it was just a pleasure getting in there to stay coolish.

We stayed two nights before moving on to Riung, the next official stop in the program.  Here we've found some incredible homes on stilts.  I think the photos tell a thousand words.  And still, despite the precarious condition of most of them, there are an amazing number of satellite dishes to be found throughout.  

Some of the houses were better built and more traditional, primarily built of flattened bamboo.  However, not many looked as though they'd stand much in the way of a severe weather system or a tsunami. 

Plans are afoot for some tours to local villages as well as another gala dinner with traditional dancing but one never really knows what's going to happen and what's not.  We'll simply wait to see.

PHOTO ALBUM:

Still puffing away as we passed the volcano

& I'll huff & I'll puff & I'll blow your house down (I think the first huff will do it)

Hardly standing but there's the satellite dish!

Built a tad more solidly

Traditional style roof with bamboo walls

& for good measure........