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FLORES
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A mostly Christian island which few travellers visit, mountainous
Flores could very well be the highlight of your visit to Nusa
Tenggara. Considered by many to be one of Indonesia's most beautiful
islands, Flores has grandiose volcanoes, high mountain lakes,
stretches of Savannah, and tropical forests. One of Indonesia's
most fascinating ethnological |
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regions, the island has intact tribes practising their own brand of
animism, as well as cultural and artistic traditions.
Approximately 400 km long, and an average of 60 km wide, frequently
shaken by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Flores is dotted with
deep ravines and rugged valleys which accounts for the difficulty
of travel and the island's distinctive cultures. The spectacular ridge
of extremely weathered mountains runs down the middle with volcanoes
lazily spewing smoke softly into the sea on both sides. The peaks
of these mountains range from over 2,100m to the highest at 2,600m.
Flores' interior and eastern parts are covered in tropical forests.
The constant sound of running water through rice fields, fantastic
views of surrounding volcanoes, the distant ocean, and the sound of
running rivers makes the atmosphere very peaceful.
Prehistoric giant bats, reptiles, stegosaurs, and one species of elephant
once roamed this island. Seeing the eastern cape blooming flamboyantly,
the Portuguese explorer S.M. Cabot christened the island Capo de Flores
or "Cape of Flowers" in 1544.
Flores is famous for its volcano, Mount Kelimutu. Each of the three
lakes atop this extinct volcano are separated by low ridges and have
different coloured waters. Legend has it that Kelimutu is an abode
of the dead. In the maroon lake live the souls of sinners, in the
emerald green lake the souls of young men, virgins and the pure of
hearts while in the turquoise lake dwell the souls of the elderly.
Actually, the colours are in constant flux as their waters leach minerals
from the earth, which dissolve and change the colour of the water
from time to time. |
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