The Town. Soe is the capital of Southern Central Timor Regency (or TTS, Timor Tengah Selatan in Indonesian). It is the major town and government centre after Kupang. By public transport it is 4 hours, only 111km, of narrow windy roads from Kupang. If you get travel sick take a plastic bag! But the journey is worthwhile. The air in the mountain town is cool and relaxing compared with the heat of the coast.

Soe is a friendly town. People are pleased to meet you. They take pride in their tidy brick or wooden houses with both vegetable and flower gardens. There are many churches, monuments, and parks.

Traditional Dances. One of the highlights of a visit to Soe is to watch and then take part in a local traditional dance.

There are a few hotels in Soe. Some are fancy and some are plain. Wisma Bahagia 1 is on the main street of Soe and boasts a restaurant and an art shop next door. Nearby shops even sell ice cream! The hotel rooms are small and the water from the bak mandi is COLD. At night the air is cool and a good long walk through the town is worthwhile. You will pass the mosque, a few churches, hotels and shops. But mostly the town will be quiet and picturesque.

The Atoni. The interior of West Timor is inhabited by the Atoni-Meto people. The Atoni traditionally believed in an upper world Lord, lower spirits and ancestral beings. This type of belief system is called Animism. The village of Boti, about 45km from Soe is one village that has continued to follow its traditional ways.  The Atoni have beehive shaped houses called ome bulat.

Oehala waterfall is only a few kilometres out of Soe. It is a series of waterfalls cascading down a limestone hill side of tropical rain forest. The water is cold but it is worth the plunge. Usually Oehala is very busy on weekends but during the week few people go there. Look for the lopo on the way there.

Marsel’s Art Shop is a great place to shop. Bapak Marsel is an English teacher at the SMA Kristen. He also acts as a guide for tourists in his spare time. At his home he has a wide range of artifacts and traditional weavings at good prices. Be sure to look there!

The Soe Market is rather large with a few permanent stalls and a good number under plastic. It contains all the items that markets usually contain...from fruit to frumpy dresses. During late Sunday afternoons the market can be a wild place as the day’s drinking affects some of the local young men.

Questions / activities

1. Find Soe on a map. How far is Kupang from Soe? 2. Draw stylised animals from your area, like ones on the previous page. 3. What attitudes are needed to interact well with Indonesians on a short term school trip to this area?

Extra Activities, Comprehension, Discussion and Research Questions

1. Obtain a gourd or pumpkin. Hollow it out through a small hole and allow the skin to dry in the sun. Will it hold water?

2. Carve pictures into a gourd or pumpkin skin.

3. Explain animism. What do the Atoni-Meto people specifically believe?

4. Why is water in the bathroom tubs cold?

5. What regency is  Soe the capital?

6. Why would 111km take 4 hours?

7. Research betel nut. What other ingredients are used to chew with it? Who chews it? Why is it taken? What short and long term effects has betel nut? How is it kept and carried?