Indonesian Hobbits: Once in a Lifetime Experience or Cheap Scam?

Little did J. R. R. Tolkien know when he wrote The Hobbit in 1937 that he would start a cultural revolution, one that would captivate entire generations and spread to areas of the world considered centuries behind modern pop-culture.

One of these areas is Rampasasa, a small farming village in Indonesia. By all accounts, Rampasasa is like any other town. It is filled with bucolic wooden homes, battered by the constant heat and dry wind, and it features little more than a worn, single-lane dirt road that provides access to different sections of the rural village.

However, this particular village has recently come to acquire something that put it on the map in terms of international tourism: hobbits? Despite the questionable validity of skeletons found in a cave in 2003, locals did not hesitate to publicize that they had found remains of a mischievous, mythological creature that was still in existence today and would make appearances for willing tourists.

To those with hopes of seeing a real-life Hobbit however, skepticism is of the essence. Despite heavy publicity, with many locals offering to show tourists live pygmies for as little as 150,000 rupiah ($16), most credible sources seem to feel that doubt is an important emotion with which to enter such a dubious transaction.

The skeletons found in a cave known as Liang Bua are, however, legitimate. Nonetheless, they may not be as genuine as the locals would have tourists believe. When they were unearthed in 2003, scientists quickly concluded that the remains belonged to a species that became extinct up to 17,000 years ago. Locals offering tours of the cave and the opportunity to meet these dwarves take it to heart to promote the idea that the skeletons are at most three hundred years old, giving the impression that these creatures could very likely have relatives that are alive and well (and willing to give interviews for a small fee).

For those who can afford a round-trip to Indonesia, the amount of money charged for such a tour is likely to be negligible at best, despite being a huge sum of rupiahs to the locals offering their services. A skeptical state of mind is essential, but then again, a guided tour of a cave that dates back tens of thousands of years could well be worth the minute charge.

[Image: Quizilla]