Saturday, November 2, 2019

KETEWE - SUMBA - 'SURF, HIKING, EXPLORING' - 12 TO 21 OCTOBER 2019


KETEWE




COSTS

Car – Tambolaka to Ketewe – 600 000r
Stay - Sunset Sumba Homestay – 400 000R including 3 meals
Flight – Bali Tambolaka Sumba return – 3 063 929r including 15kg for baggage. Add  200 000 per surfboard each leg.
Car – Ketewe to Wanukaka 400 000r
Motorbike - with board racks 100 000r per day


THE ARRIVAL

The flight from Bali was on a Wings propeller plane. No problems.

At Tambolaka airport in Sumba, I was greeted by Petho, the owner of my homestay. The ride was great – passing through villages, towns, kids leaving school and food markets.




We stopped for fruit supplies and later at a nice restaurant in Waikabubak.

The roads were good until the last stage before Ketewe. Finally, we pulled into the homestay and I settled into my room.

The view was awesome. You could see the full expanse of the bay and the waves on the reefs of Ketewe. Nice!


12 OCTOBER

The surf was small and sectioning. Didn’t bother for a surf.



I had a late afternoon hike down to and along the beach. From there, I walked through the water around the point and traversed another beach. I followed another track that lead to a small beach.  I chatted to a few kids then climbed the headland. I could see Morosi from this location.






I backtracked sort of but via the hills and cliffs rather than the beaches.



13 OCTOBER 

An awesome sunrise.




The surf was still small. I tried to organise a motorbike but no luck. But it would be ready tomorrow.
I hiked along the beach and river.






Later, I had another hike to the small rock islands which were accessible at low tide. I climbed and circumnavigated them. I continued on to the top of headland and watched some surfing in ordinary waves.






14 OCTOBER






The motorbike had arrived but we had a lot of difficulty starting it. There was a lot of confusion and finally I decided to go for a surf and sort it out later. I got ready and was just leaving when the young guy in the homestay was on my bike with his surfboard. I thought we were going to for a surf out on the front reef so I let him drive. BUT!  He turned the wrong way so I figured in was getting another bike for me. We stopped at a mechanic shop and filled the back tyre with air and drove onwards, Ahh, I thought still going away from the surf so we must be getting the bike. We turned off the main road and onto a rough dirt road then another turn off to an even worse road that looked like a part time river and through a very poor looking and dilapidated village. On the other side, we were at a beach. I walked to the beach while he parked the bike. The waves were closing out ferociously along the beach. I wasn’t happy. He finally got back and he pointed up the beach and away we walked. At the other end, there was a wild looking left breaking over a reef and a sort of right beach break. I paddled onto the left but it wasn’t too good. The right looked better. I caught a few rights and everytime I paddled out the wave was better. It just kept on getting better and better and I had it all to myself. Everytime I paddled out there was another wave to catch. After an hour, the wind turned cross shore and the wave deteriorated. Such a fun surf. The beach was so pretty with cliffs at one end with more intense waves breaking in various spots. The lesson I learnt today was to go with the flow and see where it ends up.

Back at Ketewe and the wave was very crowded and onshore. Lucky me!

Later, I took the bike for a ride.  I drove down the steep and rough road to the beach, checked the surf and drove towards the river. The road/track passed a number of traditional houses and very pretty ricefields. The road became too sandy and dusty so I backtracked and headed towards Marosi. Just after the Marosi Beach turnoff, I ran out of petrol. Either way I looked, the road was empty of traffic, people and houses. After about ½ hour, I hailed a passing motorcyclist. I explained my situation and after another ½ hour they returned with a litre of petrol. While I was waiting, a group of kids were riding on waterbuffalos along the edge of the dried ricefields.






An adventurous day!


15 OCTOBER



A morning surf at the beach I surfed at yesterday. There was a surf chartered boat just moored off the beach. I paddled out on the right and they caught a small boat and surfed on the left.

The surf wasn’t as good as the day before and I also had a few surfers to share the waves but it was still fun.






Later in the afternoon, I rode down to the beach to check out the beach homestays and then up to the far end of the beach for a sit and watch.


16 OCTOBER




A morning surf at the secret beach.  The young guy from the homestay had to go to school so I drove the bike. I parked at the end of the beach where there was a home. It seemed safer to leave the bike there. I had the surf to myself. It was a bit smaller but there were some nice rights breaking all the way to the tip of the beach. After an hour and a half,  I walked back along the beach and had a coconut at the home which looked very dilapidated and poor. Hygiene would have been an issue.
Back at the homestay for lunch and a nap.





In the afternoon I went for a bike ride to the far end of the beach at Ketewe. It was a circular drive to get there, which I didn’t do as the road/track came to an abrupt end a long way from the beach. Still, it was a nice drive through villages, over bridges and past ricefields.




In the evening, I as lying on my bamboo bench reading a book when WTF a huge lizard landed on my groin. In a spilt second I went from prone position to a violated standing position. No harm done but what a shock. Haha!



17 OCTOBER

I did a reassessment of my situation in the morning.  The surf though good wasn’t really epic and the power cut out early last night so most of my electrics were dead flat.  I thought that maybe it was time to go. I tried to change my flight ticket but there was no response, well it was 6 am. Damn I thought!






At breakfast I was talking to Petho and asked how much for a car to Wanukaka. I thought to do something different rather than think about flight changes and power loss.

Such a good decision! The surf at Wanukaka was good and fun rights. We had a lunch of fish and rice at Jonnos Homestay hen we got out of the surf. The view from the water was awesome. Such a great day with good reef waves on my own, a walk around the small but friendly village, a good lunch and insights on Sumba fishing life.









We got back to Ketewe just before dark for cold beers and relaxing.

PS I saw that lizard again hovering above the outside light.




18 OCTOBER

I  drove the motorbike to Wanukaka about 1 ½ hours but the waves were smaller and the tide was going higher so I only had waves for a short time before it was all over red rover. I had lunch at Jonno’s then it was a long ride back to the homestay.

I made a decision and reorganized my return ticket to come back a little earlier.

Other people arrived that afternoon – a Swiss lady and daughter and her Balinese partner Made. We had a bit of chat after dinner. Nice people.



19 OCTOBER

I motorbiked to the secret beach break and had a surf in small fun rights. Later, a few beginning surfers arrived.

Later in the day, I had a walk along the beach and a swim.










20 OCTOBER

I woke had breakfast and then drove over to the secret beach break with the local young guy in the homestay. The waves were bigger and a little unsettled but fun. One wave caught me and the board hit me in the chest. It hurt! I caught a couple more waves but it was distracting painful.

I rested on the beach and felt better and paddled out for another session. The session was short as I had a muscle spasm in my back and I was in a lot of discomfort.

Back at the homestay, I rested and took some medication and slept. I woke and organised most of my packing.



21 OCTOBER



I woke, my back felt a lot better and I finished packing and had breakfast. The drive to the airport at Tambolaka was interesting but there wasn’t much to do when I got there except wait for the flight to Bali.

Lucky, that I had reorganized my ticket as my ribs and back were too sore for surfing.

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