Visiting Tuwed Bali to Watch Buffalo Cart Race

When I winded up at the road at the border of Tuwed Village, the time has hit 07.09. There were four 'pecalang' or traditional security men stopped me. They advised me to take alternative route through the farm by the side of the road instead of remaining on the main road.

The access to the main road was only reserved for buffalo racing cart participants and VIP guests. Obviously, I was not a VIP guest, so I had continue off the road.

It's not a big deal for me, I have seen all the people coming to watch the buffalo cart race, also took the same way with me. I rode my motor cycle along the dirt path under coconut trees and found a parking spot just before the path ended in the rice farm.

Next, I had to walk through the rice farm between rice and melon plantation. There were already a lot of people walking on the path between the plantation. I saw men, women, families, little kids walking toward the race track.

I felt some excitement as I got back to the road where the race participants gathered. I have never seen this kind of race properly. Probably I watched it as a kid years ago, and I have forgotten about it.

Each of the cart, a rectangular shape made by wood and bamboo. was decorated in mostly red and golden paint. The buffaloes were also embellished with colorful accessories' such as head bands which look like a crown. Their horn were wrapped with colorful cloth.

A lady seemed to be talking to her caressing her buffaloes before the race. The buffaloes seemed very comfortable with her. Another buffalo looked at me while I was taking photo of him. He looked at me as if saying, 'you can take photo of me, just ask for permission.'

The further I walked, the more crowded the road was. The buffaloes and people were packed together in this narrow dirt road. I did manage to walk through them to reach the starting point of the race.

Two carts were ready to race on the starting point. One cart was in front of the other when they began. A man from the side yelled, 1,2, 3! and the carts started to race.

Unlike a horse race, where all the horses race at once, there were only two carts each time a race is started. These carts belong to different groups. People could distinguish the different group by the flags attached in each cart. Green flag or red flag.

In short, it was a competition between the green flag and the red flag groups. All of the cart belong to either groups. The winner is determined by the number of total wins.

There were 56 buffaloes from each group competing this day. The total was about 112 from both groups.

Few races had been started. People appeared to enjoy the race. It was relatively slow race. Probably because the dirt road was sandy and a little bit muddy.

Wanting to explore a bit more, I continued walking along the side of the road. I walked passed many people who stood by the road. An announcement was made through a loudspeaker by a tribune not far from the starting point. The announcement advised the people not to be too close to the race track because unlike cars, the buffalos carts are not equipped with very good brakes.

More buffalo carts raced along the dirt road. People were so excited for their team to win.

Well, it was interesting to think how this race tradition started. Long long time ago, when people in my island were mostly farmers, they used buffalo carts to transport their harvest to their granary at their home. They would race with their neighbors carrying their harvest to get home first. This was what developed into the buffalo cart race or mekepung.