Conference Trip to Timor; More Than Just A Trip For Work, Giving Unexpected Bonuses.

             It has been a while since the last time I shared my travel stories in this blog. The story to Todo village with Indonesian travelers in January 2022 was the last time I could put marks on this platform, if you wonder why, it is simply because my visit to Timor has come beyond my expectations.

    Traveling to Timor is not my first time, some of my friends thought it was my first time to Timor, even a close friend of mine, Maria from Poland who has been to Flores three times worried if it would be my first time to get on the plane, away from Ruteng. None said it right. I have been to Kupang in 2010 or 13 years ago when I was at the last year of my high school at SMK Sadar Wisata Ruteng for guiding contest towards all vocational high school students in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

    Maria’s worrying about me getting on the plane made sense. Even though it was not my first time but I could still count how many and nothing really changed me on how exciting to see the world from the sky but on contrary, the worst part is always on take-off and landing experience. It is just horrible. I felt like my breath was taken out completely. This got me wanting not to fly again hence, I tried to convince myself that apart from other means of transport, plane is considered as the safest vehicle to use.

    My trip to Kupang was actually for a work that I was delegated by DPC HPI Manggarai (Dewan Pimpinan Cabang Himpunan Pramuwisata Indonesia) or so called Regency Board of Indonesian Tourist Guide Association that hosted by Provincial Board or DPD (Dewan Pimpinan Daerah) located in Kupang as the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province. However, this trip has drawn me to get to know some nice places in and around Kupang that I could really admire. Those places will be mentioned below after I introduce you what our association is all about.

    The Indonesian Tourist Guide Association was established at the first National Conference in 1988 in Palembang as a single conference recognized by the government for individuals who have a profession as tour guides. National Board of HPI so called DPP (Dewan Pimpinan Pusat), Provincial Board is DPD (Dewan Pimpinan Daerah) and Regency Board for (Dewan Pimpinan Cabang). DPP HPI currently coordinates 34 provincial capitals, and has been established in 189 regencies in Indonesia with The number of registered members in the National HPI database is 12,279 people. The number of HPI DPC in East Nusa Tenggara Province is 15 DPC with 630 members (data shared by DPD HPI NTT).

The delegations from 9 DPC in East Nusa Tenggara Province

    HPI functions as a forum for tourist guides Indonesia in order to communicate and collaborate between tour guides, tour guide with the government, and other tourism associations in order to develop the tourism industry. HPI is a nonprofit, non-political association which groups together, based on the individuals’ interest and awareness as said on its mars that tour guide is a spearhead of tourism and a frontliner to show the beauty of Indonesia to entire world.

As for the conference in Kupang was intended to carry out every 5 years to vote for a new head of DPD, it has successfully won by Victor Pance, S.Pd who is a member of DPC HPI Manggarai Barat, west part of Flores. He is expected to lead for 5 years in the period of 2023-2028 after competing with the other Mr. Martinus Klau, S.Pd from Kupang and Mr. Agustinus Bataona, S.Fil from Maumere who is former head of DPD.

The conference was the main highlight of the trip but seeing something special from the capital is worth to add the value of the journey.

Baun Se’i Babi

            When we talk about Se’i, it almost refers to pork in East Nusa Tenggara. But actually Se’i or to smoke meat is not only for pork but also for any other meats like I have seen in the restaurant in Labuan Bajo that provides on their menu se’i sapi for a smoked beef. However, se’i in East Nusa Tenggara Province means se’i babi or smoked pork that was originally introduced in Timor Island. Since se’i babi is my favourite meat, I cannot put myself aside when the committee proposed us to see something around Kupang before the conference was started.

     

         One of the famous places and mentioned as the origin place of se’i babi is so called Baun, 28 km from Kupang or about an hour drive by car. In Baun, there is a man who invented se’i babi named Bai or well-known as Om Bai. Even though we could not meet him personally but his creatures were easily seen and tasted as we in a big group divided into 2 cars in a total of 16 people as member of conference could travel through time to get to know when se’i babi was firstly made and how the pork is processed till it is so called se’i babi.

Gina, a lady who works for Om Bai explained that Se’i babi was started in 1997 by Om Bai who was selling pork on the street carrying on his shoulder until one day he failed to find buyers and he decided to do se’i or a canning which is a process of food preservation through smoking. Since then, many liked Om Bai’s creations and it became so popular not only in Kupang but the whole province of East Nusa Tenggara that he finally opened a restaurant in his house called Se’i Babi Baun Om Bai.

Agus Bataona who is one of the elders in HPI explained more about how se’i babi is processed which is basically the pork is sliced is small pieces and then to be smoked on a high heat by using kesambi wood together with its leaves, Schleichera oleosa (latin) or gum-lac tree (in English) for firing.  “This smoking process was used as a canning method on pork”, he added.

He cannot deny the fact that Baun historically was a center of where se’i babi was originally being made for the first time until it became so popular in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Rumah Sasando

            After seeing and tasting se’i babi directly on its birthplace, me and the group whose members are representative from 9 DPC HPI  traveled back to Kupang to enjoy the atmosphere of the main provincial capital. One place we stopped by was Kantor Gubernur or Governor’s main office which architecture looks like sasando or a traditional musical instrument origin to Rote that has been so well-known not only in Indonesia but all around the world.

            Our time in Kantor Gubernur was short but it was enough to guide us to dig more about Sasando when we visited Rumah Sasando on the last day of the conference which was held within 3 days from September 7-9.  

        Rumah Sasando is located in Oebelo, East part of Kristal Hotel, a place where we stayed during our 3 day-stay in Kupang. It took us about 30 minutes drive through long flat road. In there, we were able to see where sasando or stringed musical instrument was crafted till it produces a melodious sound.

        We met John Pah (34) whose dad Yeremias August Pah was awarded as a maestro by Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism in 2007 for his extraordinary achievements and dedication in preserving and developing traditional arts.

John Pah playing sasandu with “Ti’ilangga”  on his head

            In this craftsman house that was built in 1970’s, John Pah explained that the original name of sasando is sasandu (Rote language) which means plucked produces a sound. He informed sasandu was invented in the beginning of 17^th century by two farmers, Linggulain and Baloman who spent their time farming in the rice field and they spent their break time by making stuff out of the shoots of palm till it produced melodious sound.

“For those who play sasandu, they must wear “Ti’ilangga” or traditional hat as the main outfit when playing this unique musical instrument” he added.

If Kupang was supposed to be just for work, I can’t thank enough to the committee for showing us more of the area that surely add the value of my second visit to Timor. The journey was  unplanned  but had come beyond my expectations.