**

On Pasola day at dawn the crowd started to gather near a remote beach in West Sumba. My guide Iwan and I had driven for two hours from Waikabubak to what seemed to be the absolute middle of nowhere. As we travelled down the final dirt track, the incongruous sight of people appearing from everywhere greeted us.

The atmosphere was festive, but Pasola is obviously a major event of spiritual significance in the lives of the people. Men and women were dressed in their finest ikat, the exquisite woven fabric for which Sumba is famous. As the crowd grew, the Shaman continued his incantations. Pigs and a buffalo were sacrificed. The tension mounted as all present awaited the riders.

Suddenly the masses parted. Riders and horses dressed in traditional in battle regalia forced their way through the people to take up their positions at each end of the Pasola “arena”. The battle-ground was nothing more than a cleared field little bigger than a football pitch. The shaman and local dignitaries entered the field in procession, made their final intercessions and the war began.

As the conflict commenced, individual warriors rode their horses towards enemy “lines”. Some charges were feints designed to test the defences. Some were attempts to lure enemy riders out into a trap. Some charges were ignored. Others were met with a furious counterattack and a fusillade of spears.

The proficiency of the riders was wonderful to watch. Without stirrups, they controlled the horses with exceptional skill. Spears flew in all directions; most were skilfully evaded. Some riders were able to catch spears hurled at them in midair. From time to time a warrior in full flight was struck by a spear. He collapsed from his horse to the ground to the wild applause of the crowd. There was no armour or protection. Although some blood was shed by the riders, the fact that no-one was killed or maimed was miraculous.

The battle continued for several hours into the early afternoon. Tempers of the participants and crowd became frayed. From time to time, some violence on the battle ground would spill into the crowd, and sections joined the battle on foot. Fortunately, no more serious hostilities eventuated, although my guide made it very clear to me that things were capable of getting very ugly very quickly. If he gave the word, we were to leave the area immediately.

In mid afternoon, one side was proclaimed the victor, and the Pasola was over.

The whole event leaves one exhausted but exhilarated. It is very rare for such an event to live up to, and far exceed, one’s expectations.

Sumba is difficult to reach even within Indonesia. There are slow boat connections and irregular and limited flights. It has basic but comfortable accommodation. The hospitality of my guide and the staff of the Hotel Mananda in Waikabubak was delightful. Visiting the Pasola can be difficult because the exact dates are unknown until a few weeks beforehand. Despite the difficulties, Sumba is a truly unique destination.

Unless you have unlimited time, it is almost essential to have a local adventure travel guide make the necessary travel arrangements for access to Sumba and for transport on the island to the actual site of the Pasola. I arranged the transport, accommodation and a guide through Yoga and Jeffry at Adventure Indonesia in Jakarta or by email.

The Pasola is staged without any compromises for tourists. It is a truly unique Sumbanese event. Among the several thousand people watching were two Americans, two Slovenians and two solitary individuals – one from the Czech Republic and your intrepid author from Australia. We outsiders stood out somewhat!

Travel to and within Sumba will take many out of their comfort zones, culturally and otherwise. For those with a true spirit of adventure and a willingness to touch and see a truly primitive and beautiful place, the colour, the vibrant (almost violent) atmosphere, the ancient rituals and the wonderful Sumbanese people will make a trip to Sumba for the Pasola an unforgettable adventure.

© Campbell Bridge, 2004
 

About the Author A passion for photography has always happily co-existed with my desire to see and experience exotic cultures and some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. For over 30 years, my obsession for such adventures has taken me alpine climbing and more recently trekking in the Himalayas (in Nepal, Bhutan and India), the Karakorum and in New Zealand and the Andes. My desire to see and experience unusual cultures has taken me on numerous trips to India, Myanmar and the most remote regions of Bhutan, Indo China and Indonesia. My passion for the spectacular and exotic has drawn me to phenomenal landforms and cultural diversity of Indonesia where my travels in recent years have included South Sulawesi, Timor, Sumba, Bali and Java (including an ascent last year of Gunung Semeru in East Java). The extraordinary people and places I have seen compelled me to keep a photographic record. Over the years I have written for sporting magazines in my native Australia. My published photography includes sporting photography and cultural and travel photography, most recently in the Australian World Expeditions catalogue. When not occupied with travel and photography, I reside in Sydney with my wife and two sons where I am a lawyer by profession.

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