Tundrumbaho Menhil–Gomo
“Head bowl” ued to collect severed heads from execution
Dragon shape stone chairs where village chiefs sat having conferenceRisky was the owner of the guest house and like my taxi driver. The small island’s important means of transportation is motorbikes, so he took me where I wanted to go when I stayed at his guest house. Whenever he went up a steep or rough road, he said, “ooh! Malaria road”
“Malaria food” “Malaria people” “Malaria behavior”. The word Malaria for him was like the word “Bad”.
One day I asked him to take me to Tundrumbaho, a megalithic site that was about 50 km from the guest house. When we got to the entrance of the mountain, Risky said, he couldn’t go on. He asked me to walk up to the top of the mountain alone which took another 2 hours. It was a hot and steamy jungle road. Anyway, when I got to Tundrumbaho, I met a man who was keeping the site. The site was managed by the government. But he asked for a donation again. He had a key to get into the site. The site used to be a village chiefs’ conference place long time ago. I was very impressed with round stone tables on which they used to dance.When I struck it with my hand, it sounded like a drum.
On the way back home, I told Risky how I impressed I was with the round stone tables. He said, “You want to buy it? I can send it to your home if you pay me enough” I was surprised again by his remark.
Risky could do anything for money.
If you want to visit Tundrumbaho for your sketch, I will give you all detailed information about how to get there. : )
I’d be a bit afraid of what might still happen there now.
;)
Z
Yes, the site of Tundrumbaho, situated on top of mountain, gave me lots of imaginations about what they did there. Chiefs from different villages got together to discuss, celebrate, and punish people.
They were dancing on the round, hollowed stone tables and tapping them with their feet, and they sounded like drums.
Criminals were executed and their heads were collected in the stone bowls.
Imagining what happened there made me scared.
wow I’m always impressed by how you travel to these out of the way places. This ancient site makes feel like I would have liked to sit down and sketch. There are many very interesting stone sculpture art style in southern asia. Good stuff. :)
Z