Year 2- 18 September 2025 –A day out in Badas

We were up by about 6.30am and had to get the dinghy down in preparation for going ashore. We had some tea and breakfast of pineapple, cereal and yoghurt. We got ready and headed ashore about 8.40am to our pier we had used before for our day out.

There were quite a lot of the rally here and it was good to see so many. I introduced Mark, Ruth and Janet to them. We got into 3 minibuses and then headed off the main market in the town which Mark and I had been to before. We managed to get some more vegetables which was good. The market was extensive and lively with mostly women selling fruit and vegetables.

We then went to the old Sumbawa -Kings Palace called Istana Dalan Loka. It was a very old palace built in wood in 1885 and had 99 pillars as their god has 99 names. We had to take our shoes off and were able to walk around the building which had some costumes the King & Queen wore but there was little furniture. It was interesting to see.

We then went off to a village (called Despernek) some 20 minutes from Badas and we were met by the head of the village who welcomed us with a speech in Indonesian. We were then welcomed by a whole load of children who lined the road and greeted us like royalty.  We were then led to a house where there were a whole load of ladies using poles to hit a large lump of wood in a drumming fashion. This is apparently to inform people that there is going to be a major celebration as they were preparing for a large wedding. Behind the house were a whole load of ladies making biscuits for the wedding and a fish type curry. They were welcoming and allowed us to taste them and a man gave me a little jar of them. We were led on to a large hall building where we were met by a number of ladies in green who were checking the health of the children in the village. The next house were preparing the wool or cord for the swords and knives they make. Then a little further along some ladies were making sticky rice balls with a sort of rice wine and we tasted both. You could really taste the wine in the rice balls.

At the next junction there was a selection of local dishes we could try which was nice and then further along some more dishes and some little girls dancing. I think they were preparing all these dishes for the wedding and we were able to taste them. They were so welcoming and sharing and wanted to have a picture with us. They could not have been nicer and treated us like royalty.

We then left the village and went to the blacksmiths which must be associated with Despernek as that is where they made the knives and swords etc. This was not as good a blacksmiths as we had seen the time before. We then moved on to lunch at a restaurant where we had to sit on the floor. The food was interesting with much variety. Then we went for a coffee at another location.

We then went to near the river where we were going to be treated to some buffalo racing.      

Buffalo racing in Sumbawa, known as Barapan Kebo, is a traditional festival held at the start of the rice planting season where two buffaloes pull a jockeys on a wooden plough through a muddy, flooded rice field at high speeds. This exhilarating cultural event is more than just a race; it's a spiritual contest between the "Sandro," local shamans who guide their buffaloes with spiritual influence to hinder opponents. The tradition, which features trained buffaloes and skilled riders, showcases the local agrarian culture and is an integral part of Sumbawa's identity. Barapan Kebo originated from farmers looking for ways to make ploughing fields more exciting, a legend that has passed down through generations. Buffaloes are paired and race through flooded rice fields with a jockey on a wooden plough. The goal is to reach a finish pole or marker. The "Sandro": Each buffalo has a "Sandro," a spiritual guide or shaman who attempts to spiritually influence the race to their advantage. The races take place in wet, muddy paddy fields in various villages across Sumbawa.

We were led to a seating area in front of a field of water which was where the show was going to take place. We saw some buffalo which had colourful headgear on and had ropes through their noses. They looked well fed and had their trainer/owner with them. The guide explained that the Sharman or Sandro will place a stake in the ground called a Saka. It is therefore not the fastest buffalo who win but those that can hit the post as well. They showed us the plough type platform that the riders stand on which is attached to the yoke between the buffaloes. We then saw several riders get on these at the far end and the buffaloes ran down the wet field. Some fell off and some went right to the end. It was kind of a little crazy. Some buffaloes were friskier than others.

They then asked would any of like to have a try. Apart from not wanting to go in a pool of mud and buffalo poo I did not want to risk breaking and bones as I need to get to my brother’s wedding. I therefore did not volunteer. However, Jonathan from Roma decided to volunteer and to our astonishment he stayed on and hit the Saka and did better than most of the other riders. He got wet and covered in mud but we all laughed and congratulated him.

Once the racing was over we went for supper and there was some music. It was the farewell supper from Badas. During the supper the heavens opened and it rained like a good tropical storm. Once we had finished supper we returned to the dinghy which was half full of water. We bailed some out and returned to Stormbird after a long hard day.    

The picture of the day is of course some buffalo racing.

Need/Opportunity Year Three

In year three I will be going from Thailand to Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and then on to Chagos, Mauritius, Reunion, Cape Town, St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.  I am looking for crew from Mauritius/ Reunion Island to Cape Town and from Cape Town to the UK. If of any interest do email me.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com