Journey to Poco Leok

The maniac’s machete gleamed in the moonlight as he ran slashing madly from house to house through the village, his terrifying screams resounding through the lanes. Panicked villagers fled wildly as his manic screams never stopped, until finally the cool hand of my roommate slowly shook me out of my nightmare as he passed by my bed.

I was woken earlier than usual from my deep sleep, a very satisfying one which was unusual while I was away from home, but fractured by a combination of dreams connected to facts. The screams in my dreams actually came from neighbours drinking “sopi” (a local alcoholic drink) from their “Penti” thanksgiving ceremony. I also slowly realized I wasn’t at home, but in the house of Pastor Ino Sutam.

I needed a warm drink when I woke up. I made sure I had my sarong with me as I threaded my way quietly through those still sleeping on the floor nearby, as the morning was cold in this mountain village of Tere, our last stop before trekking to Golo Mompong. I was with a group of friends and Tour Guide Association of Manggarai exploring the area with hopes of adding it to the other fascinations of the beautiful island of Flores.

It turned out that the door was not closed, I thought there must be someone who woke up earlier than me. I started checking, my companions were still snoring, I looked around but there was no one missing. I calmed down and sat on a chair. My nightmares still resonating in my mind, I was afraid that someone has visited the house without anyone knowing. Right after I thought this, I was relieved when I saw Pastor Ino appeared through the door. He has awaked around 5 am, 30 minutes before me. Phew.

He showed me where to get my coffee, where the toilet was, and directed me to the viewpoint to see the surrounding landscape.

I took out my phone and walked to the viewpoint with a cup of coffee in my hand. Just a minute later, I could now overlook the village that I could not see the day before because my friends and I arrived after dark.

The day before we arrived in Tere, the weather in our home town of Ruteng was quite bad, heavy hail, lightning and strong winds. Many trees fell. I was worried that it would happen in Tere and its surroundings, wrecking our plans, because it is very mountainous but until the end of the day, luckily it didn't rain.

Tere is a small village located on a hill, with a population of some 300 people in the Poco Leok area south of Ruteng. At an altitude of 800 m above sea level, most people depend on farming and raising livestock. To get there from Ruteng, it will take about an hour, driving past the mountain of Golo Lusang, well known as the home of many of the endemic birds in Flores. The road has been paved most of the way but for the last 30 minutes before you arrive, the road is so very narrow and steep that you need to drive slowly.

Tere Village

While enjoying the coffee from viewpoint, I saw several people walking with machetes on their belts to get to the fields where their cows were tied to be moved to a more grassy area. I heard some people singing from several houses where they arranged their thanksgiving, smoke appeared through the bamboo roofed kitchen, light slowly emerged through the ridge hills, I was preparing with my phone to capture the moment.

My friend Filan has awaked, he came with his sarong too. His eyes looked so reddish, he didn't want to miss the morning feeling in the village that he too was visiting for the first time. He took some pictures and pointed out to me mountain where we would hike after receiving information from Pastor Ino.

The mountain looked so pretty, there are still so many trees growing, I just couldn’t wait to hike. I finally understood why we didn’t have to leave early in the morning because the track is so surrounded by trees that you would never get heated by the sun.

Pastor Ino called us to come, he and his family had prepared breakfast. My travel mates Ino and Leo had awakened. With tumblers on their hands, they enjoyed their drinks while seated with Pastor Ino. They have waited us for breakfast. The table was full with dishes. Our breakfast was rice, cassava leaves mixed with pork, carrot with broccoli, pork with soy sauce, black coffee, and banana for the dessert. “What a delicious breakfast!” my friend Ino expressed. Pastor Ino joked that we were lucky enough to visit the village when there was still “Penti” the thanksgiving ceremony, with lots of sacrifice. However, we had reason to eat heartily because we would have big task ahead.

While having breakfast, Pastor Ino explained the highlights of the tour we would do. He said that it would take 5 minutes with the car to the starting point and from there, there will be another one and a half hours to trek to the point that he called as a heritage old village belonging to Poco Leok. He added that he used to walk on the path on foot to reach his school building when he was a kid. Besides school, the track is used to connect the village to Ulumbu Geothermal which is only about 30 minutes from Tere.

Right after we finished breakfast, another guiding team, Tanti and Ime arrived. They looked so ready to go. Leo, who was our coordinator, began to give us some brief instructions before leaving. He reminded us to count the time we would spend by using a timer, and reminded us why should have trekking shoes on. “If you trek in the hot temperature area, you must wear shoes not sandals because even if the track is easy and it is uncomfortable for the feet, there are lot of poisonous animals like snakes, scorpions, and centipedes that can bite you. When you trek in the higher elevated areas, you don’t have to worry about those poisoned animals, but you just need to be careful with some thorny plants that can hurt you anytime”.

Pastor Ino turned to lead us in a prayer. He thanked God for the health, for the beautiful earth, sky, mountain, water, and air that God has created. As we would experience the God’s creatures, he hoped God protect the activities we would do, especially to be blessed for the trekking to Golo Mompong.

The prayer was over. When we were all ready, Pastor Ino asked us for some help to carry a box of rice, water, and a chicken for sacrifice.

The guiding team consisting of 6 members, all of us here to look for tourism potential in Poco Leok, sat in the car accompanied by Bapa David and Pastor Ino as local tour guide and community figure. After only 5 minutes drive, we were at the starting point of our journey. The road conditions were very hilly but in good condition.

Some passers-by approached us, wondering what we wanted to do and Pastor Ino explained “They are people from Ruteng who work in tourism as tour operators and tour guides. They come to survey the potentials of tourism in Poco Leok in hope that in the future there will be tourists who extend their length of stay during their visit in Flores”. They looked so enthusiastic and supportive in response, saying “take care”.

Just minutes from the starting point, we were greeted by a viewpoint. Pastor Ino began to point out villages and shared a little story about the meaning of Poco Leok. "Poco means mountain and “Leok means surrounding", so Poco Leok means surrounded by mountains. He also said that if there are about 14 villages and each of them has their own ”Mbaru Gendang” or main traditional house and all of the area is referred to "Poco Leok" and those villages surrounded by mountains.

Pastor Ino explained very enthusiastically anything we saw along the way, adding the story of his and his people’s way of life in Poco Leok. He often had to explain in Manggarai language the plants that we even did not understand, only Leo who understood so well due to his special interest in plants and animals. No wonder during the walk, they spent most of the time together and left us behind with Ino as the video maker, Filan with a sigren of water on his hand, Ibe who suffered a lot from leeches that sucked her blood, Tanti who cried to Ino to be shot on his phone, and I who carried my box of rice.

The track was small, only about 30cm in width in most places, and yet is the access for farmer to get to their lands, Pastor Ino told Filan when he commented on it. “This road has been used for years by the villagers. Besides it being the access to their cultivations, the road is also by the villagers to get to Ulumbu hot spring that is currently using for geothermal power and to go to South sea”, “It was just 12 years ago the road was constructed. So, before that, the only way villagers could do was just walk on foot through the jungle”, Pastor Ino explained while pointing out the track. “It is so near then, better walk than going on the car”, Filan responded.

After 30 minutes walk, we saw two kids carrying firewood and a guy with a bottle of arak. This guy who I saw in the morning with the machete on his belt was coming back home to bring “Tuak Bakok” or white fermented arak. He had to stop when looking at Pastor Ino. He greeted us in a very friendly way, just like most Flores people do, but this time I felt special as he offered us his “Tuak Bakok” to taste. When pastor Ino asked him if we could have it, he gave it all without hesitation but not before he drank one full glass.

For people in Poco Leok, “Tuak Bakok” is a welcome drink for guests who visit their village. As we experienced a day we arrived, the house owner welcomed us with a boiled banana, boiled cassava roots, and ”Tuak Bakok” as a drink. ”Tuak Bakok” is made from sap from a palm tree that commonly grows in the forest of Poco Leok. It can just be fermented naturally without adding anything to be drinkable but if you want to make it stronger like “sopi”, it is distilled. According to Pastor Ino, “Tuak Bakok” in Poco Leok is different from other places. If in another place you only could produce 10-15 liters of “Tuak Bakok”, you will have 25-30 liters of “Tuak Bakok” from Poco Leok”, he claimed. “It is because of the elevation, the higher the more.”

After an hour of walking, we arrived at the track which is a cliff on both sides, we can see from the viewpoint of the village in the valley in the east, it looks very beautiful coupled with plantations and coconut growing surprisingly there. Leo called us to approach him immediately because he felt a strange temperature. After experiencing cold and humid temperatures in the middle of the rainforest we experienced warm temperatures. Bapa David who was still holding the chicken for sacrifice explained; "There are hot springs down there, here we have found some hot springs, but the Ulumbu hot springs in the West are the hottest that no one can swim". "No wonder we smelled sulfur while walking, there must be hot springs near the area," Ino responded.

Bapa David told us we were about to arrive. I decided to walk closer to Pastor Ino as I still had my phone recording in order not to miss any information.

A big flat rock was seen already. Bapa David took an egg he has brought, Leo took out a cigarette to give to Bapa David for an offering, Pastor Ino looked for the betel leaves he has brought, while Ino started to take video with his phone, and we were all seated to witness the offering from Bapa David.

Bapa David began to worship. He mentioned all the spirits who guard the mountain in order to welcome us without anyone getting hurt.  He also explained to the spirits that we were people working in tourism, come to see the area in order that in the future we will bring good things to the people of Poco Leok. He hoped that by this offering, we were all permitted to enter the old village.

After the ritual, Pastor Ino who apart from his village duties, also works as the chief of the culture and tourism commission of Ruteng’s Bishopric, explained why we had to do the ritual. He said that the ritual is called as a permission ritual which is aimed to pay respect to all the creatures especially “empo ata pang be le” or the people who have passed away. He also said that by doing so, the spirits will recognize who the people are without asking who you are that cause to sickness. As he further explained that In Manggarai if the spirits pointing at you to ask about who you are, it will be a bad gesture that cause to someone’s sickness.

As we walked slowly to the old village, the situation became completely different. The land was flat, the plantations were different from we had seen.  Rocks seen stuck on the ground, Pastor Ino explained, they were gravestones. About 20 meters away, we could see a pile of rocks known as “Compang”, an altar where people used to deliver their offerings, and bizarrely two ancient iron cannons.

We had all arrived safely after a challenging journey. There was few points where we’d had to be very careful because the track was not often used. We had to contort when walking under tree roots, passing through a small pond where wild boar might be  swimming, navigate between some thorny plants, and some steep inclines that stretched your energy. But all paid off when arrived at the peak, spiced with the fact that Bapa David looked ready to sacrifice the chicken. Some new meat was underway.

It seemed hard to believe that people lived in such a pure jungle some years ago. It was even more mystical once we reached the altar. There was the grave of a “Dalu” or a king of Poco Leok named Antonius Laro Janggor who died in 1946, a year after Indonesia was independent.

Pastor Ino said he visited the old village every year for prayers and offerings to the spirits as the king was his relative. This time, due to Penti thanksgiving ceremony, Pastor Ino and Bapa David brought with them chicken and rice so that they could do the “teing hang” ritual or to a ritual to feed the spirits who belonged to their relatives.

My companion Filan asked if we had to do the same when we come with tourists. “No, It is only required for a special purpose. However, when coming with tourists, you will need to do the permission ritual in order to be safe and comfortable”, Pastor Ino answered.

Pastor Ino dressed up, he had prepared his traditional outfit, a red sarong commonly called as ”towe Todo”, a white shirt, and traditional hat on his head. Bapa David sat near the head of the grave with the chicken on his head, as he began to worship to invite all the spirits to get involved in the ritual as part of “Penti” thanksgiving ceremony.

The chicken was sacrificed, arak poured as a beverage, and a cigarette put on the altar made of pile of rock that looked very old with some moss growing on their surfaces.  We all ate the remaining of the sacrificed chicken after the ritual was completely done.

Bapa David sacrificed chicken for the spirits.

Pastor Ino began to share the story of Poco Leok after we enjoyed our meal, regaining our strength from the day’s ordeal. The Pastor lounged against a tree upwind of the smoke from the fire where the chicken was grilled. He explained that the villagers of Poco Leok that currently exist down the valley were originally from Golo Mompong. Their ancestor was a man originally from Demak, Central Jawa, Indonesia who traveled to Flores long time ago. His name was Mahmu.

When he passed away he was replaced by Kode Rae who was very popular in his prime time. He left the village and passed away in Wae Mokel village, the border of Manggarai regency and Bajawa regency.

In 1931, Antonius Lako Janggor rebuilt the village, and he was noted as the last “Dalu” who lived in Golo Mompong”. Golo Mompong was the first village that pioneered to 6 main villages belonged to Poco Leok.

Pastor Ino said Golo Mompong was left by the inhabitants when there was war in Kode Rae’s era.

Pastor Ino also explained about where the cannons were originally from. He said that the cannons were brought from Golo  Rampas Lawa, on the South part of the old village, Golo Mompong. “It is a rough information about the quantity of the cannons, some said there were four and five, but there left only two cannons because Dutch colony have taken it away”.

An old villager of Poco Leok whose name not to be mentioned claimed that the iron cannons were brought by Dutch Colony as their support to Poco Leok when there was a war between kingdoms in Manggarai.

Leonardus Nyoman, who worked years as tour guide and tour operator shared his thoughts after listening to Pastor Ino’s explanation. ”For tourists, to come here is more than just a historical site”. For those who like flora, they should come here as well because there are many different types of plantations, and for bird watching activities, this is also a good place as he saw the nest of mountain wide eye and heard some different birds singing.

Leornardus Nyoman explained that for birds living around Coffee garden and yard, there lived Chestnut-backed Thrush, Black-naped Monarch, Wallacean Drongo, Helmeted Friarbird, Tenggara Paradise Flycacther, Elegant Pitta, Green Junglefowl, Moluccan Scops-owl. And those living in and around rainforest, there lived Bare-throated Whistler, Flores Scops-owl, White-rumped Kingfisher, Flores Hawk-eagle, Black-backed Fruitdove. And another endemic animal is Flores Giant Rat (Papagomys armandvillei).

Ino Jemadu, a tour guide and journalist, shared his thoughts about the experience to trek to Golo Mompong. He said that the place is very recommendable for those who like trekking. The track was not that hard but also not that easy. Anyone with reasonable fitness could make it. Besides enjoying the natural beauty, the travelers will also learn about the history of the villagers who lived here in the past. 

left to right: Ino, Filan, Tanti, Bapa David, Irwan, Ibe, Pastor Ino, and Leo.

Tanti, who has sixth sense, now spoke out about what we couldn’t see but she claimed she did. She saw a very old lady with a stick, struggling to move her legs, whispering in her ear to ask to be mentioned and prayed for, saw many children were still playing, and an old man who was seated next to Filan. When she said this, Filan was very shocked and jumped up to stand near Pastor Ino. He looked so afraid but eventually relaxed when Tanti said she was joking.

Tanti said if the spirits would not hurt anyone as long as we did not take anything out from that village.

She also said “the spirits are still alive in different world apart from us, as human beings we need to pray for them so that they will rest in peace”.