The road from Ende up to Moni climbs out of the coastal heat into a world of rice terraces, waterfalls and cloud, and Detusoko sits about halfway along, a quiet village spread across the hillsides with terraced paddies falling away below it and forested ridges rising above. The air is cooler here, the light softer, and in the morning mist hangs in the valleys. A few homestays have opened in recent years, and it makes a peaceful alternative to the busier village of Moni.
Most people on this road are heading for Kelimutu, the volcano whose summit holds three crater lakes, each a different colour. The colours change over time, from turquoise to green to brown, red and black, depending on the minerals dissolved in the water and the volcanic activity below, and no one can predict exactly what you will see. The Lio people believe the lakes are the resting places of souls: one for young people, one for the elderly, and one for those who did wrong. Most visitors ride up from Moni before dawn to watch the sunrise over the lakes, and when the mist clears, the sight is unforgettable.
Ende, the town on the coast below, has its own story. In the 1930s, the Dutch colonial authorities exiled Sukarno, the future first president of Indonesia, to Ende, and he spent several years there. It is said that he developed the ideas behind Pancasila, the founding philosophy of the Indonesian state, while sitting under a breadfruit tree in the town, and the tree, or a successor, is now a monument. His house in Ende has been turned into a small museum.
The road up from Ende is steep and winding, following a river gorge for part of the way, with landslides common in the rainy season and repairs constantly underway. The views are superb, especially of the terraces around Detusoko and the mountains beyond. There are small warungs along the road serving coffee and simple meals, and Ende, about nineteen kilometres back, has fuel and all services. The weather in the mountains can change quickly, with sudden rain and fog, so ride carefully and keep your speed down on the wet surfaces.