Monday, September 21, 2009

HORSEMEN FIGHTING TO DEATH


PASOLA is a name of war game championship played by 2 groups, riding running horse using spears as a weapon without holding a shield. The horses decorated colorfully and the men using traditional custom.
Both men and the horses are a brave one, took a trained by themselves before the event, since the spears may wound their enemies and some time injures to death.

The local Government allow this kind of dangerous game as a part of the old culture as a main reason and later utilized to attracted tourists to visit this island in order to get side income for the community.

Take a look at the photos, the spears may overshoot and wound crowded people who watcing the game close by inside the arena and without any appropriate fences.

MARAPU is a part of ritual traditional Sumbanese hores men to kill each others, shedding of blood, the lost of an eye and sometime until death.

Make sure your visit to Waingapu, West Sumba in February - March as Pasola held regularly
each year. You may buy direct tiket to Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, Bali or transfer flight in Sukarno Hatta Airport, Jakarta. and proceed your adventure vacation with local flight an hour or so to Waingapu, capital of west Sumba island as a part of East Nusatenggara province.

Many travel agents offer few days stay in this Sumba island, including visit a grave of the late Kings who buried in a special tomb design (photo). The stone of grave build outside the village then carried away  by relatives to the cemetry who locate far in another place in a special ceremony. 

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