Open Market and Hospitality in Flores

Flores’s main claim to fame is its proximity to Komodo Island. It’s the closest place with suitable accommodations, and thus is considered a gateway to Komodo National Park. The island itself is very long and thin, running almost exactly east-west. It is essentially the ridge of a mountain range. That means there is precious little in the way of flat spots, and the roads are all very twisty.

The day we arrived, right after visiting Mirror Rock Cave, we stopped in at an open air market on the edges of the west coast port town of Labuan Bajo. This seemed to be pretty representative of the wealth and living conditions in the area.

I’ve seen similar markets around the world. This one focused on produce. Everything from basic grains to casava leaves and slices of jack fruit could be found.

I thought it ironic that our local tour guide felt it necessary to make a special point of showing us bags of corn along with the sacks of rice available. Apparently corn was a new addition to their economy. At the same time he was completely unimpressed with tamarind and black rice. I was not the only one lingering around a stall trying to figure out what something might be.

Some people had substantial displays with an abundance of many items and permanent stalls. Others had just a handful of items on a blanket.

There are price controls on such things as rice. The result is that the people in Flores spend the same amount to get rice as those in Jakarta.

We were the only foreigners in sight. Apparently it isn’t too uncommon for groups to wander through, but we weren’t exactly chased after or anything. We just kind of drifted around the one, big loop of stalls.

Toward the back we came upon an old woman who was selling beetlenuts. She was one of those people who only had a small pile of items for sale. There were a couple of other stalls where you could find the stuff, but she seemed to be the main purveyor.

She also seemed to be of the generation when beetlenut was considered an integral part of the social fabric of the people on the island. Where we might offer coffee or tea, they would offer a beetlenut chew. It was common courtesy.

It was also considered healthy, despite the psychotropic properties, and good for the teeth, despite they way the teeth would blacken and crumble. The younger generation tends to carefully avoid the stuff.

There is a process to the use. First you get everything lined up. You bite off a piece of the tube stuff – which is the beetlenut fruit. Then you line the inside of the mouth with powdered chalk. Then you chew the nut – which is in the green, lime looking thing. Chew for a while, then spit.

Yep, and this was considered socially endearing. Now they mostly settle for coffee. And no, I did not try it.

From there it was a quick wander around the drying chili and the chickens to get back on the bus.

Do you think customs would have allowed me to take a beetlenut home? I have my doubts.