I created this video / slide-show for our Honolulu photo club (Eyes of Hawaii), to show them what we experienced when visiting Toraja this past Summer. This was a culture that is beyond anything we have ever experienced before, or even expected to still be active in the 21st century. I am not sure I […]
Indonesia 28 – Toraja 7 – Grandpa’s Last Party
This is the last big party before the spirit of the deceased ascends to heaven in the village of Kandeapi, in Toraja, South Sulawesi. Once the burial is complete, the sprit is finally released. It was a festive occasion, with the friends and family carrying the deceased in the procession from the festival site to […]
Indonesia 27 – Toraja 6 – Daily Life of Torajans
Note: At the end is a description of the legal system for resolving disputes. Though it is (thankfully!) not accompanied by photos, I think you will find it interesting to read… Indonesia is the third largest producer of rice in the world. As we drove through the countryside, we often saw rice terraces sprawl out […]
Indonesia 26 – Toraja 5 – Cave Burials
The funeral practices of the Toraja people are unique, as we have seen in the last few blog posts. They have been unique for centuries, though the specific practices have changed over the generations. We visited the Londa Burial Caves, to see an example of how the Torajan people managed their dead some 800 years […]
Indonesia 25 – Toraja 4 – Pig Heaven
Toraja society is organized along a strict caste system. The person’s caste, or class, is inherited through the mother, and it is strictly forbidden for a woman to marry a man of lower class. The noble, or upper class, is considered to be descended from a person who descended from heaven. When someone of the […]
Indonesia 24 – Toraja 3 – Bamboo Orchestra
We spent several early mornings getting into position to photograph the sunrises over various volcanos. When doing that, you are at the mercy of the weather, and sometimes you get a beautiful photograph, and other times a bust. Here is a sunrise overlooking terraced rice fields at Batumonga, Toraja in South Sulawesi. After the sun […]
Indonesia 23 – Toraja 2 – Raising the Dead
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First off, we apologize for the amount of text in this blog post. Please read it all though. Torajan funerals are very complicated affairs that are likely completely foreign to anything you have ever seen or even considered. Without understanding some of this background, none of the photos or video will make sense. Funerals in […]
Indonesia 22 – Toraja 1 – Death is Just a Part of Life
Tana Toraja, the highlands of Toraja, is known for their coffee, spectacular mountain landscapes, and its unique culture. The Torajan people is an ethnic group indigenous to the mountainous area and known for their elaborate funeral rituals, where death is celebrated. We will be going into the rituals they follow for death in detail over […]
Indonesia 21 – Makassar
Enroute from Bali to Toraja, visitors stop overnight in Makassar, a colorful port city. Also known as Jung Padang, this is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi on the island of Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. Sulawesi is the 11th largest island in the world, and the 4th largest island in indonesia. […]
Indonesia 20 – Bali 11 – Tanah Lot Sunset
Before leaving Bali, we decided to visit Tanah Lot Temple, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations with more than 9,000 visitors daily. Tanah Lot is still an active pilgrimage site, and there were thousands of people bringing offerings and praying at the temple. It is also one of the best locations for […]