My Journey: Isolated Tribe Mentawai #1

This morning, while I was feeding two little creature I adopted 2 days ago I thought something about myself, what if I was adopted by alien from different area. What would I feel, will I miss my home?, may be that is what my 2 little nestling thinking about after I saved them from the wild. I try to put myself back to few years ago, when I stayed far from my family, without proper electricity, no road access, no phone signal. It looks like more closer to my imagination kidnapped by alien. And here is my story 5 years ago. That was the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012.

From Sikakap To Padang

At the end of 2011, I had been on North Pagai Island for six months working as construction and procurement consultant for CDRM CDS HKBP Nommensen North Sumatera supporting GKPM (Protestant Christian Church in Mentawai. My friends and I planned to go somewhere around the Mentawai island to discover the beauty and heritage of Mentawai culture, we set our own missions to look closer of their education and life. At the evening we boarded on the public ferry to cross to Padang West Sumatera before we proceed to Muara Siberut Mentawai.

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This public ferry crossed us from Sikakap to Padang, the Ferry schedule is one a week from Padang to Sikakap and from Sikakap to Padang

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On 20th Dec 2011 we depart from Sikakap crossed the part of Pacific Ocean by Ferry to Padang, it took about 14 hours. We spent over night on the Ferry. The ferry from Sikakap was only once a week which was on Thursday. Thursday evening from Sikakap and we arrived Friday morning, we took half day to rest and prepare our luggage in Padang.

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Jonathan from America, Tata from Padang, and Yanti, my partner working with CDRM, one more friend of mine wasn't on the frame

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Muara Siberut

At the afternoon we boarded on the same ferry again and heading to Muara Siberut. We finally arrived at our local friend house the next day about 11 am. We planned to stay 1 night in Muara Siberut to take some rest after long trip from Sikakap. Muara siberut is located up North from Padang main land, it takes 9-10 hours by public ferry from Padang. At the afternoon we rent 3 motorbike to visit Muara siberut beach and look around while we have one day at Muara Siberut. Muara Siberut is the largest market place on the whole island. Mentawai is the biggest island among all the island in the territory.

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Muara Siberut Sea Port, while we are waiting our transport to meet our guide at our local friend house. It was so many passengers were waiting to go to another Island with smaller wooden boat

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At our local friend's house, we met our Guide and discussed a few things for the day after. We need to finalize the transportation and it price and also many other things

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The beautiful beach and calm place around Muara Siberut

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Journey to most Isolated place of the Island

The day after we departed from Muara Siberut to our final destination which is East Siberut with our guide, he to took us to the isolated area by small boat call Pompong. There was no direct land access to our final destination, so we went through main river as a shortcut. It took us about 3 hours before we reach the final spot which was accessible by Pompong. Since we leaved Muara Siberut we left our mobile phone at our friend’s house together with other unnecessary staffs, because the area that we were going to go through would have no signal coverage at all

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Our canoe is ready to bring us sail along the main river for 3 hours

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From my canoe we can see another pompong sailing and my friend were on that canoe, we wore no life jacket or anythings else

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We finally arrived at landing point, the final spot which was able to be reached by small canoe. From this point we will walk through till the end of the road.

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We were ready to berthed at the small jetty for canoe, our guide and also our captain, giving instruction while he is standing on the boat

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At the landing spot we walk with our carrier on our shoulder and met a friend of our guide, we were warmly welcoming by his friend. We were offered lunch too.

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At our guide's friend house, Karen Lyn Alford (American), Chief of Village and at the right is his son, we spent about 1 hour there before we continue our trip

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Walking Time

After lunch time we walk again throughout the small concrete cement path for another 5 hours. I carried most of food and logistics for our need, it was heavy. We could not walk to fast, because of our luggage was heavy with our need for another 8 days on the Island.

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We regularly take some rest at any possible spot, it is to maintain stability of our endurance, because it is long trip walking

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At the afternoon we stopped at one of our guide’s relative to stay overnight and recover our energy for the next day adventure. That was local wooden house with complete kitchen set to cook our food. I was the one who had the responsibility to cook to all of our crew. I brought the foods for 8 days expedition. That night I cooked potato with egg, and everybody happy to have it for our dinner.

Beautiful Waterfall

The next morning I have to cook for whole family member, there were 11 including our adventure crew. The family provided me with rice and instant noodle, and I cooked it easily. Before we proceed to next step to our final destination, we decided to visit the water fall close to our home stay. The place is close enough to the main road, just about 150 miters. It was so beautiful and clean area. The water fall is not really famous, but It was completely amazing scenery with the small river and crystal clear water.

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The waterfall is about 25 miters tall, and green forest still cover the area

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We spent about 2 hours at the waterfall, taking some photos and making coffee, before we return back to our home stay and prepare our gear. An hour later we continue our journey to the end of the cement concrete road. We walk about 5 hours with little rest on the road to eat something. Finally at the evening we arrived to our destination point. We were welcoming by the chief of the tribe. At time we arrived they were celebrating Christmas with whole family invited, and we were invited too. We put our carrier and joining them on celebration. We were served with tea and some traditional liqueur.

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We had dinner together with the chief of village

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We are at the Christmas Celebration Party. They are performing many kinds of dance

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We were finally suggested to stay at their “Uma” (communal house of the tribe). That night I did not have to prepare for dinner. We set our sleeping mattress on the floor, because the house has no room, only main room and kitchen separated by wood skin wall. The wall itself is very interesting, because it wasn’t made from wood plank, but from the outer skin of special big trunk. It went through specific process to be stretched and become large thick sheet for wall. We got rest with their well trained dog and the rest of their family. We were very tired, we had been walking for 2 days to be at this place. It did not take long time fall sleep, we still need more energy for another 8 days before we arrive home.

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This is the house "Uma" we stayed for few days before we continue our trip, the photo was taken the next morning we arrived