The Heart-Shaped Pebble

“Ini beta kas batu cantik untuk nona” - Here I give a pretty pebble for you.

I looked up and met a pair of brown gleaming eyes. That small voice with a strong local accent belonged to a skinny little boy standing in front of me. He handed me a small bleached-bone white pebble.

“Makasih adik,” I thanked him and observed the pebble. It was heart-shaped.

I was closing my eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze which kissed my face, when the kid came. He picked that unique-shaped pebble from thousands colored pebbles scattered on this beach.

Kolbano is a natural pebble beach located near the city of Kupang, Indonesia. It takes three to four hour car ride to get to this beach. The ride was exhausting for me, but the beauty of Kolbano was worth it.

As Kolbano is not commercialized yet, it still possesses a raw beauty which makes it one of the most valuable gems in this archipelago.

I looked up to the baby blue sky threaded with silver cirrus cloud. A group of birds flew together in harmony. It was so peaceful there. I stood up and walked towards the turquoise blue water. The small waves gently greeted my feet as I entered the refreshing water.

I stayed there for quite a while, enjoying the view and the comforting sound of waves.
“Look what I get!” my dad’s voice interrupted my thought. He smiled with satisfaction as he handed me a plastic bag full of pebbles.

“I asked that boy to choose the prettiest pebbles out here.”
Local children often help tourists to collect unique pebbles in exchange for small amount of money. This is illegal but the money helps. They rely on money from selling fruits and from tourists for a living.

Kolbano is really untouched that the facilities were barely adequate. Locals still live in the traditional cottages made from ‘Lontar’ leaves. The nearest toilet to the beach was among the towering palm trees. The wall was thin and the roof looked like it was about to collapse.

However, this makes Kolbano different from other beaches which are already filled with resorts and hotels. The virgin beauty of Kolbano makes me sure that it will be loved by nomads like us.

There are not many international tourists who visit this location yet. Tourists usually stay in the city and take car to the beach early in the morning. It is possible to stay at local cottages, though.

It was after sunset, time for me to go back to the city. Before I left, I gave some money to the child who gave me pebble earlier. He gave me the most sincere smile in return.