Wetar during the monsoon season
The monsoon season on Wetar – from January to mid-March – is particular hard for the villagers on the North Coast of the island because of the high waves smashing onto the beach, making boat transportation impossible.
Trading with the outside world decreases to zero, public passengers boats stop coming to the North of Wetar. Students who came back to their home village for Christmas are stuck on the island and miss out on the January tests in college.
Fishing becomes impossible because of the high waves and big swells; heavy rain tortures the vegetable gardens. Planting and sowing becomes difficult without a rain shelter to protect the seeds and young plants from getting washed away.
According to the local tradition, some gardeners switched to one single crop: corn. Others go on trying to plant a wider variety of crops: water spinach, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber. Some are very brave and give watermelon and melon a try.
Vegetables are sold in the village but also to the mine. PT Batutua goes four times a week to the village of Lurang or Kampung Baru to buy vegetables and fruits straight from the gardens. This guarantees fresh and healthy vegetables purchased from happy farmers.
Before the monsoon months, the villagers went up into the hills for three weeks, camped out in the forest and collected tons of wild nutmeg. Everything was sold to traders from Makassar who came to Wetar buying the high value product.
During the monsoon season, nothing much can be done in the village. A part of some gardening, taking care of the kids is the main job for about 3 months.
