By K&P 
In the distance a uniform, undulating green space, steep slopes covered with lush vegetation. Only up close can one see hanging lianas, ivy winding along the branches, you can recognize the species of trees, sometimes spot clusters of bamboo. On the steep cliff, large ferns and mosses, water seeps, after rain the streams turn into small waterfalls. The road winds along the green slopes, bypassing larger, steep mountains and deep valleys.
Smoke rises from behind the houses, a hunched woman added a dry palm branch, actually a leaf. An old metal kettle on the hearth whistles like at grandma’s. In the village, silence and peace, you can only hear the dull sound of wooden spindles. Men in the fields and children in schools, only women on the verandas weave canvases with characteristic patterns. Focus on faces, hundreds of threads, each one has to be properly placed between the others. Each one has a different color, depending on the pattern.
From behind the smoke you can see a characteristic conical shape with a peak at an altitude of 2200m. Inerie was last active in 1911, the god Zeta lives in the crater, and at its foothills live his followers. Wooden huts and thatched roofs, fronts with small verandas leading straight onto a large brown clay square, here and there paved with stones. There are ritual pillory there, used twice a year to sacrifice buffaloes. They ritually slaughter tied animals by cutting their throats. Further on, large horns and skulls scare visitors at the wooden doors of the huts. They protect the household and demonstrate the prosperity of the tenants. On the lower terrace of the clay square are concrete tombs. Up close you can see Christian crosses and paintings, the god Zeta must be tolerant.
The traditional village of Bema resembles a museum a bit, but this place is alive, people live here and practice old traditions. There are nine castes living there, and the name comes from the oldest of them. The people are a bit out of touch with today’s reality, they have preserved their rituals, the architecture of their houses, and ceremonies. Their faith is a mix of old traditions related to the god Zeta and Christianity, which is the main religion in Flores. Tombs with Christian motifs in the center are the norm here, in Flores you can find graves right next to houses.
The village of Bema is located in the central part of Flores, you can get there from the town of Bajawa. The road to it from Labuan Bajo on the western edge of Flores, which has an airport and a port, is of very good quality, the ride can be a pleasure. At first, mountains, then a flat section, only to have serpentines appear again. The fun gradually turns into fatigue and boredom, and after 6 hours the fight for survival begins. Counting kilometers does not help much, overcoming serpentines in these conditions takes ages. Bajawa is located about 100 km east of Labuan, but on this winding road the distance is tripled. There are not many attractions or places offering accommodation along the way, and there are no tourists either. There is beautiful wildlife, mountains, volcanoes and waterfalls. There are also rice fields in the characteristic shape of spider webs and hot springs, another traditional village Varebeo Village, but this one is in the mountains and involves a few hours of trekking.
Most people visiting Flores stay in the largest typical tourist town – Labuan Bajo located in the west. Labuan is a base for trips to the Komodo Islands, if you want to get to know the real Flores you have to go east on a winding beautiful and at the same time tiring route, bearing in mind that the attractions are dozens of kilometres away and the tourist base is negligible.