Tana Toraja

These rice fields are near Makassar (Ujung Pandang). During the 10-hour trip to Toraja land you'll pass a stunning mountainous area. If you're on a budget, don't believe the men at the airport trying to sell you complete packages to Toraja. Just go to the Toraja terminal and save your dollars.
Makassar is the Muslim dominated capital of South Sulawesi.
This Ke'te' Kesu' near Rantepao in Toraja land. This village is completely in old Toraja style. In front of the village one of the rice fields including the common water buffalos.
This one of the traditional Torajan houses (tongkonan). Above the porch you can see the horns of sacrificed water buffalos for one of the family's deceased.
I've been told they keep all kinds of food and stocks in these small 'tongkonans'.
This is a funeral ceremony we were invited for by a local. After a 45 minutes drive with a motorbike on a 4 wheel drive road we finally arrived in a small village. We were guest of the family. Of course we had to present them a small gift.... a package of cigarettes.
Another family comes to show respect and present some gifts to the family of the deceased.
Depending on the importance of the deceased, animals are being offered, sometimes more than a 100 water buffalos. Mainly water buffalos and pigs are the unlucky funeral attendees.
Don't think these animals are cheap! One buffalo can cost up to 8000 dollars! Some of the families literally go bankrupt..

On the waiting list...
A Torajan funeral attendee in traditional funeral clothing.
There is also the possibility to drink Tuak (palm wine) for the men. The man on the right side is the head of the village.
The Torajan people have various ways for burying their death. The most common one is the burial in coffins in caves. Every puppet represents and looks like one of the deceased. All the coffins are filled with the skeletons of one family.
Of course the wooden coffins rot and skeletons are spread out all over the place.
If a baby dies in the Torajan world it is buried in a tree. The Torajans believe that the baby will continue to grow, the same way the tree will continue to grow.		ndonesia consists of 18.108 islands and has got more than 200 million citizens. It's roughly situated between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. It's got a hot and humid climate throughout the year. Indonesia is one of the most beautiful and interesting countries I have visited. The scenery and wildlife is just breathtaking, volcanos, jungles, clear waters and tons of other things to mention. What makes it even more diverse is the mix of different religious groups and the dedication to its original culture. Even though most of the Indonesians are Muslims nowadays, it has not always been like that. The majority of people was Hindu once and ruled by the Dutch for a few hundred years. The interesting part is that even though there is an immense diversity of cultures and ethnic groups, you can still find that 'authentic' Indonesian culture floating above. Indonesia is huge; travel is not that easy and will consume a lot of time. However you will be rewarded greatly for it. Once you get tired of one island, you just go to another and will find a world of differences. The first page is about Bali. The following pages are from South to North Sulawesi.   Bali The Westernized Hindu island of Indonesia. There is more than partying in Kuta and Sanur..   South Sulawesi - Bira The most southern tip of West Sulawesi. Very quiet..     South Sulawesi - Makassar (Ujung Pandang) A modern and fairly big city in South Sulawesi.     South Sulawesi - Makassar & Tana Toraja The Toraja people devote a great deal of their lives to the death. They have fascinating burial rituals and ceremonies.     Central Sulawesi - around Tentena Near Tentena you can find some beautiful scenery.     Central Sulawesi - Poso, Ampana & Pagimana Another beautiful area, but still unstable (mid 2003) after the 2000 massacres. The abundance of military force and the tension are noticable.     Central Sulawesi - Togian Islands The laidback islands from the bounty commercials. Although not easy to get to, a must do, if you have the time and can bare the hassle of getting there.     North Sulawesi - Tomohon Near the "big" city of North-Sulawesi lies Tomohon, In the shade of volcano 'Lokon'. Try the Minahasa kitchen, visit some of the interesting markets and explore the thermal activity.   North Sulawesi - Manado Probably one of the dirtiest cities on this planet, but it's definitely got some character. Conveniently situated for exploring North Sulawesi.     North Sulawesi - Bunaken Absolutely superb diving and relaxing on Bunaken and surrounding islands. North Sulawesi - Tangkoko One of the National Parks around volcano Tangkoko. You can find e.g. the Tarsius primate, many tropical birds, monkeys and pristine beaches.