The Palace of One Thousand and One Snakes

by Alice No last name (Singapore)

A leap into the unknown Indonesia

My then boyfriend Michael and I were on a motorbike ride in Flores, Indonesia, a small island to the east of Bali, where there live the only Komodo dragon species in the world. Other things unique to the island : colourful sulphurous volcano lakes, magnificent ethnic houses, crystalline blue water lapping upon stretches of marmalade beaches. Some of the first early humans’ remains were found here, and they were identified as the real “hobbits” of our planet. We were en route to yet another one-and-only destination in the world : the snake palace. Legend has it that snake palace is home to one thousand and one snakes. It is a humongous dark cave at the basin of a river. Locals spotted snakes at big as a tree trunk slithering out under the moonlight, curling in the middle of the river for the next prey to come about. There were all sorts of snakes inside the cave, from fat lumbering ones, to small venomous ones. I stopped a local man to ask for direction. “Mbak, why do you want to go there? Even I don’t want to go there.” He scratched his head. “I know the snake shaman… I could bring you there...." We parked our bike and followed him up a short cliff overlooking the cave. Perched on top, right above the river was a thatched hut made of straws and bamboo mats. A hobbit-sized man lived there, with tan leathery skin, ashen grey hair and overjoyed sparkly eyes. “There’s your guide,” said the local man. “He could bring you into the cave and out again. Once upon a time, this man left his family in the village and camped up here by himself. Family members told me he turned deaf and mute overnight. There are dangerous snakes inside that cave, yet he can go in and out everyday. He must be able to somehow speak with them in order to navigate his way around them. Other people had got bitten and died. ” The shaman stepped out of his hut - a wide grin on his face. I shook his hand. “I want to see the snakes!” I pointed at the cave and passed him a twenty thousand Rupiah note. “Show me your ways.” His eyes lit up instantly. With one hand he grabbed a walking stick and with the other he grabbed my hand. We trekked down the cliff and crossed the shallow end of the river, stepping gingerly on slippery pebbles. Michael froze at the mouth of the cave. “Babe I am not going in there.” The shaman was practically jumping up and down in excitement, like a little child eager to show off his toys. I let him lead me. It was pitch-black inside and it smelled like rotten eggs. I held my breath and opened my mouth for air, but immediately swarms of nondescript insects rushed deep into my throat. I coughed them out. I looked up above and saw thousands of bats hanging upside down, blinking yellow eyes at me. As I stepped deeper into the cave, cool gooey mud rose up slowly to my waist. It was nightmare. After what felt like forever, the shaman started making loud noises and pointed at a recession in the wall. He tugged at my hand, his eyes glittered even brighter. I did not see anything, it was too dark for the naked eyes. I shone my flashlight into the spot he was pointing at. There, curled snugly on top of each other on the rock shelf, were two most beautiful snakes I had ever seen. One was the colour of pale grapefruit, the other of cool jade - both smooth and radiant. Their tongues hissed and flickered in and out every milisecond. For a moment, I stood there, hand in hand with the shaman, admiring them. For a moment, I forgot the smell, the insects, the suction mud, the bats….. I turned to look at him and nodded slowly. Without words, he solemnly led me back to the open air. I took a huge lungful of fresh air. Michael looked almost surprised that I came back alive. It was enough adventure for the day. This was the reason I traveled to uncharted territories, the reason I pushed my boundaries and fears aside, the reason I took risks with my own safety. It was all for the glimpse into the uncanny, a brush with the other-worldly. I found what I was looking for : a testament to magic.