Wednesday 14 August Kicking contest and gala dinner

Today's cultural invitation was to go to Liya to watch a traditional kicking contest. Sounds brutal and it was. Liya village is a half hour car drive down the island and the highest point of the island. It seems a more traditional village with it's wooden houses on built on supports above ground level. The winding, climbing street was lined with flags for this day, another post Ramadan ceremony, where pairs of boys first and then men, compete lower village vs upper village. Each pair has to hold hands (it's disqualification for loosing hold) and with their bare feet they advance and kick the opposite pairs legs (sometimes it's higher). Apparently there's no winner as it's a friendly roust about to strengthen friendship. In the old days it was used to choose the body guards for the Regent. Watching the boys and then the more violent men fight were all the village, hanging from the walls of the old fort, climbing trees for a better view, being pushed forwards and backwards as the fighters surged. The old ladies were enjoying the violence, an odd tooth or two and waving their umbrellas as their favourite got a direct hit.

chief dancers

boys' contest

street parade

After the fight there was a dance exhibition by the older gentlemen of the village and the young girls portraying fishes and fishermen catching them. We were given more snacks and drinks and then a splendid lunch before being whisked off in our cars back to Wanci town and our boats.

The Regency of Wakatobi have very generously arranged a gift of 200 litres of diesel for each boat as a thank you for coming to see us. The largest proportion of Sail Indonesia boats opted for the southern, and slightly shorter route via Flores to Bali. We were always coming on the northern route for the diving opportunities so this gift is a bonus.

The giving didn't stop with the cultural events and the diesel. This evening we knew we were to go to a welcome dinner but didn't realise it was at one of the international resorts or that there would be fish, calamari and lobsters on the menu! What a treat. There was more dancing which we were invited to join later. David and I were voted the 'most spirited' in our techniques. It was only David demonstrating the Saturday Night Fever moves for our young ambassador, Sri.