Foto: pemandangan ke sisi selatan dari ketinggian 122 mdpl. Perahu-perahu nelayan terombang-ambing tersapu angin. Sebagian orang terlihat sedang bersantai di beranda rumah. Menunggu para nelayan pulang melaut pun orang-orang yang datang dari pulau seberang. Membawa hasil tangkapannya semalam. Sementara yang lainnya sibuk mengambil ikan-ikan di perahu yang baru saja tiba. Pagi yang cukup cerah di kampung Lenteng. Sebuah kampung nelayan di bagian selatan Labuan Bajo yang menjadi incaran para investor. Kampung Lenteng dulunya dikenal karena aksesnya yang terbatas. Kondisi jalannya yang rusak parah membuat orang akan berpikir berkali-kali jika ingin bertamasya ke sana. Tetapi kini kampung itu telah menjelma menjadi aset yang terbilang mahal. Sebab, banyak investor yang meliriknya setelah semuanya 'disulap' pada masa pemerintahan Jokowi. Masihkah warga lokal dapat mengakses pantainya di kemudian hari? Ataukah hanya menjadi seorang asing di tanahnya sendiri? Pertanyaan-pertanyaan it...
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| Photo: ferry Lakaan in Bolok harbour. Every journey has a story and every encounter has memories. ~~~ The sea stretches as far as the eye can see. While the sun blushes its rays. At the harbor, people were crowded. Not only people coming to pick up and drop off passengers and relatives, but also vendors selling their wares. |
At the entrance gate, one by one the passengers were allowed to enter the ship. Looking for empty places that could be occupied. Two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles crowded the first deck. Delicious and unpleasant smells did not escape the sense of smell. Meanwhile, on deck two, people were already filling the small hallways. This left little space for people to pass freely. The same was true on deck three.
Some were traveling for the first time, but there were also those who had traveled many times. "This trip doesn't take much time to reach the city of Coral. This ferry is faster than the others. It only takes about 18 hours to arrive at the destination," said a passenger who is used to traveling using the Lakaan Ferry.
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It was fifteen minutes past ten. The sounds of people singing after gulping down the water were no longer heard. Only the roar of the ship's engine broke the waves. Causing wind-blown water to enter the first deck. The passengers huddled in the cold. All of them had sunk into dreamland. Occasional small cries from deck two echoed in the room. Also the snoring of people who had been beaten by the day's routine before boarding the ship to their next destination.
The journey was still long. In about eight hours the ship would arrive at Bolok harbor. I slept with my eyes closed. It is said that thieves like to carry out their actions when all the passengers are fast asleep. Unfortunately, I also fell asleep and no longer cared about anything that happened until I was woken up by the boisterous voices of the passengers.
The sparkling lights of Kupang have begun to appear, combined with the bias of the sun that will soon rise. Some passengers stood in front of the platform. Taking out their gadgets and capturing the moment of sunrise. Some were busy making phone calls to relatives and spouses. Others were busy organizing their luggage. Making sure nothing was left behind on the ship.
At the harbor, Rosi from DPC HPI Kota Kupang had been waiting for us since five in the morning. We went straight to the car. Continuing the journey to Kota Lama to enjoy the beauty of the city in the morning. Seeing the routine while sipping coffee before checking into the hotel.
Kupang, September 07th 2023
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