#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Indonesia Forum >  >  KW treks Tana Toraja

## kingwilly

Tana Toraja is in the middle of Sulawesi. High in the mountains, the only way to see the place is by foot (or perhaps bicycle). Apparently the best time to go is August, for all the funeral ceremonies they have then, but I found last week during rainy season to be great. It rained every afternoon, for one or two hours, and that was it, the rest was all blue skies. 

Few tourists around, it was great.

Firstly, location.

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## kingwilly

Typical Torajan style house. (this was a tourist village, but the houses are still authentic)

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## kingwilly

The houses are handcarved, the circle represents the universe and the rooster is life, or something like that.

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## kingwilly

Traditional carving.



I decided to buy this carved picture



but after wrapping it the lady decided she wanted 50,000 IDR more than what she had quoted me. I grumbled and she wouldnt budge so in the end did not buy it.

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## kingwilly

Tana Toraja is famous for it's graves. Hanging graves, cave graves, all sorts.

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## kingwilly

A crypt (for important people)



less important people just get their coffins stacked in a cave.

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## Johnny Longprong

Very interesting KW. Looking forward to the mountain walk.

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## kingwilly

these two skulls are supposed to be a pair of teenage lovers who were not allowed to marry, so they killed themselves. 



dunno, who these are supposed to be, I wonder who placed them on the rock like that, it wasnt me. 



carved wooden effigies of the dead also adorn their resting places.



a carved coffin.



old coffins break over time, spilling the contents.

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## kingwilly

Some mountain views along the way.



this valley is a little bare.







this one is called Vagina Mountain, apparently, not sure why  :mid:

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## The Fresh Prince

Do they bury the bodies first in the coffins and then open them up to display the bones or do the just stick the heads on the rocks and wait for the flesh to decompose? coz the later would be a bit creepy.

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## WujouMao

> Typical Torajan style house. (this was a tourist village, but the houses are still authentic)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> this one is called Vagina Mountain, apparently, not sure why


i recently watched series 2 of Charlie Boorman's By any means possible. looks just like the village he stayed in. it really looks fab. i really need to see Indonesia

as for that last photo' yes i saw that too on his program. looks like a shaven pussy if you ask me




> Do they bury the bodies first in the  coffins and then open them up to display the bones or do the just stick  the heads on the rocks and wait for the flesh to decompose? coz the  later would be a bit creepy.


the tribes of Sagada in Philippines have a similar practice, thought not many are buried on the side of the wall or in cavens

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## bleedinggums

The local dogs must be in heaven.

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## kingwilly

The guide heard that there was a funeral on, lucky for us, not so lucky for whoever died. The mourning goes on for 5 days, we were allowed, welcome to visit on the 3rd day, bring packets of sugar and cigarettes as a gift.

The road was somewhat rugged to get there...

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## kingwilly

but nice views alone the way, we walked the last few kms.

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## kingwilly

Day 3 of the ceremony is when they sacrifice the pigs, we saw approx a dozen pigs trussed up like this one. They got paraded up and down the hill for the ceremony, until one at a time they got taken round the back of a tree for the proverbial machete into the throat.





the leaves are to stop the guts making a big mess.

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## kingwilly

queues of visitors trooped in and out. 




They had set up waiting areas for visitors, I guess these were from another village.

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## kingwilly

kids all over the place.



recieving visitors. (traditional costume)



A visitor.

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## kingwilly

more people arriving, the shelter at the back is temporary. 






The family sat here all day singing sad songs and laments over the PA.

The pigs were carried up and down to be laid out in front of them and then carried back down. I didnt wait, but later that day and the next they sacrificed about 20 buffalo also.

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## kingwilly

The pig and buffalo meat later ended up in these hollow bamboo tubes, stuffed with lemongrass and other things. tasted delicious.



and the walk back to the road afterwards.

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## kingwilly



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## kingwilly

Every 6 days in Toraja they hold the market, but it also cycles between 3 or 4 different towns/locations. So I went for a visit.

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## kingwilly



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## WujouMao

great photo's mate. keep 'em coming

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## Happyman

Bloody great stuff KW!

Wish I was 40 years younger 'cos I would be queuing up to join you !

 :Smile: 

Did all the ethnic stuff when I was working ( S America and Africa) but never had the chance to stop for more than a night anywhere and take it all in.
Panic dashing from one site to another fixing their heavy plant and generators !!

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## Mathos

Excellent thread Monkey-Man.

That's a compliment by the way in The Dylan mode.

"Tweeter and the Monkey Man"

Keep it up, very interesting. 

I have seen very similar back in the early and mid 80's.

Your thread roused some distant memories starting with a trek to the top of
Mount Batur, followed by a killer of a jaunt up Mount Agung.

There's a great deal more including a run in with some Bali Aga or Trunyan's as I think they were also called.

Apparently their village across the lake is now a tourist attraction.

We paddled across in a dug out log with Yeoman, a cousin of Norman's about 1983/4.

Bodies laid out on the ground and left to rot, no coffins or burial.


Green for you Monkey-Man.

*Can't donate a Green at present, appaprently it's not koshe.  Sorry.  Later.*

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## billy the kid

Great photo's KW.   Interesting ,beautiful and wild. Enjoyed all .

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## kingwilly

> Green for you Monkey-Man.
> 
> Can't donate a Green at present, appaprently it's not koshe. Sorry. Later.


 no worries mathos, comments alone are appreciated,

Apprently this place gets a lot of European tourists, but I think during the week I was there I perhaps saw less than 10 other couples, rainy season puts them off. Having said that, I'd never heard of Tana Toraja prior to travelling to Sulawesi last year. But maybe I'm just an ignorant monkey.

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## Propagator

> But maybe I'm just an ignorant monkey.


Gotta requote that for posterity  :Smile:

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## kingwilly

bugger.

basturd.

you know what I meant.

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## Johnny Longprong

Thanks for a great thread KW. I was thinking it must have been a bit on the bugle in those caves.

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