What do you think of when you think of Indonesia? Tsunami, terrorism, Bali, le exotique, sambal? Well, all of these adjectives and nouns are correct, but please do add: enormous, gorgeous, scuba diving, Nasi Goreng-national dish of rish, eggs, shrimp chips, and spicy sambal, "Bali is touristy but nowhere else is", becak-the Indonesian version of the bicycle rickshaw, slow internet, smiles, "Hello, transport?", "Where u from", and "bagus"-awesome- to your repertoire of Indonesian phrases and thoughts.
I arrived at the pathetically under-equipped Jakarta International Airport at 7 am on August 1st. I then booked a flight later that same day to go to the very northern tip of Sulawesi, that strangely shaped island surrounded by three (!) different seas just to the south of Borneo. I had heard of some fantastic diving out there and was anxious to get into the water. After a grueling day in the airport and an exorbitant rate paid at a shoddy hotel I soon found myself on the island of Bunaken at Two Fish Divers dive resort. My bungalow was lovely and I was once again surrounded by people who were there for nothing else but diving. Divers are a strange bunch, spending loads of money to put on crazy amounts of awkward gear to sink to the bottom of the ocean to peer at creatures not meant to be peered at. Also, as in any other sport, divers tend to be rather competitive with each other. An example: Diver A: "How many dives have you got?" Diver B: "Oh, I'm not sure. (though he knows exactly) Maybe about 200." A: "Well, I just dived Sipadan. (one of the top 10 sites in the world)" B: Me too and I saw 100 turtles and tons of sharks." A: "Well, I saw Hammerheads, man. A whole school of them at 60 meters." B:" You went to 60 meters man?! That's awesome." And the conversation will continue in this vein until you want to remind them that the reason one dives is to see the strange underwater creatures and not to see who goes the deepest or who has the most dives. Well, at least that's why I dive....Sorry, I seem to have gotten off track.
Anyway, I did 6 dives at Bunaken which were lovely, filled with amazing coral and strange nudi branches - my favorite underwater creatures. But, I was unprepared for the fascinating dives awaiting me in an area just east of Bunaken known as the Lembeh Straight. The Lembeh Straight is a narrow bit of water in an extremely volcanic area (isn't all of Indonesia volcanic?) with no coral beds and, instead of the typical white sand we are all used to, there is thick, crunchy black sand. This sand makes a perfect hiding spot for a myriad of bizarre and rare sea creatures. Normally, when one does enough dives one comes to expect a certain number of constants to appear. Namely, white sand, a slight current, coral, fish, and a rather random sprinkling of moray eels, nudi branches, and some sea horses if you're really lucky. Lembeh totally goes against all of these constants and gives divers only one: continuous surprises. Every dive was fantastic since I knew I would find at least one creature I had never seen before and Lembeh was full of firsts. The first time I saw a banded sea snake, the first time I saw a ribbon eel, the first time I saw a pygmy seahorse (only 8mm!!!), or an octopus, or a squid, a flamboyant cuttlefish, a common cuttlefish, such an array of strange nudi branches, fire urchins, giant angler fish (who actually have a fishing line out of their mouth!), etc., etc. I know that most of you have no idea what I'm talking about, but all of these creatures are surprisingly uncommon and incredibly fascinating. I will put up photos of these animals as soon as possible so you will all have a better idea what the hell I'm talking about!
After more than a week of diving I decided that it was also important to explore what culture Sulawesi had to offer on land. In southern Sulawesi is the valley known as Tana Toraja. It is rather (well) known among tourists that the Torajans hold bizarre funeral festivals during the months of July through September and that they wholly welcome onlookers and guests at these celebrations. Well, since it is a funeral it's not exactly a celebration, but pretty close. I arrived to Tana Toraja on my birthday (August10th) very early in the morning. I found a lovely hotel with separate bungalows shaped in the traditional boat-shaped Torajan homes. Immediately after ordering a thick, black Indonesia coffee I met some other travelers who were headed to a funeral just about to begin. Since it was my birthday I didn't really want to attend a somber funeral, but then I wasn't sure the next time I would have the opportunity to do so. I gulped down the burning java and headed out with the others, not entirely sure what to expect. I knew that there would be slaughtering of animals (namely buffalo), strange ceremonies, and a lot of locals in attendance. Let me give you some background information on what these Torajan ceremonies are all about. The Torajans are predominantly Christina (Lutheran) due mainly to the influx of missionaries around the turn of the century. As with many other religious conversions, the Torajan did not completely give up their old beliefs and traditions and have since blended both religions quite smoothly. The funerals are based on their original animist religion known as "Aluk To Dolo" or "Way of the Ancestors". There are four classes-village heads, nobles, commoners, and slaves- in Torajan society and only the top two are allowed to have the elaborate funerals as we tourists know them today. This is mainly due to the fact that it is required that the family of a village head slaughters 34 buffalo and those of nobles must slaughter 28. Buffalo range anywhere from $100 each and upward, thus making it virtually impossible for the lower classes to afford this. Perhaps the only positive about the massive slaughterings is that the meat is given to all the locals in the neighboring villages and nothing is wasted. It is thought that the buffalo's spirit accompanies the deceased into the afterlife. Because of this, the buffalo is not completely killed when slaughtered yet allowed to bleed to death so the spirit has enough time to find the deceased person. Great importance is placed on the slaughtering of the rare albino buffalo and thus these animals are much sought after during funeral times. An effigy, known as a "tau-tau", of the deceased is carved upon their death. These effigies can only be made form 2 types of wood, again both very expensive. The body, upon death, is placed into an elaborately carved and painted coffin and held at their home until the auspicious burial months, between July and September. Therefore, if someone dies in October they are embalmed for preservation until the summer. Traditionally, bodies were buried with their material possessions for use in the afterlife. Due to a rise in grave robbings (much like in Egypt), Torajans have had to abandon this practice.
We arrived shortly after 8 in the morning just before the first buffalo slaughtering began. Today, on the last day of the ceremonies, only 4 buffalo were due to be sacrificed. I stayed well away from the slaughtering sight and watched from a distance. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, considering that this was the first time I had ever seen an animal killed. I thought that there would be a lot of screaming on the part of the buffalo, but for the most part they all died in silence. However, it was anything but peaceful. Since the men only sliced their throats once, the buffalo were left to thrash and bleed to death. The buffalo were all tied to the same tree for this ceremony and after slicing the last one's throat it managed to yank itself loose. With blood gushing from the gash in its throat it went charging into the surrounding crowd. Naturally, all members of the crowd quickly parted and the men went racing after the poor beast. Since it was bleeding profusely the buffalo didn't get far, but I have to give it props for getting loose in the first place! After the slaughterings were finished the buffalo were just left there, in a blood of their own blood, for the rest of the morning- no one even went to clean them off. All in all a rather disturbing experience. This whole time, the body within its coffin had been waiting on a ceremonial balcony and had just been brought down to ground level. It was then placed within an elaborate wooden structure shaped like a Torajan house (that in turn is shaped like a boat). The immediate family, dressed all in black, had meanwhile gathered around the coffin and begun to wail terribly. You know those videos from Iraq showing the dead bodies with the women screaming their heads off nearby? Well, it was exactly like that since they share the same belief that wailing for the deceased proves how much one loved them in life. Thus, whomever wails the loudest obviously loved them the most. After the wailing was finished, the immediate family (about 30 so people) all joined hands in a circle around the coffin and began dancing and singing. Soon after, they transported the body to the local burial ground. Choosing not to follow, I went off in the other direction for a fantastic fish lunch.
The following day I went to a Torajan wedding. Strangely enough it didn't seem that much different from the funeral (granted minus the wailing and the dead buffalo). The wedding was of the highest class, for 2 children of 2 village headsmen. The first part of the ceremony was the traditional Christian ceremony taking place in a church with both the bride and the groom wearing Western dress. This part of the ceremony consisted of only the couple's close family and friends. The procession then proceeded to an elaborately decorated open field filled with tents of various opulence where all the locals were situated. All the poor locals were at the far end of the field with little for shelter expect a tent while the upper-classes were either given plastic chairs or their own balcony. All the tourists were placed together under an awning with plastic seats. There were buffets laden with tasty local specialties along with liberal drinking of rice wine going on all around. Most attendees were wearing traditional Indonesian or Torajan dress, so I felt rather under dressed in my sandals and t-shirt. Upon arrival of the wedding couple, they were greeted with traditional chanting in their local dialect by the local shaman and then promptly changed into traditional Torajan wedding dress (much more beautiful than the gaudy Western version!). Then the couple reappeared on the dais and shook the hands of all in attendance (and there were at least 500 people!). I left shortly after this part as the rest was a bit boring since I couldn't understand their language. It is amazing to me how at both their funerals and their weddings, the Torajans have no problems with tourists attending. I know that I wouldn't want any poorly dressed, gawking tourist with a huge camera at my wedding, let alone my funeral! But, at least in this way, we are able to learn more about their interesting culture and in turn, shed a positive light on it and help to keep it alive.
I have more to say on Tana Toraja but I really want to post this because I just posted the photos that go along with it, so I might be adding more to this in the near future. Sorry if seems cut off (which it kinda is).
I arrived at the pathetically under-equipped Jakarta International Airport at 7 am on August 1st. I then booked a flight later that same day to go to the very northern tip of Sulawesi, that strangely shaped island surrounded by three (!) different seas just to the south of Borneo. I had heard of some fantastic diving out there and was anxious to get into the water. After a grueling day in the airport and an exorbitant rate paid at a shoddy hotel I soon found myself on the island of Bunaken at Two Fish Divers dive resort. My bungalow was lovely and I was once again surrounded by people who were there for nothing else but diving. Divers are a strange bunch, spending loads of money to put on crazy amounts of awkward gear to sink to the bottom of the ocean to peer at creatures not meant to be peered at. Also, as in any other sport, divers tend to be rather competitive with each other. An example: Diver A: "How many dives have you got?" Diver B: "Oh, I'm not sure. (though he knows exactly) Maybe about 200." A: "Well, I just dived Sipadan. (one of the top 10 sites in the world)" B: Me too and I saw 100 turtles and tons of sharks." A: "Well, I saw Hammerheads, man. A whole school of them at 60 meters." B:" You went to 60 meters man?! That's awesome." And the conversation will continue in this vein until you want to remind them that the reason one dives is to see the strange underwater creatures and not to see who goes the deepest or who has the most dives. Well, at least that's why I dive....Sorry, I seem to have gotten off track.
Anyway, I did 6 dives at Bunaken which were lovely, filled with amazing coral and strange nudi branches - my favorite underwater creatures. But, I was unprepared for the fascinating dives awaiting me in an area just east of Bunaken known as the Lembeh Straight. The Lembeh Straight is a narrow bit of water in an extremely volcanic area (isn't all of Indonesia volcanic?) with no coral beds and, instead of the typical white sand we are all used to, there is thick, crunchy black sand. This sand makes a perfect hiding spot for a myriad of bizarre and rare sea creatures. Normally, when one does enough dives one comes to expect a certain number of constants to appear. Namely, white sand, a slight current, coral, fish, and a rather random sprinkling of moray eels, nudi branches, and some sea horses if you're really lucky. Lembeh totally goes against all of these constants and gives divers only one: continuous surprises. Every dive was fantastic since I knew I would find at least one creature I had never seen before and Lembeh was full of firsts. The first time I saw a banded sea snake, the first time I saw a ribbon eel, the first time I saw a pygmy seahorse (only 8mm!!!), or an octopus, or a squid, a flamboyant cuttlefish, a common cuttlefish, such an array of strange nudi branches, fire urchins, giant angler fish (who actually have a fishing line out of their mouth!), etc., etc. I know that most of you have no idea what I'm talking about, but all of these creatures are surprisingly uncommon and incredibly fascinating. I will put up photos of these animals as soon as possible so you will all have a better idea what the hell I'm talking about!
After more than a week of diving I decided that it was also important to explore what culture Sulawesi had to offer on land. In southern Sulawesi is the valley known as Tana Toraja. It is rather (well) known among tourists that the Torajans hold bizarre funeral festivals during the months of July through September and that they wholly welcome onlookers and guests at these celebrations. Well, since it is a funeral it's not exactly a celebration, but pretty close. I arrived to Tana Toraja on my birthday (August10th) very early in the morning. I found a lovely hotel with separate bungalows shaped in the traditional boat-shaped Torajan homes. Immediately after ordering a thick, black Indonesia coffee I met some other travelers who were headed to a funeral just about to begin. Since it was my birthday I didn't really want to attend a somber funeral, but then I wasn't sure the next time I would have the opportunity to do so. I gulped down the burning java and headed out with the others, not entirely sure what to expect. I knew that there would be slaughtering of animals (namely buffalo), strange ceremonies, and a lot of locals in attendance. Let me give you some background information on what these Torajan ceremonies are all about. The Torajans are predominantly Christina (Lutheran) due mainly to the influx of missionaries around the turn of the century. As with many other religious conversions, the Torajan did not completely give up their old beliefs and traditions and have since blended both religions quite smoothly. The funerals are based on their original animist religion known as "Aluk To Dolo" or "Way of the Ancestors". There are four classes-village heads, nobles, commoners, and slaves- in Torajan society and only the top two are allowed to have the elaborate funerals as we tourists know them today. This is mainly due to the fact that it is required that the family of a village head slaughters 34 buffalo and those of nobles must slaughter 28. Buffalo range anywhere from $100 each and upward, thus making it virtually impossible for the lower classes to afford this. Perhaps the only positive about the massive slaughterings is that the meat is given to all the locals in the neighboring villages and nothing is wasted. It is thought that the buffalo's spirit accompanies the deceased into the afterlife. Because of this, the buffalo is not completely killed when slaughtered yet allowed to bleed to death so the spirit has enough time to find the deceased person. Great importance is placed on the slaughtering of the rare albino buffalo and thus these animals are much sought after during funeral times. An effigy, known as a "tau-tau", of the deceased is carved upon their death. These effigies can only be made form 2 types of wood, again both very expensive. The body, upon death, is placed into an elaborately carved and painted coffin and held at their home until the auspicious burial months, between July and September. Therefore, if someone dies in October they are embalmed for preservation until the summer. Traditionally, bodies were buried with their material possessions for use in the afterlife. Due to a rise in grave robbings (much like in Egypt), Torajans have had to abandon this practice.
We arrived shortly after 8 in the morning just before the first buffalo slaughtering began. Today, on the last day of the ceremonies, only 4 buffalo were due to be sacrificed. I stayed well away from the slaughtering sight and watched from a distance. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, considering that this was the first time I had ever seen an animal killed. I thought that there would be a lot of screaming on the part of the buffalo, but for the most part they all died in silence. However, it was anything but peaceful. Since the men only sliced their throats once, the buffalo were left to thrash and bleed to death. The buffalo were all tied to the same tree for this ceremony and after slicing the last one's throat it managed to yank itself loose. With blood gushing from the gash in its throat it went charging into the surrounding crowd. Naturally, all members of the crowd quickly parted and the men went racing after the poor beast. Since it was bleeding profusely the buffalo didn't get far, but I have to give it props for getting loose in the first place! After the slaughterings were finished the buffalo were just left there, in a blood of their own blood, for the rest of the morning- no one even went to clean them off. All in all a rather disturbing experience. This whole time, the body within its coffin had been waiting on a ceremonial balcony and had just been brought down to ground level. It was then placed within an elaborate wooden structure shaped like a Torajan house (that in turn is shaped like a boat). The immediate family, dressed all in black, had meanwhile gathered around the coffin and begun to wail terribly. You know those videos from Iraq showing the dead bodies with the women screaming their heads off nearby? Well, it was exactly like that since they share the same belief that wailing for the deceased proves how much one loved them in life. Thus, whomever wails the loudest obviously loved them the most. After the wailing was finished, the immediate family (about 30 so people) all joined hands in a circle around the coffin and began dancing and singing. Soon after, they transported the body to the local burial ground. Choosing not to follow, I went off in the other direction for a fantastic fish lunch.
The following day I went to a Torajan wedding. Strangely enough it didn't seem that much different from the funeral (granted minus the wailing and the dead buffalo). The wedding was of the highest class, for 2 children of 2 village headsmen. The first part of the ceremony was the traditional Christian ceremony taking place in a church with both the bride and the groom wearing Western dress. This part of the ceremony consisted of only the couple's close family and friends. The procession then proceeded to an elaborately decorated open field filled with tents of various opulence where all the locals were situated. All the poor locals were at the far end of the field with little for shelter expect a tent while the upper-classes were either given plastic chairs or their own balcony. All the tourists were placed together under an awning with plastic seats. There were buffets laden with tasty local specialties along with liberal drinking of rice wine going on all around. Most attendees were wearing traditional Indonesian or Torajan dress, so I felt rather under dressed in my sandals and t-shirt. Upon arrival of the wedding couple, they were greeted with traditional chanting in their local dialect by the local shaman and then promptly changed into traditional Torajan wedding dress (much more beautiful than the gaudy Western version!). Then the couple reappeared on the dais and shook the hands of all in attendance (and there were at least 500 people!). I left shortly after this part as the rest was a bit boring since I couldn't understand their language. It is amazing to me how at both their funerals and their weddings, the Torajans have no problems with tourists attending. I know that I wouldn't want any poorly dressed, gawking tourist with a huge camera at my wedding, let alone my funeral! But, at least in this way, we are able to learn more about their interesting culture and in turn, shed a positive light on it and help to keep it alive.
I have more to say on Tana Toraja but I really want to post this because I just posted the photos that go along with it, so I might be adding more to this in the near future. Sorry if seems cut off (which it kinda is).
