Our first weekend after arriving in Makassar was an opportunity for the team to get out and visit a rare and unique place in Indonesia - Toraga. According to Wikipedia: The Toraja area is where a group of people indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi Indonesia. Most of the population is Christian, with others from Muslim and the local Animist. Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites
carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known
as tongkonan, and colorful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.
The team departed Makassar at around 5:30 pm - for the 300 km or 9 1/2 hour bus ride to the area. We stopped at mid way for dinner and arrived at the hotel/resort at around 01:30 am. We got up early and toured with a guide and interpreter seeing a typical village, the two distinct burial types and the baby burial tree. We got some time to relax at the hotel pool and have a nice dinner and an after dinner get together. In the morning we left early for the long drive back, but at least got to see the country side in the daylight. #ibmcsc
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| Traditional Houses being built with Bamboo. |
Traditional Houses in a village. The homes are on the left side and the rice storage is to the right.
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| Javier shopping for a souvenir wood carving. Bargaining was not encouraged but tried. |
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| Jess, Sabine, and Vivek with some new friends at a cliff side burial sight. |
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| Another view of traditional homes. |
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| Me at the cliff side effigy site. |
You can by an effigy at this little stand near the cliffs.
The baby burial tree . . . needs an explanation, more than I will say here.
The Mountain country side - Beautiful.
The team at the Hotel/Resort - Definitely forming and performing well.
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