The whale beach vol.3

The second day, I awake to the squawk of chickens. Before the breakfast, I gotta go to the beach. At 6:30 am, I come through the gate of the Whale Beach. (I made up the name. The base of the whale hunting, lined flesh, piled bones ... cannot find better name than that)
Oh, I've not described how it comes about visiting to Lamalera yet. After I decided Flores Island as the destination, I tracked down on the map to the east. Because the more I go to east, the more chance to meet Melanesian characters on the peoples face, I expected. On the occasion, I found an article on a small village where people makes a living with whale hunting. The hunting style was primitive. A hunter who was called Ramafa jumped onto a whale to spear with a harpoon. Then the other crew followed him. Before the modern whaling with harpoon gun, whale hunting used to be like that.

The regular hunting season is from May to August. The opening ceremony of new season attracts many tourists and media every year. It must be the busiest days in a year for Lamalera. Because I've never met a tourist in the village nevertheless a couple of weeks ahead to this season.
Even though it's the pre-season, the hunting actually takes place. I was told just before coming here. "Are you going to Lamalera? They've got already 4 whales at once a couple of days ago. I read it on the news paper. I hope you have a chance to see it." The hundreds of whale parts on the beach must be a sign of the big catch. Maybe I'm lucky to see full of whale parts cover the sandy beach before the season. Or maybe I'm unlucky on the laws of probability. Coz I heard they capture from 2 to 5 whales per month in average.

Fishermen have already show up on the Whale Beach and prepare for the hunting. Resident take his dog a walk beside them. It's a everyday scene on the morning beach everywhere.
Just before 7 o'clock, one of the fishermen gets start settling logs on the sand. From the boat hut to the water, they are settled in equal interval. All crews now come together and 10 men are pushing the boat. The things hung on the holder of the boat are harpoons with long bamboo haft which was scorched yesterday. When the boat reaches to the water, the pushers are reduced to 8, and finally 7 crews row out to the ocean. The fishermen who are left on the land quickly remove the logs. How is today's fortune? While I walk on the beach, another boat rows out. I missed it. I've gotta mark two boats.

The boats have gone. Now let's take a walk in Lamalera. The village divided in two part. When I walk up to a point from the Whale Beach, I see a beautiful scenery on the other side. I call it "New Village" (Sorry I made it up the name again) On the skirt of the mountain, I see a catholic church and tin roof houses. Many Christians here is cause of Portugal governed history. Whale flesh and guts are dried also here, each house's yard. The trickled oil are gathered into the tin box. It must be for a fuel.