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| Gorgeous Tarimbang Bay |
To travel to Sumba is to travel slow, but I much prefer this mode than the bustle of Bali. Even the hassle of getting to the Bali airport was enough to tear my hair out, so the quiet and rural Tarimbang Bay is a breath of fresh air.
My flight was delayed in Bali, so I took a deep breath and just tried to bear the anticipation of Nusa Tengara. Sumba is surprisingly unknown compared to the other islands on the Nusa Tengara chain. I guess it’s that way for a reason, as the accommodations and facilities here are not much to be excited about.
I was greeted at the airport by the owner of the Tarimbang homestay, Marthen. We spent an hour or so doing some much-needed shopping and the like before heading south. The first half of the journey from Waingapu to Tarimbang was quite beautiful and scenic. The whole island is covered with rolling green hills, starkly drier than the lush green of Bali, but pretty in its own way. The second half of the road was quite bumpy and almost reminded me of my travels in Myanmar, taking a 15 hour bus ride on a road that, if paved, would only take 2-3 hours.
The whole journey took just 3 hours by car. I’ve heard it takes twice that long by bus, but it’s also 10 times cheaper. I was pleasantly greeted by Marthen’s family, who showed me to my bungalow – a cute pink bamboo thatched hut with a table and chairs on the patio and a twin mattress with a mosquito net inside. Despite the sparse furnishing, I’m finding my little hut quite comfortable.
“Next door” dwells a South African hotelier named Rod and to my other side are Kay (Australian woman), Peter and Kate (Czech couple), and Tom (Kiwi). Everyone here is very friendly and accommodating – and all of them surf. We had a big dinner in the dining hall, and then prepared for “lights out” at 9 p.m. (when the generator shuts down).
It was difficult getting settled at first, as the generator had drowned out the night noises of geckos, dogs, pigs, chickens, horses and distant motorbikes. I thought I could hear the ocean as well. I finally did go to sleep and was awakened by Rod and Kate preparing for a morning surf at 5:30 a.m. I too readied for my first taste of Tarimbang surf and paddled out to the break by 6:30. It was quite a long paddle. According to the crew (who were all already out at the break), today was the smallest day this week. I wasn’t too upset by that news, though, and caught some pretty decent waves.
My flight was delayed in Bali, so I took a deep breath and just tried to bear the anticipation of Nusa Tengara. Sumba is surprisingly unknown compared to the other islands on the Nusa Tengara chain. I guess it’s that way for a reason, as the accommodations and facilities here are not much to be excited about.
I was greeted at the airport by the owner of the Tarimbang homestay, Marthen. We spent an hour or so doing some much-needed shopping and the like before heading south. The first half of the journey from Waingapu to Tarimbang was quite beautiful and scenic. The whole island is covered with rolling green hills, starkly drier than the lush green of Bali, but pretty in its own way. The second half of the road was quite bumpy and almost reminded me of my travels in Myanmar, taking a 15 hour bus ride on a road that, if paved, would only take 2-3 hours.
The whole journey took just 3 hours by car. I’ve heard it takes twice that long by bus, but it’s also 10 times cheaper. I was pleasantly greeted by Marthen’s family, who showed me to my bungalow – a cute pink bamboo thatched hut with a table and chairs on the patio and a twin mattress with a mosquito net inside. Despite the sparse furnishing, I’m finding my little hut quite comfortable.
“Next door” dwells a South African hotelier named Rod and to my other side are Kay (Australian woman), Peter and Kate (Czech couple), and Tom (Kiwi). Everyone here is very friendly and accommodating – and all of them surf. We had a big dinner in the dining hall, and then prepared for “lights out” at 9 p.m. (when the generator shuts down).
It was difficult getting settled at first, as the generator had drowned out the night noises of geckos, dogs, pigs, chickens, horses and distant motorbikes. I thought I could hear the ocean as well. I finally did go to sleep and was awakened by Rod and Kate preparing for a morning surf at 5:30 a.m. I too readied for my first taste of Tarimbang surf and paddled out to the break by 6:30. It was quite a long paddle. According to the crew (who were all already out at the break), today was the smallest day this week. I wasn’t too upset by that news, though, and caught some pretty decent waves.
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| The waves at Tarimbang |
We had breakfast (a big banana pancake) when we returned to Marthen’s. I fixed some of the holes in my mosquito net and before I knew it, it was time for lunch! It was an enormous lunch, so after reading just a few pages of my book I snoozed for a bit. It just rained, so I’m thinking it might be worth walking down to the bay to hop in for a surf or a paddle, depending on the size.
Tomorrow, I have every intention of writing more meaningful things, but I figured I would take my first day in Tarimbang and relax. More later!
-- ONE WEEK LATER --
It’s now been a week since I arrived in Tarimbang. Since my arrival only 5 other guests arrived: a Frenchman named Bernard, a Belgian named Celine, British guy Daniel, and Aussie/French couple Mark and Laure. Everyone has left camp, and now there are just two of us: Kay and me. Turns out Kay is a very cool 50-year-old surfer chick. I’ve enjoyed sharing the wave with her and we’ve slowly gotten to know each other – enough that we will be traveling to West Sumba together tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I have every intention of writing more meaningful things, but I figured I would take my first day in Tarimbang and relax. More later!
-- ONE WEEK LATER --
It’s now been a week since I arrived in Tarimbang. Since my arrival only 5 other guests arrived: a Frenchman named Bernard, a Belgian named Celine, British guy Daniel, and Aussie/French couple Mark and Laure. Everyone has left camp, and now there are just two of us: Kay and me. Turns out Kay is a very cool 50-year-old surfer chick. I’ve enjoyed sharing the wave with her and we’ve slowly gotten to know each other – enough that we will be traveling to West Sumba together tomorrow.
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| The food is very decent |
Life in Tarimbang is slow but nice. All my mornings have been spent surfing. Then breakfast quickly followed by lunch. The afternoon is spent at the beach. The wind here in Tarimbang is onshore from 10 a.m. on, so my afternoons are usually made up of walking, swimming, snorkeling, reading or napping. One unfortunate thing about all of Indo right now is the heat. By noon the day is sweltering hot – to the point where you’re sweating just sitting still – and there are mini-mosquitoes buzzing in your ear. It’s not very fun during the day, so I’ve made a habit of hitting the beach soon after lunch to catch the onshore breeze and hop in the water. The only problem with this routine, however, is that there isn’t really a good time to do work/typing because it’s too hot, and I have to take two showers. My hair is a matted mess at this point – there’s very little hope due to sun and saltwater damage. I have, however, managed to stay out of the sun enough to avoid a sunburn.
I can’t say I’ve had the greatest luck avoiding mosquitoes, though, but I’m still feeling healthy enough that I haven’t yet taken any anti-malarial meds. I consulted Jason after purchasing 20 tablets of Fansidar only to learn that it has given many people a very severe skin rash and is no longer advised as an anti-malarial medication. After talking to people at the camp, though, the best prevention is long clothes and DEET, which I’ve been pretty good about, but still managed to get at least 5 bites a day. : ( We’ll keep an eye on my health.
So, it’s farewell to Marten’s Homestay tomorrow, after a final morning surf,. The waves consistently declined through the week until this morning, which had some fun-sized high-tide surf. Tomorrow, if the wind lets off, the waves should be good! Depending on the swell, Kay and I will either stay in Waikabubak (if there aren’t waves) or in Pero (western coast) tomorrow. We have every intention of surfing another week or so before making our way back to Bali. Coincidentally, we both fly out of Bali on October 16.
I can’t say I’ve had the greatest luck avoiding mosquitoes, though, but I’m still feeling healthy enough that I haven’t yet taken any anti-malarial meds. I consulted Jason after purchasing 20 tablets of Fansidar only to learn that it has given many people a very severe skin rash and is no longer advised as an anti-malarial medication. After talking to people at the camp, though, the best prevention is long clothes and DEET, which I’ve been pretty good about, but still managed to get at least 5 bites a day. : ( We’ll keep an eye on my health.
So, it’s farewell to Marten’s Homestay tomorrow, after a final morning surf,. The waves consistently declined through the week until this morning, which had some fun-sized high-tide surf. Tomorrow, if the wind lets off, the waves should be good! Depending on the swell, Kay and I will either stay in Waikabubak (if there aren’t waves) or in Pero (western coast) tomorrow. We have every intention of surfing another week or so before making our way back to Bali. Coincidentally, we both fly out of Bali on October 16.
Source : blog.brendayun.com
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