Tantalizing Tana Toraja, Indonesia

I've been to Tana Toraja once on work trip. It's on South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Since it's an official trip, I didn't get to spend time exploring this cultured rich province. I've read about it and even saw documentary of the funeral rituals and processions, the elaborate feast and celebration of the death and what not. I know, it's a near missed not to visit and experience it. But work is work kan. You can't really venture into adventure on your own at your company's expense.

Map of Tana Torajam South Sulawesi

Anyhow, until I have the opportunity to re-kindle with Tana Toraja and its wonder, here's some useful info, pictures and VIDEO on Tana Toraja.

  

Excerpt from Lonely Planet (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/sulawesi/tana-toraja):

Introducing Tana Toraja

A trip to Tana Toraja is like a cultural documentary brought to life. Sweeping and elaborately painted houses with boat-shaped roofs dot terraced rice paddies where farmers work the fields alongside their doe-eyed buffalo. It’s an island hemmed in by mountains on all sides and rich with traditional culture. Life for the Toraja revolves around death, and their days are spent earning the money to send away their dead properly. Funeral ceremonies bring together families who may have dispersed as far as Papua or even Australia. 

Some of the mannequins at the burial site

Buffalo and pigs are sacrificed, there is a slew of traditional dances and enough food and drink for everyone who can make it to the party. High-class Toraja are entombed in cave graves or hanging graves in the steep cliffs, which are guarded over by tau tau (life-sized wooden effigies) carved in their image – you’ll find these eerie yet beautiful cliff cemeteries scattered throughout the region.

The slaughter of the buffaloes in respect of the death

The biggest funerals are usually held in the dry-season months of July and August, but there are funerals (even big ones) year-round. During July and August the tourist numbers swell to uncomfortable proportions and prices soar. Outside these months, you’ll share this cool countryside with the locals and only a handful of foreign travellers. While most people consider attending a funeral a highlight, Tana Toraja also offers some great do-it-yourself trekking opportunities where you can explore the fresh and clean outdoors and meet some of the most hospitable people you’ll ever encounter.

The eerie sight of cave where the dead are finally buried. They were buried up high on the rock. The higher, the respected is the dead to the people

 *Disclaimer: images are courtesy of google images taken from various site. Video is taken from Youtube.

Til then, enjoy!

apekTRAVELS

Bali Kuno (Viewer's discretion advised)

This is the old video I've gotten from youtube. The documentary about bali long before tourism hits. I must say, it's very rustic, pristine and amazingly beautiful. Bali today is definitely not the same. Luckily the culture still thrive and closely guarded. 

So guys, enjoy! 

Menghapus Jejakmu

Well.

We all have that one song that remind us the good (or bad) times we had while abroad. Mine, PETERPAN. Yup, there were this significant years where I traveled back and forth to Indonesia like nobody's business. Some work related, some personal and some in-between. 

I got to know this Menado girl whom I met at Starbuck near Sari Pan Pacific. The ones across the Sarinah. Yup. I was sitting alone, killing time and flipping through some magazines. Oh, I stayed at Sari Pan and I couldn't sleep and it was about 11-ish at nite. It was Friday night and Starbuck was packed with young hips and trendy. Across the sofa, there were this group of 3; a boy and two girls and one of 'em smiled at me. So, I smiled back and she came toward me and we had a very good chat for about one hour. Then, she and her friends invited me to see Marcell's live performances at this club - can't remembered anymore. 

On the way back in her friend's car Peterpan's song played on the radio. It was "Menghapus Jejakmu". Ok that's it. Not gonna write anymore. heh. enjoy the video peeps!

Terus melangkah melupakanmu
Lelah hati perhatikan sikapmu
Jalan pikiranmu buatku ragu
Tak mungkin ini tetap bertahan

Perlahan mimpi terasa mengganggu 

Kucoba untuk terus menjauh
Perlahan hatiku terbelenggu
Kucoba untuk lanjutkan hidup

Engkau bukanlah segalaku
Bukan tempat tuk hentikan langkahku
Usai sudah semua berlalu
Biar hujan menghapus jejakmu

Terus melangkah melupakanmu
Lelah hati perhatikan sikapmu
Jalan pikiranmu buatku ragu
Tak mungkin ini tetap bertahan

Perlahan mimpi terasa mengganggu
Kucoba untuk terus menjauh
Perlahan hatiku terbelenggu
Kucoba untuk lanjutkan hidup

Engkau bukanlah segalaku
Bukan tempat tuk hentikan langkahku
Usai sudah semua berlalu
Biar hujan menghapus jejakmu

Lepaskan segalanya
Lepaskan segalanya

Engkau bukanlah segalaku
Bukan tempat tuk hentikan langkahku
Usai sudah semua berlalu
Biar hujan menghapus jejakmu

Engkau bukanlah segalaku
Bukan tempat tuk hentikan langkahku
Usai sudah semua berlalu
Biar hujan menghapus jejakmu

apekTRAVELS

Seek. Then you will find me.

 

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

- Gustave Flaubert

Being able to travel opened my eyes ever so widely and made me realize that we are nothing and insignificant in this tiny universe we live in. So much so that I pause and wonder why such cruelties among other livings are still rampant. The world is a beautiful place and it offers a majestic view to each of us. 

My journey to Ireland was truly an eye opener. Despite challenging weather (well, typical Asian I am!), I was in full gear and anxiously ready to go out. The trip to Cliffs of Moher was a highlight and the first sight of it made me scream quietly in admiration of the Almighty's creation. The 3 hours drive through one of the most picturesque landscape was all worth it. The nasi lemak and fiery sambal ikan bilis was heavenly delicious against the cold weather of Galway.

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

- Henry David Thoreau

We venture into the unknown not to prove that we are adventurous or that we are different or even a thrill seeker. We delve into uncharted territories in pursue of self discovery and discover ourselves. The treacherous road to Mount Merapi was quite scary but it did not match the solemn atmosphere of the shelter camp that killed the villagers when Mount Merapi erupted. It was eerie and you could almost felt the fear and sadness of the deceased. Afar, we saw this huge mass of desolation, a testament of Merapi's wrath. In silence, we wept.    

"Twenty year from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail.Explore. Dream. Discover."

- Mark Twain

Travel is dubbed as escapism and means to free oneself from the torturous life one's lead. But, travel is also a way for us try something new and see the world in different perspectives. Instead of going to densely populated tourist spot, let yourself loose in the midst of locality for that is when the hard truth lies in. There has been far too many cosmetic outlet which offer a glimpse of culture which has not been a true representation of what it should be. Mixing with the locals would make you realize that the real gems are woven at the heart and soul of its people; not the exhibit shown at the tourist center. 

I had the opportunities to dine with the local in Omdurman. We drove into a housing area, not your typical brick house, but aisle of houses made of mud. We stopped at a makeshift tent near the white Nile. There were few ladies busy prepping the food for our lunch. The weather was hot but not humid. In Sudan, you don't sweat but the heat was quite unbearable (imagine the heat of bonfire hitting your face. Yup, that's how hot it was). Well, after 20 odd minutes, the lunch was prepared. No table, no chair and no fancy China. What was served was a grilled lamb in basin, a chilled drinks in plastic cannister and a bowl of jarjil (rocket salad). That was it. BUT IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS THAT I COULD STILL TASTE IT. So tasty that so far, no Arabs restaurant could match it. And, I've tried so many Arab cuisine.

Postcards from BROMO, Surabaya

Amik guna Sony Z3 ye. No filter, no edit. Just as is. Lawa kan. Btw, that's Gunung Batok. Sebelah je dgn Gunung Bromo. Gunung Batok is an inactive volcano.

Cart selling food. Indonesian street food.

Ok, I don't intend to write much. 

As in previous post, I will let the photos do the talking. But of course, there'll be few descriptions, tips, secrets and trades here and there. 

Jadi, selain tengok gambau, haruslah membaca jugak. I promise, it's not gonna be lengthy ya. 

The 5 of us; fazli, me, mail, azrol, and yai

Basically, there were 5 of us in this backpack adventure. All my good friends way back from high school and MMU. Three of 'em reached Surabaya a day earlier while Fazli and I came the day of the trip.

TIPS: 

"TO SAVE COST, BOOK EVENING FLIGHT (PREFERABLY 2PM - 5PM FLIGHT). THIS IS BECAUSE THE TRAVEL TO BROMO WOULD BE IN THE EVENING AT ABOUT 10PM. SO, YOU'LL SAVE MONEY ON 1 DAY STAY AT THE HOTEL. INSTEAD OF CHECKING IN, THE DRIVER WOULD PICK YOU AT THE AIRPORT AND DRIVE STRAIGHT TO BROMO. YOU CAN KEEP YOUR LUGGAGE IN THE VEHICLE. IT'S SAFE (well, at least with my driver). YOU WILL ONLY CHECK IN AT THE HOSTEL / HOTEL ETC ONCE COMING DOWN FROM BROMO. JIMAT DUIT!"

So, my journey starts here. We flew via Airasia. The tix cost us RM410 for return trip. Ok la, considering last minute purchased. We reached the newly refurbished Juanda International Airport at about 6-ish pm. The last time I was at Juanda, the airport was old and you get the 80s vibe with it. I was told the old airport is still in used and it's just next door. 

Sampai2, supir dah standby. Perkara pertama: MAKAN. We requested for makanan asli Surabaya and the supir took us to PADIN - Fame for its nasi bebek (it's duck rice or itik in BM). 

they grilled it near the customer. dok jauh2 kalo xnak kene asap.

Ni la nasi bebek. With sambal - boleh pilih type of pedas - kurang, pedas, sgt pedas, sampai la ke level setan

the pre-cooked bebek and chicken. they grilled or deep fried according to your request

same goes with the vege here.

The dinner is delicious and it cost us about RM8 ringgit inclusive drink (teh botol la apa lagi. but there are juices too). 

TIPS: 

"If you have weak stomach, be extra careful consuming iced drinks. Wise, request chilled drinks with no ice cubes. There's nothing worst than enduring painful stomach ache when traveling!"

1. The evening ride took about 3 hours from Surabaya. We left at about 9.45pm after fetching 3 three that arrived a day earlier at the hotel.

2. First stop was Sukapura, it was about 12.50am Thick fog welcomed us. I slept the whole journey, needed the energy for the activities later.

3. After light snack and coffee, the journey continued and we braved through Desa Jetak in the wee hours in pursue of majestic view of the sun shedding it's first light.

4. To get the best view of the sunrise over Bromo, we have to go through another peak; Penanjakan. Oh yeah, at Desa Jetak we changed vehicle to Jeep for the steep ascending to Bromo. The supir from Bromo waited for us at Desa Jetak with his Innova. 

5. The steep and treacherous road could easily make one puke. It was a helluva roller coaster ride.

 

6. You gotta give your hats off to the driver of Bromo for their ability maneuvering through this small and bumpy road. The ascending to Penanjakan is super crazy with 60 degree climb and if that's not challenging enough, the turn and swivel is 360 degree. GILA!

7. We finally get the reason why the supir insisted on arriving early at Penanjakan; THE SEAS OF HUMAN. If you arrive early, the Jeep could park near to the Penanjakan steps. If not, you will have to walk with ascending of about 35-45 degree. Masak oi. We managed to park very near, so no need to walk that far.

the walk.

jagung bakar!

the map of bromo and its surrounding at one of the cafe near Penanjakan

It's quite expensive here. But hey, dah dekat puncak, what do you expect kan.

And if you are too lazy to walk, there's Ojek (motorcyclist to take you up) with cost of about IDR35-50k one trip.

Tah apa yg si Fazli buat tu. Btw, tu la Ojek --- brader2 yg atas motor tu yg offer servis

TIPS:

"YOU GOTTA BUY THE BROMO TSHIRTS AND SOUVENIRS AT PENANJAKAN AS IT'S NOT AVAILABLE IN SURABAYA. WELL, I TRIED TO FIND IT AND TO NO AVAIL. BE SURE TO BARGAIN COS THE PRICES ARE EXPENSIVE HERE. TAK BELI NANTI MENYESAL."

8. When we reached the top of Penanjakan, there were plenty of people already. Yup, in Indonesia if they say not many people; trust me it's a lot in Malaysia term. 

Ni just a few ye. Ada lagi right and left and bawah belah sana. Bertabah lah.

Gua main redah and panjat the brick fences to get clear view.

9. The weather here at 2-3-4 am is very cold. Wear thick layer of clothes if you are not cold-friendly people. It's about 1-2 degree Celsius. 

10. Mail didn't wear enough layer I guessed that he resorted to rent the jacket from the curbside rental.The rental cost him IDR50k as opposed to IDR10k when we were at the parking area.

TIPS:

"IF YOU WANT TO RENT JACKET, RENT IT AT THE PARKING AREA, ON THE WAY UP. DO NOT RENT IT WHEN YOU ARE AT THE STEP OF PENANJAKAN. IT'LL BE TWICE OR THRICE EXPENSIVE FROM THE ONE OFFERED AT THE PARKING AREA"

11. We were unlucky that day because the sun is shy and the fog is very thick. Sedih.

Yup, that's just about it. It came out for a while and disappeared.

12. Nevertheless, all is not lost. We were compensated with majestic view of Bromo and Batok over Penanjakan when the sun shone and create this luminescent effect. (mcm photos kat bawah) Vain alert! heh.

Suka Mail. Nampak Bromo kt blkg. Time aku, ilang abis Bromo tu. Haih!

Yup, bkn aku je jakun. Everyone is!

Fazli acah2 natgeo photog. Bangga nau dengan Samsung tu!

The five of us

Dengan Fazli. Yang duduk kanan sekali tu tak kurang jelita. Eh.

13.  We spent about 2-3 hours at Penanjakan for sunrise and getting all hype about seeing Bromo-Batok-Tengger for the very first time. Bawah ni pulak, view coming down from Penanjakan... Aihhh every corner is so beautiful.

14. Next, the driver drove us down and we headed to Gunung Batok-Bromo. It's 20-25 minutes drive from Penanjakan that we finally saw how dangerous the road was. Masa naik gelap tak nampak kanan kiri. Gila lah.

15. The driver parked right in front of Batok and it's 1.5km walk through the dune from here. We were a bit lucky as it rained the night before and its a bit damped thus making our walk easier as no sands affecting our vision.

Jeep2 yang sedia berkhidmat

yang belakang tu la Penanjakan

16. If you do not want to walk, there are horses for rent. 

TIPS:

"TO RIDE HORSE, YOU GOTTA DEAL VERY CAREFULLY. THE RATES ARE DIFFERENT FROM ONE OPERATOR TO ANOTHER, DEPEND ON THE DISTANCE AT THE POINT YOU RENT. IT RANGE FROM IDR50K TO IDR250K. AND, DO NOT PAY IN ADVANCE. PAY ONLY WHEN YOU ARE RETURNED BECAUSE THE RENT IS FOR RETURN TRIP, NOT ONE WAY. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL END UP WALKING DOWN. SO, HATI-HATI."

 17. Nevertheless, semalas mana pun korang, the horse will only take you as far as the step of Bromo. Kat situ, TETAP kena daki ye. It's about 55 degree climb. With thin air (you are on top of mountain yea), climbing up can be challenging. Kena fit la sikit. 

18. There are about 240 steps before you reach the top of Bromo. The mystic behind it, no one can get the exact number flight of stairs correct. It vary from one person to another. So said the driver. hmm.

Memang menyirap kalo tgk.

19. At this point, I was actually cut off from others. Mail Fazli and Yai was up front walking while Azrol and I was talking behind. We didn't realize they went for toilet break. Azrol decided to ride the horse while I wanted to walk. So, I was like all alone from the steps to the top. I reached the top quite fast only to realize nobody's there. After 20 minutes or so then I saw Azrol. Then only Fazli, Mail and Yai appeared one by one from below the steps of Bromo. Aihhh. 

The very much active Bromo.

20. This is the view on top of Bromo. Still very much active and way bigger than Tangkuban Perahu in Bandung. 

21. The top of Bromo is kinda elongated and form a shape of a ring around it with not much space to walk and very steep. Imagine with plenty of people on top of it. Pheww, a bit nerve wrecking. Not a fancy thing for those whose afraid of heights. 

Well hello there!

View from the top of Bromo. The building is a Temple dedicated for the spirit of Bromo. There is an annual prayer for Bromo which falls on the 1st of Muharam (coincide with Ancient Indonesia Hindu calender). The procession is leaborated and mystical. You may want to come during this celebration.

22. Kitorang turun bawah and headed to one of the makeshift stall for coffee and breakfast. if you are Muslim, be cautious here as most villagers here are Hindus. We ordered for cup noodle, just to be on the safe side. 

Kenyang perut hati senang. 

23. Once done, the drive took us to Teletubbies or Savannah. Very much different from the dune of Batok and Bromo. Savannah offers lush greenery and beautiful scenery. We spent about 30 minutes or so for some photographs, by some, I mean a lot. hahahaha. The sun was so bright and kinda hot but the cold wind brushed it off and made it pleasant. Ni pix kat bawah tuuuuu:

our ride!

one for the album!

hahahaha mcm2 perangai si fazli nih.

24. Last stop was PASIR BERBISIK. There's a movie named after this place which starred Dian Sastro (melting), Christine Hakim and Slamet Raharjo. Link kat bawah ni:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE6aOsWNImc

25. Pasir Berbisik or Whispering Sands got its names from the breeze of wind gushing to the black sands and forms the whisper-like hiss. As if someone is whispering to you.

26. To really experience it, and to really enjoy this area, you gotta go with small crowd with less jeeps and vehicles so that you will get to hear the whispering sands. Otherwise, you'll be staring blankly and start to wonder the fuss is all about here. hmmm. 

27. It is here that I was able to capture the formation of cloud just few hundreds meter away. It was breath taking since you are actually on top of mountain of a mountain. Cool. Pix as below:

ONE LAST HURRAH

28. We came down to freshen up at Desa Jetak where Pak Zainul (the supir) waited for us diligently. It was about 11 am that we made our journey back to Surabaya. 

29. We initially planned for hiking and waterfall at Mardakaripura but was strongly advised against it by Pak Zainul and the jeep driver because of the terrestrial raiN. They afraid we might be trapped when the heavy rain from the mountain flood the area. So, we cancelled it. 

30. Remember, when you go for Bromo trip, please go to Mardakaripura waterfall! 

31. We slept the whole journey and since we have times to spare due to the cancellation of Mardakaripura waterfall, Pak Zainul took us around for food and sightseeing in Surabaya.

Well, that's gonna be another entry to tell. Yea, together with the budget for this trip as well. I spent RM500++ for good 4 days 3 nights which covered lodging, food, taxis, Bromo packages and some shopping.

Ciao.