During my days in Alor with the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia, I had the pleasure of visiting the traditional village of Takapala, located 13 kilometers from Kalabahi, the main city of Alor Island.
The village consists of 12 traditional houses made of bamboo and covered with coconut leaves.
Photo by Jackson Groves
In Takapala, lives the Abui tribe, the largest ethnic group of Alor Regency. Here they remain faithful to their culture and traditions.
Photo by Jackson Groves
Upon my arrival the locals welcomed us by performing their traditional dance called Lego-Lego to the sound of Moko drums. Lego-Lego is the dance used by Alors to mark important events (marriages, deaths, wars, harvests, etc.). Nowadays they continue to use their traditional dance at such events, but they also use it to welcome tourists.
They dance barefoot and hug each other in a circle, moving to the right in a synchronised way to the sound of the drums.
After finishing their dance they asked us to join them, so without thinking twice, we slip into their arms and try to learn their movements. It was fun!
The locals were super nice to us; they were delighted to show us their village, shared their traditions and took photos with us.
Photo by Pinneng
Before we left, we went to see their little stands with handmade jewelry and souvenirs. I bought a very nice bracelet.
What I liked the most were the children, their smiles and their innocence.
Photo by Pinneng
It’s so inspiring to see how incredibly happy these people are with a simple and austere lifestyle. They own almost nothing and share everything they have.
We should learn from them.
Love and gratitude
♥♥♥