My second time to visit the coffee regions of Sulawesi was more immersive, but I still wish it could have been longer! Toraja is beautiful!
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... is not that easy to get to … well, at least the coffee areas. Long ago they canceled the air service to the Toraja coffee fields from the main city of Makassar in the south (Sulawesi Selatan).
The flight would be just 55 minutes and land near the capital of the Tana Toraja highlands, Rantepao. The drive is 8 hours, if you are lucky, but more like 9 or 10 if you stop for a couple breaks.
It’s sweatyUsually a taste defect, reminiscent of the smell of flavor of sweat, sometimes considered mildly positive.: Usually a taste defect, reminiscent of the smell of flavor of sweat,... and hot in the Makassari and Bugis lowlands, following coastal rice fields, and eventually you catch site of a tall escarpment with huge volcanic cliffs, a sign of relief from humidity.
As you wind upward the temperatures drop, but as in so many places with winding two lane roads, you risk getting stuck behind a smog-belching bus or truck crawling up the inclines at 10 mph.
Rantepao itself is a bustling center of commerce but also has the tarnish of a tourist destination past it’s prime and half empty. Even in this season, July and August are the prime tourist months because it is the time of the famously elaborate Torajan funerals, the hotel was only slightly more occupied than last time I was here.
It’s when you leave this town that the beauty of Toraja becomes apparent, and I can’t possibly hope to do it justice with these photographs here.
The most fascinating aspect of Toraja is the culture, and in that too my knowledge is regrettably lacking. But this was the first time I was able to see many things in Toraja, including the more remote local markets of Sapan and Minanga towns, local processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... at small farms, and the conclusion of a 6 day funeral.
While, like many visitors, my contact with the local life is insubstantial, I take it for what it is, and try to learn as much as possible, not just about coffee production but about people. The more I travel, the more I know that coffee is not about trees, it’s about the practice of the people who tend those trees, and in that sense, my wayward interests in road signs and trucks, t-shirts, food, graves, dogs and children is all about coffee. -Tom, August 2010
View of Makassar from the water. – A trip to Pulau Samalona, an island 30 minutes from Makassar, Sulawesi. Sulawesi Paint textures, Makassari fishing boat – A trip to Pulau Samalona, an island 30 minutes from Makassar, Sulawesi. Sulawesi Taking supplies to the outlying islands off Makassar – A trip to Pulau Samalona, an island 30 minutes from Makassar, Sulawesi. Sulawesi 
Arrival in Makassar (Ujung Padang) – 30 hours since departure, and 16 hours time difference. Ugh, Hotel view in Makassar. Sulawesi Fishing boat, off Makassar, Sulawesi – A trip to Pulau Samalona, an island 30 minutes from Makassar, Sulawesi. Sulawesi Makassari fishing boats along the shore. – A trip to Pulau Samalona, an island 30 minutes from Makassar, Sulawesi. Sulawesi Pulau Samalona, a short distance off the coast of Makassar, Sulawesi – Sulawesi Ghost freighter off , Makassar, Sulawesi – Most of these look like rusting hulls that haven’t seen action in a long time. Global economic slowdown? Sulawesi Fishing boat and white sand beach. – The corals are very degraded, but still fun diving and a refreshing swim. Sulawesi,Makassar Sulawesi 
Potty on the beach – Washed up, high and dry. Sulawesi Driftwood at Pulau Samlona, off the coast of , Makassar, Sulawesi – Always an easy artsy photo. Sulawesi Boys on an unsupervised holiday – Pulau Samalona – They were all from a Stella Maris school in Makassar, and their parents let them go for a 5 day trip, alone, at 16 years of age?! near Makassar, Sulawesi Sulawesi Super miniature crab, Pulau Samalona – He was a bit stressed being picked up, so he actually left his shell and hopped off onto the send, looking for a safer hiding place! Sulawesi 
Trading cell phone pictures, Pulau Samlona – You got me, I got you. They were unimpressed by the new iphone 4 Sulawesi 
Hey look, American Tourist! – Clue – the one with the farmer tan. Java Sulawesi The Nostalgia boat. Near the Old Dutch Fort, Makassar, Sulawesi – Oh Nostaligia, you keep coming back. Sulawesi Mixed messages – At the Sultan Hasanuddin airport, Makassar, Sulawesi Sulawesi Weathering buildings, en route to Tana Toraja, Sulawesi – Seems like the maritime weather is harsh on everything, especially the overbuilt and ambitious houses. Sulawesi Islamic markers hold ashes – Not knowing much, I think these mark the place where ashes are interred in an Islamic cemetary, according to the custom of the coastal Bugis people. en route to Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi 
The same statue I took a picture of last time I was here. – Sulawesi A great place to stop on the long drive. – On the ong drive between Makassar and Tana Toraja. Sulawesi Sulawesi Great topiary of Sulawesi, Heritage Hotel, Rantepao – Toraja Jeritage Hotel . It’s the fanciest place in Rantepao, and used to be the only option but now there are other good places. Sulawesi Next day at the cofee farm: Toarco Pedemeran Office – GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi The Pedemeran Dog, at the offices. – Old Brown. Kinda mean too. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi The 3 guys that manage Toarco, Yuili, Yoneda, Yusuf – Obligatory conference. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Traditional Toraja weaving – A bueatiful example at the offices. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Aleco, trying to make a footwear decision. – Mud boots were all too small, They murdered my feet. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Only a small part of nursery is being used. – GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Tending the nursery. – They are replanting all the Catimor with S-Linnea = S-795 (India). Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffee prepared for seed, once with a tap root – Seeds are grown in a bed of sandy soil, then transfered. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Yusuf Lotong, plantation manager, shows roots – Roots of young seedling from the bed. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Shade and fruit trees for interplanting at the estate. – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Breaking up the root. Yusuf Lotong, plantation manager, at the nursery – Looking for the straightness of the main tap root from a plant in a plastic bag. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A good mass of root in the plants, ready for the field. – The nursery at Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Less fertilization, less leaves – Some of the areas of the farm look very stressed this year. They are doing only 1 fertilization, rather than the normal 2-3. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Healthy coffee cherry – Ripe and ready. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Flowers on S-795 plant – at the highest plot on the Pedemeran farm. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Pedemeran Organic plot and highest area – GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi 
Very ripe, fairly ripe – A contrast in coffee cherries. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Sorting coffee cherry before submitting them. – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Sorting coffee cherry – This is a good practice to remove over-ripe and under-ripe, before they enter the stream. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A nice smile. – Sorting coffee cherry and posing. Sulawesi Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Sorting, like Kenya – One of the practices that improves the cup quality in Kenya is presorting of cherry by the picker. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Partially ripe – Call them pintones, comayagua, partial ripes – there are a lot of them in here. Sometimes bad, sometimes not so bad. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Paid by weight – Many places pay by volume but here it is by weight. Normal Toraja practice is to pay by volume. The call it Bocho – heaping can. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffee cherry weigh in. – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Bags of cherry ready to be picked up. – Instead of carrying coffee to the mill, a truck goes around to pick up the coffee cherry. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Deep green leaves of a healthy tree – Possibly PM-88 Catimor tree. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A wet day for picking coffee – Rains were intermittent, everything was soaked. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Harvesting by hand, Sulawesi – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Healthy tree, sick tree – Vieny light green leaves mean deficiency or root issues. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi After the rain, everything wet – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Picking coffee in a helmet. Sulawesi – Added protection. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi S-795, with bronze Typica-like new leaf – S-795 is a good old hyrbid from India with a lot of Typica in it. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Ripe cherry among green. – Ripe and unripe in the mix, which is why coffee must be selectively hald picked Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi View of the valley from Pedemeran farm – The farm is actually less planted with coffee than it once was. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi 
Natural Spring at Pedemeran – They have natural springs from the mountain at this farm. GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Jabir Amien, placing fern in the fresh spring water. – He oversees the operation in Rantepao and has been with them for 30 years. At Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Millipede and a mountain crab – At 1300 meters and far away from any ocean, I had never seen a moutain crab! Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Bourbon-like plant – We found some plants with distinct Bourbon clusters. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Millipede asleep – They call them “thousand legs” but in Toraja language, It’s universal. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Politics, everywhere – Even the driver of the Toyota was pluggin someone. Sulawesi Good compost smells, well, good. – Fully composted and ready for the coffee trees: Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Compost Toraja – They have a rich compost of water buffalo crap, coffee pulp and rice hulls. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi YACBP – Yet Another Coffee Blossom Photo. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Our crazy driver with his crasy tiny steering wheel… – and crazy non stop party music too. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Tongkonan at Pedemeran coffee farm – A symbolic gesture, a tongkonan at the farm – Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Traditional Toraja food cooked in bamboo shoot – Hot food cooked and served from bamboo A Toraja tradition. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Posers: Jeremy, Aleco and Ian along with Yusuf, lunch break – A fantastic meal – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Pedemeran Mountain, where the coffee estate gets it’s name. – Pedemeran Mountain is not especially high- highest coffee at the farm is about 1400 meters. Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Tongkonan at Pedemeran coffee farm – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffee permitted, and coffee forbidden. – Moldy naturals and unripe cherry are forbidden, so it seems. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Sample of coffee cherry received from Pedemeran farm – Not great cherry selection, frankly. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Pedemeran mill, cherry collection – GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Sample of coffee cherry received from Pedemeran farm, Another view – So-so cherry selection. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Toarco coffee is demucilaged, then fermented – Toarco estate coffee is wet-process style coffee, and it is fermented overnight after demucilaging. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Parchment coffee after demucilaging and before fermentation. – The added fermetation takes care of the 5-8 fruit that is not removed by the machine. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Shunji and the channels – The coffee is washed down channels after fermentation to clean it. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffee rakes made from rubber tires! – For pushing coffee down the channel in this hybrid wet process. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Under the blue tarp… – Bringing coffee off the drying patio. Estate coffee is sun dried and also machine dried in rice hullers. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffee rake – For rotating the coffee when it is on the patio. Raking ensures even drying. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Mechanical dryers – They use rice dryers at Toarco, something not done elsewhere. They are gas fired and expensive to operate. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Beware of Psychadelic fires – They can really burn you AND blow your mind. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Parchment coffee from the highlands. – The best Toarco coffee is not from the farm. It is purchased from the highland areas to the north. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Resting – Dried lots in parchment, ready for hulling, grading, hand-sorting, and export. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Youch… – I am not sure what the point is of a sign telling you not to hit your fingers with a hammer. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Workers at the farm – Toarco employs many people year round, and then several hundred during the harvest, Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Lot separation – All drying batches are kept separate, Just don’t ask them to buy separate lots though. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Screening the coffee after hulling – Screening the coffee after hulling. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Don’t drop a metal beam on your toe… – … and bleed profusely. Or maybe it is an anti flip-flop sign. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Hand sorting coffee at Toarco mill – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Hand sorting coffee after milling, separation and density grading. Sulawesi Hand sorting coffee at Toarco mill – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Hand sorting coffee after milling, separation and density grading. Sulawesi Hand sorting coffee at Toarco mill – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Hand sorting coffee after milling, separation and density grading. Sulawesi Static sorting like this, not on a conveyor, is the best. – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Hand sorting coffee after milling, separation and density grading. Sulawesi Sewing coffee bags for export at Toarco mill – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Hand sorting coffee after milling, separation and density grading. Sulawesi The sorting room at Toarco mill. – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Fuji Royal Japanese coffee roaster. – Fuji company made copies of the Royal roaster. This is one of the newer Fuji Royals I have seen. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A Probat roaster too. – This is one of the 12 kilo Probat roasters, the back room model: G-12 ? Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Yes it is the World PC Station – A training center at the farm for the local kids. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A garden snake outside the offices – at Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Pedemeran Varietal Garden – Toarco keeps a small cultivar garden with some basic plants. GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffea Liberica – Liberica plant at Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffea Liberica – Liberica plant at Sulawesi, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Coffea Canephora, AKA Robusta – Robusta plat at Sulawesi Toarco cultivar garden, with their distinctive leaf, super wrinkly Sulawesi Coffea Canephora, AKA Robusta – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Catimor Type Kartika 1 – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Catimor Type Kartika 1 – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi PM-88 Catimor – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi PM-88 Catimor – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi S-Linea = S-795 – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi S-Linea = S-795 – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi S-Linea = S-795 – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi USDA Cultivar – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi USDA Cultivar – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi USDA Cultivar – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi USDA Cultivar, flowers – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A graft with Robusta bottom, Arabica top – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi A graft with Robusta bottom, Arabica top – Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Robusta flowers with incredible jasmine scent – Robusta, for better or worse, is a beautiful coffee plant. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Robusta cherry and flower – The beauty of Robusta. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Wet hulled coffee, Toraja – Although we are really into wet-process coffee from here, we were looking over some wet-hulled samples. The difference is that wet-process is dried before hulling it out of the parchment, wet-hulled still has 25-40 moisture when it is hulled. The taste is totally different. This coffee was just hulled, so it is large, and white-green in color. Sulawesi Toarco, Pedemeran Coffee Plantation Sulawesi Bamboo along the way – Bamboo is used for many puposes in Toraja – structure, weaving, utility poles. Sulawesi Christian grave – Toraja is Christian, mostly Catholic, but Toraja traditions are strongly intertwined. Sulawesi Ceremonial Tongkonan – The small tongkonan is for storage of rice and such, but is also used to keep the body of the deceased until the funeral. Sulawesi Rice fields and traditional house in the morning – Sulawesi – Sulawesi Favorite Posters. Mambo restaurant. Rantepao, Sulawesi – Sulawesi Shunji “Boss” Yoneda – the belt I ordered for him from Texas, – Sulawesi The stallions run free. At Mambo restaurant, Rantepao Sulawesi – Sulawesi – Sulawesi Famous Toraja Statue – For a clip of this same statue from the actual front! check out this hot Toraja video: http://batusura.de/indosongs/torajatondok.htm Sulawesi Where we have stayed in the past: Toraja Heritage Hotel – GPS Geotagged Image Sulawesi Cigarettes and gasoline – Urban Mild – a funny brand name to market in rural Sualwesi Selatan. Sell that along with gas (in glass bottles), and you have explosion. Sulawesi Drying rice by the roadside – Any warm flat place is used for rice drying during the harvest time. Sulawesi Right back atcha. – Aleco in Sulawesi Sulawesi 
Helmet for walking water buffalo – Helmet for walking water buffalo, Toraja Sulawesi Right back atcha’ – Sounding off, Sulawesi Toraja Sulawesi – Sulawesi – Sulawesi – Sulawesi 
Protected by Ninja! – … and mirrored glass. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Which way to go? – So many choices, politically and geographically. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Rice terraces of Toraja – Amazing steppes terraced with rice, Tinimbayo, S. Sulawesi Sulawesi Boy on “Wimcycle Agressor 16” – Fanciful naming. At the Tinimbayo viewpoint, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Toraja village, rice fields, forest. – The fields around the homes are called Rantes. Tinimbayo viewpoint, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Detail: Rice terraces of Toraja, Tinimbayo viewpoint – Tinimbayo Sulawesi Aleco gets dwarfed – Politics in large format. Tinimbayo viewpoint, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Tinimbayo viewpoint, Toraja, Sulawesi – GPS geotagged image from Tinimbayo of rice fields and main valley of Toraja Sulawesi Skull and general. – Tinimbayo viewpoint, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Gucci everywhere… – Great market penetration for Gucci in rural Suawesi Selatan! Sulawesi Roadside Typica coffee in Sulawesi – Eaten up by something or other, but still quite healthy. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Inside the tree harvest technique – Picking these old unpruned Typicas from the inside. Sulawesi Tongkonan by the way. – These are the smaller ones, not the homes, used for storage of grain after harvest, and for bodies of relatives yet to be buried Sulawesi Rice or barley? – I am not sure which grain this is, honestly, but found it wuite lovely looking. Sulawesi Typical wood hand pulper, South Sulawesi – A wood hand pulped to remove skins from the coffee cherry. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Ride drying along the road – The rice harvest was in full effect and every spare dry, flat space was in use Sulawesi A Sulawesi “coffee mill” – Complete with hand pulper, floating of the coffee cherry before pulping, and sorting after pulping too. Toraja, Sulawesi Floating coffee cherry – Washing and floating the coffee cherry. Cherry that float have an undeveloped, empty parchment bean in there, and need to be removed. Undripes can be removed too. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi A family affair: sorting parchment – Sorting the parchment after pulping the skin off, and before fermentation. It was a 2 week holiday when we visited. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Cute bug – She was so cute, and like my little guy Ben, can needs a haircut Sulawesi Coffee right after pulping – A mix of underripes and coffee skins. This kind of hand pulping requires a lot of hand sorting to clean up the results, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Family coffee processing, Toraja, Sulawesi – It was a holiday so all the kids were helping out. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Family coffee processing, Toraja, Sulawesi – Sulawesi Sulawesi Gas Station – Sulawesi Old boulders and rice. – Sulawesi is old volcanic terrain so you have well developed soils along with some very rugged boulders strewn about such as this. Sulawesi, Toraja Sulawesi Catholics and Traditional Religion – Catholicism and traditional Toraja customs (Aluk To Dolo) are well knit together in the highlands. Toraja is one of a handful of christian areas in Indonesia, although there are many muslims here as well. The animistic Aluk survives too . Sulawesi Water buffalo and home – Water buffalo are still used as beast of burden, for meat, religion, and as status. Most sognificant events involve ceremonial slaying of water buffalo and pig. Sulawesi Landscape with Tongkonan – Aside from the homes and storage Tongkonans, you see these small ones placed on rocks about, but not near homes. These maybe be child graves, or may also be the funeral biers used to carry the bodies to the cliff burials or vaults. Sulawesi, Toraja Sulawesi Traditional Tongkonan house with water buffalo horns – A Toraja house with status symbols attached to the front: horns. Sulawesi, Toraja Sulawesi Traditional Toraja Dog – Well not really. Looks like a little Chow in the mix. En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Puppies in the coffee tarp. – I think this puppy was cuddling up to a tarp. Where’s mama? En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Another Toraja pulping method. – I have never seen this before – a traditional method to pulp coffee by squashing it while standing on a piece of wood, like a skateboard. En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi No way dude… – We were looking for a demo of this traditional pulping method. Guess this guy wasn’t going to do it for us… Sulawesi After pulping, sorting – This type of pulping left a lot of handwork after. In fact, it looked like she was pulping alot of the cherry by squeezing it with her hands. En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Yet another coffee dog – En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Skateboarding on coffee – Detail photo of the plank which you stand on, like a skateboard, to pulp the coffee out of its skin. This coffee looked over-mature Sulawesi The ceremonial and storage Tongkonan – Smaller Tongkonans are opposite the homes, in a row, in a traditional Toraja Village. Notice the Toyota Kijang truck, the oldest and most primitive Toyota you have ever seen. Sulawesi, Toraja Sulawesi Can you find the man in this photo – I have seen coffee trees this large and unkept before. I have never seen someone climbing them to pick the coffee cherry. Look closely and you will see him up ther… Sulawesi Typica trees by the road. – These are old Typica type trees, unpruned, with moss on the trunk and ferns growing from them. En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Grains on the rocks – Drying on a warm boulder, En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Funeral biers and rock burials – These are funeral biers, beside tombs carved in the rock, on the way to Sapan area. Sulawesi Timber bamboo, with new culms – Bamboo shoots emerge from the ground the same diameter that they will be when fully mature, so the yellowish culms in the foreground seem like projectiles in away. En route to Sapan, Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Two styles of homes, side by side – Not every home in Toraja is a Tongkonan form. Sulawesi New use for a bench seat – Old car seat in front of a new shack, Toraja Sulawesi Toraja house under construction – A traditonal Tongkonan house being built in Toraja. En route to Sapan coffee market. Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi 
A burial potpourri – Rock graves in small boulders, Christian and Toraja iconography, funeral biers, child graves, a bit of everything. En route to Sapan coffee market. Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Coffee truck, stuck – A coffee truck leaving the Sapan market, stuck in the mud headed up hill. There had been a lot of rain in July. Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Bourbon, again. – Something that looks a lot like Bourbon in spacing and cherry clusters. Where are the leaves??? En route to Sapan coffee market. Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Mickey Mouse in the House – En route to Sapan coffee market. Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi GPS Image, Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi – GPS geotagged image Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Fish for sale at the Sapan market. – Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi At Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi – Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Coffee being traded at the Sapan market – Sapan town is around 1600 meters, in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Detail of humid parchment coffee for sale, Sapan Market – This is humid parchment coffee, meaning it is dried less than a day. Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Fashion statement at Sapan – Strategic tears, and, uh, ankle bracelet? Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Is it food for Kitty? Or food OF Kitty? – Confused, at the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Greasy dried meats on unknown origin, Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi – Unidentified, at the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Checking out coffee, at the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi – At the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Kids in full flex fashion, Sapan – At the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Super authentic. – At the market in Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi ??? !!! ??? – I only photograph what’s there – I couldn’t make this stuff up. She was so shy I had to ask here to let me take the picture and I am sure she had no reason why her jacket was, uh, shocking. Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Roadside fighter. – Cockfighing is huge everywhere, In Sulawesi I only actually saw an even down in the lowlands near Pare Pare. Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi – Sulawesi The general store at Sapan – Pots, pans, what-have-you. Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi A refreshing afternoon swim. – Little noodies of Toraja. Sapan, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Dogs of the sand pile – Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi A convenient dog bed. – I think this sand was here as a concrete project for the bridge next to it . No reason not to turn it into a dog bed. Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Kids at the general store near Sapan and Uma – Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Shunji knew the local bigwigs. – The bridge in the background was built by a Japanese company, so Toarco has a fan base in the area. Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Young and old at the market – Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Teddy beard – Hidden among the rocks. Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Rutted roads – Rain had really rutted the roads all over Tana Toraja. Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Toarco coffee buying station in Uma – Uma area, above 1600 meters, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Lose a boot? – Not quite the fashionable colors, but shouldn’t they be? Between Sapan and Uma, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi – GPS geotagged image Sulawesi Again, the nice half blind old dog. – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Coffee pulp, the seed removed – A wheelbarrow of coffee pulp, the skin of the fruit – what is left behind after the seed is removed. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi A typical wood hand crank pulper. – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi A traditional tongkonan granary at Uma station – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Detail of a tongkonan at Uma station – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Chickens and coffee, the 2011 Calender? – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Detail of a tongkonan at Uma station – The platform below the tongkonan is used as a social space. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Demonstration garden. – It doesn’t look like it but there is a coffee garden here, to show pruning techniques to farmers, etc. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Gas can gardening. – Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Houses are always on stilts, with living upstairs. – The Uma managers daughter. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Half blind dog, Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi – He was a really mellow guy, but quite a scruffball too. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi Valley near Uma – This is above 1600 meters, lush and beautiful. Uma buying station, Toraja Sulawesi Sulawesi The local transport. – For coffee, food, goods and people… Uma, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Bugis style hosue in Toraja – A different house style found here. Sulawesi Everyone hanging out at the store … – Near Sapan, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Timber bamboo of Toraja – Another image of the magnificent timber bamboo in the area. Uma, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Puppy of Toraja – A real little guy, hanging out near the grounds of a school that Starbucks helped fund construction, but has never been used by the community. Sulawesi Tight squeeze – The roads are narrow and passing another car can be very difficult. The red toyota was with us, and actually was scratched in this passing. Sulawesi Growing conditions for typical Toraja coffee – Older trees, low production, family harvesting, pulping and fermenting in water for 2-3 days, selling at the local market … Toraja coffee. Near Sapan, Sulawesi. Sulawesi Yet another typical Toraja family cluster – Metal roofs have replaced the pure bamboo type of roof on homes here. Near Sapan Toraja Sulawesi A tomb at Lo’ko Mata Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi A tomb at Lo’ko Mata site. Water is left for the dead – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi This is one of the most astounding burial sites I have seen. – History of this site: “Back in 1480 a young man by the name of Kiding made the first grave in this rock for his deceased father-in-law Pong Raga. The next graves were hewn out of this cliff in 1675 to accept the bodies of Kombong and Lembang, later followed by those of Rubak, Datu Bua’ and others.” – from batsura.de Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi From the other side, bamboo ladders to access the tombs. – More history of Lo’ko Mata: The first Christians in Toraja followed the western habit of burying the dead in the ground as they believed that human beings were created from soil and should be returned to it. Today, however, they have reverted to the traditional way of burying the dead in natural graves (liang) or man-made tombs (patane). People consider the land too precious to be used for cemeteries. Now there are more than 60 stone graves whilst the rock rapidly changes its appearance with time as more and more caves are being made, each requiring between 6 and 12 months of hard work.” Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Lo’ko mata burial site: Lembang Tonga Riu – “Lokomata is situated on the side of Mt. Sesean approx. 1400 meters above sea level and has one of the most spectacular burial sites in that burial caves are chiseled in a huge rock. ” Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi 1600 meter coffee with cherry in Toraja – Coffee near Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi 6 to 12 months work to carve out a tomb. – Tombs are re-used by the family. Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Older and newer tombs. Who left the door open? – You can see the traditional Toraja water buffalo pattern on the right, “pa’tedong” . More motifs can be found here: http://www.batusura.de/ukiran.htm Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi An elabortate Liang Paa’ tomb with water buffalo head. Lo’ko Mata – All these at Lo’ko Mata are carved into rock, so I believe these would all be Liang Paa’. Liang: Complex burial place of a traditional group, which consists of: Liang Sillik : Tomb of the glen /cave Liang Erong : Grave using container erong Liang Toke’ : Hanging Grave on the walls of cave Liang Paa’ : a carved stone grave Patane : Tomb of special building made to resemble a traditional house Tongkonan Sulawesi Photos and flowers, Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Offerings of water, cigarettes, food are continuously made. – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi The western face of Lo’ko Mata burial site – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Recent stonework to make new tombs at Lo’ko Mata – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Smaller boulders on all sides also have tombs. Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi Robusta coffee planted near the burial side at Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial – Lembang Tonga Riu cliff burial, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Lokomata burial site. Sulawesi And that’s the back side of the house! – Extreme decoration from all angles. The Tongkonan. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Broken suspension on the Taft – Oops – we broke one of the cars. The suspension slipped and some springs buckled after the arduous drive – end of the day for that car. Toraja Sulawesi When the bus is the back of a truck – Now that’s community-building. Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi When the bus is the back of a truck, another version – You can bet everyone knows everyone in localities of Toraja. Sulawesi Bouldering – At a very young age. Returning to Rantepao from Sapan, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Waiting out the rain in Rantepao. – Raining outside, steam in the car, interesting photo effect. Rantepao, Sulawesi, Toraja Sulawesi Traditional woven walls of a house – Even the unremarkable and undecorated shows craft and skill. Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi 
Heading home from the funeral with a chunk of meat – On the day that the water buffalo are slain, everyone takes home large pieces of meat. It is distributed in size related to family status. Toraja, Sualwesi Sulawesi Sample roasting in Rantepao – Some serious sample roaster power here – 8 barrels of Probat. Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja Sulawesi “Instant test roasting” – They call it that, but what they are doing is drying humid parchment coffee in one Probat, then immediately hulling it and then roasting it. Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Improvised huller – The actual sample huller wasn’t working so they use a blender! It seemed to work alright. I an sure it damaged the green bean a bit, but the goal of their instant cup test is to get an idea if the coffee was clean or not. Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Rantepao coffee buying station – Producers and middlemen bring parchment coffee, usually with 25-50 moisture content, to be sold in Rantepao. The coffee is graded on the spot, tested and approved. Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Producers and middlemen wait to submit their coffee for inspection – Most people are known, so if there were past issues with inconsitent quality, they are barred from submitting coffee here, and must go elsewhere to sell. Since this mill pays better, nobody wants to be barred! Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi The main way to test the parchment is smell! – Although they actually dry, roast and cup the coffee in a matter of an hour after purchase, they also empty every bag coming in to test smell and look for bad lots. Since coffee is collected from so many small holders, inconsistency is a big issue. Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Incoming coffee from the growing areas – The best coffee in Toraja comes from the outlying northern zones, where coffee is grown above 1500 meters . Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi What fell through the floor boards … – Someone sent their kids under the decking to pick up parchment coffee that fell through! Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi 
Wedding procession in Toraja – A glimpse of the bride, a toyota in full flush of decor, dang this place is exotico, indeed. Sulawesi Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja – Rantepao coffee buying station, Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi 
Wedding procession in Toraja – Along the way, we came across a wedding procession. It’s funny but I swear I saw the exact same thing, at this exact same intersection of streets, when I was here 1.5 years ago. Is it possible they are going around in circles. Sulawesi The next day, muddy mess en route to Minanga – Lots of rain at a time there should not be so much rain, hence the roads are wet and rugged. Sulawesi Rivers are flowing full in Toraja – On our way to Minanga market day, Tana Toraja. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Minanga market day, Tana Toraja – GPS Geotagged Image Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Bintang and magic soda pops – An odd selection of beverages for your enjoyment. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Minanga market day, DVDs and chinese socks – What, you expected traditional Toraja hand-loomed blankets and yokes for your ox? It’s 2010! Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Homie and his frozen treat. – Unique rain gear, or is that to protect some local form of Jeri Curl? Ha! I amuse myself …Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Trading parchment coffee in Minanga – Sitting on a hill of beans – or is the hill of beans sitting on him? Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Toraja food for sale at the market – Toraja food is good food! They make a cabbage leaf role Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Fruity smell, semi-dry parchment coffee in Minanga – Humid parchment that is kept in sealed bags can get very pungent, fruity, moldy, yucky. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Loveliness, at Minanga market day, Tana Toraja – The people of Toraja are really beautiful and unique -Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Bocho – the heaping can – Coffee is purchased a the local markets by the Bocho, a heaping liter can. It is sold to larger buyers in Rantepao or Enrekang as a Saga, a flat can, for the same price it is bought at: the profit for the middleman is the amount of “heap” in the Bocho. I am told Bocho means mountain or hill. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Doling out money for coffee – Doing coffee business in Minanga. Coffee is traded by volume, measured in a standard 1 liter tin can. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Father and son coffee traders – At Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Jammed with trucks, loading coffee – Each buyer has a truck to take coffee collected here direct to the buyer in Rantepao to resell it. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Death metal! – Somehow this friendly guy doesn’t look very “death metal” . At Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Teacher Jacob – He had good English, and like many Torajan people, very personable. We chatted a while… I asked if he had an email I could send a copy of this photo. He said no … Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Cacao traded in Minanga – Cacao is a much larger export from Sulawesi than coffee, but it is mostly grown in lower areas (although I see plenty of it all around Toraja). Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Water buffalo where he belongs, in the water – And they seem to like water a lot too, or mud. It’ doesn’t seem to be about keeping cool . Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi A handsome fella at Minanga – He Stood like a porcelain statue. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi 
A blue-eyed water buffalo – The blue-eye ones are really striking, even from far away. Minanga town, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi True Toraja Daily Life – While some things in Toraja are clearly staged for tourists, even though tourism has steadily declined in the past decade, I appreciate all the country-living activities clearly NOT staged. Like this. Sulawesi Toursist Attraction: Traditional Toraja village – Palawa village is really beautiful, and not fake at all. But there are knick knack shops on the opposite side. Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi White buffalo, black buffalo – The carved wooden head on the Tongkonan is a tradition. These homes are all lived-in. Tongkonan are the traditional Torajan ancestral houses. They stand high on wooden piles, topped with a layered split-bamboo roof shaped in a sweeping curved arc, and they are incised with red, black, and yellow detailed wood carvings on the exterior walls. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Horns galore. – When the government designated certain villages like this as tourist/historic desitinations, they limit the owners ability to update the homes, a mixed blessing. Note all the roofs in Palawa are natural material, not topped with sheet metal. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Traditional Toraja village – Jokingly I asked the woman selling knick knacks how much a dog would cost. It was 10 bucks. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi So damn picturesque – While I know this village is a slight put-on (they would have converted to metal roofs if the government let them) it is a real village anyway. And it is so sweet to the camera lens. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Natural roofs – Most updated roofs have the split bamboo structure but are topped with corrugated metal. In this town it is not allowed. Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi A particularily wide house – The tongkonan roof is said to represent the shape of water buffalo horns and the body, on stilts, is said to be a boat. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi More buffalo horns than thou – Water buffalo are slain in most larger ceremonies, weddings and death especially. A funeral might have 10, 20 or 30 buffalo slain. The horns are used to remind the community of familial importance. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Detail of horns at Traditional Toraja village – Wealth and importance was and is still counted by the ownership of water buffaloes. Traditional Toraja tourist trap, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi A parting view. – One one side of the main thoroughfare are the living Tongkonans, larger; on the other side the smaller granary/storage Tongkonans. The construction of a tongkonan is laborious work and is usually done with the help of the extended family. Actually are three strata of tongkonan. The “tongkonan layuk” is the house of the highest authority, used as the “center of government”. The tongkonan pekamberan belongs to the family members who have some authority in local traditions. Ordinary family members reside in the tongkonan batu.Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Want to buy a boar skull? – One of the little shacks/shops at Palawa sold skulls. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Kids playing cards under the Tongkonan – Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi The card game traded comic and manga characters – Any town where kids are out playing has to be for real, eh? Palawa town Sulawesi Traditional Toraja wood carving. – The Toraja language is only spoken; no writing system exists. To express social and religious concepts, Torajans carve wood, calling it Pa’ssura (or “the writing”). Wood carvings are therefore Toraja’s cultural manifestation. Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Kids playing on the Tongkonan platform – The small tongkonan platform is an important social space. The word “tongkonan” comes from the Torajan tongkon (“to sit”). Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Palawa village. Sulawesi Bori town north of Rantepao – As with all tongkonans, water buffalo horns are mounted to communicate familial status. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi At Bori Kalimbuang, a Traditional Toraja village – GPS Geotagged Image Traditional Toraja Village (on the tourist map), Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Bori Megalith Complex Sulawesi Bori town north of Rantepao – This is a small village next to the Bori complex of stone megaliths. Sulawesi Water buffalo meat at the Funeral Meal – I wasn’t too keen to taste this, but of course I had to! It was gamey, a bit like goat meat, but not as tough as I expected. Remembering the horse I was served in the Batak area of Lintong, I have to say I would take water buffalo any day. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Funeral Meal at Bori – Tourists can come to parts of the funeral ceremonies. Because we were somewhat known to the family, we were actually invited to eat with the guests. Water, popcorn, cookies, rice, boiled water buffalo. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Bori Kalimbuang, Monolith stones , a Rante funeral field. – “The monoliths of the Toraja are called simbuang batu (batu = stone). It is not always evident what a menhir stands for. The stones are raised for deceased of either sex and designed to commemorate persons of consequence after their death. The higher the class of the deceased, the more considerable his status, the larger his menhir. For a deceased of standing, two to five simbuang batu may be set up” – from batsura.de Bori Megalith complex At Bori megalith comlex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Close relatives prepare the casket and funeral bier – The last day (internment) of a 6 day Toraja funeral, a friend of a friend’s father in law. In Toraja society, the funeral ritual is the most elaborate and expensive event. The richer and more powerful the individual, the more expensive is the funeral. In the aluk religion, only nobles have the right to have an extensive death feast. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Bori Kalimbuang; Stone monoliths of varying size, the Rante funeral field – The last day (internment) of a 6 day Toraja funeral. I read that Bori was a tacky tourist Rante, but you can see from these photos it is indeed used and revered by locals. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Ringing the gong. – In front of the funeral bier walked a small procession. These kids ringing a gong, and several people carrying ritual objects, including the deceased’s cane, and an unbrella mounted high on a bamboo culm. The last day (internment) of a 6 day Toraja funeral, a friend of a friend’s father in law. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Meat the dogs didn’t get. Yet. – Leftover carvings of unidentified animal. The last day (internment) of a 6 day Toraja funeral, a friend of a friend’s father in law. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Buffalo blood from the day before… – This was the last day (internment) of a 6 day Toraja funeral; the days previous included slaying of pigs and water buffalo, and the ground was still soaked in blood and water! Sulawesi Boiling water buffalo on site… – Cooking, roasting, boiling meat right on the traditional Rante field, during the funeral celebration. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi The Emcee – There was a catholic priest who conducted a blessing, a solo singer, ritual wailing and praying, then group chants as the funeral bier was sent off on it’s rather short journey to the tomb, only 200 meters or so from the Rante area. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Toraja kids … – While some wore black, most had tshirts and flip flops and everyday clothes. Since it is a long ceremony over many days, comfort seems significant. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi A funeral bier – It seems than once a funeral bier is used, it is mounted to a rock, or placed near others in the are of the tomb or the funeral field (Rante). At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Honored guests. – There are various structures and this one seemed central, and probably those people closer to the deceased. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi Turut=Take part, Berduka=commiserate, Cita=feeling – Turut=Take part. Berduka=commiserate Cita=feeling. I think we can put those together and understand the feeling. Bori Megalith complex Sulawesi Chanting around the funeral bier. – As they prepared to transport the casket on the funeral bier to the tomb, a circle formed and singing began. There were quite a few people who seemed a little tipsy, since many were drinking palm wine served in long, tall bamboo sections. Bori Megalith complex Sulawesi Partyville of temporary structures – Along the road, temporary structures are built for the funeral, which is where we were served food. It is clearly for the “friends of friends” who attend, as the closer family sits directly on the Rante funeral field. Sulawesi We were invited to attend a traditional Toraja Funeral… – It was an aquantance of our host. This was quite a significant funeral – the father in law of a coffee accountant who had died 6 months previous, and the custom is to save the body until the family can afford the funeral (the most costly event in a persons life is their death!) and until the rice harvest, so usually July and August. In Toraja society, the funeral ritual is the most elaborate and expensive event. The richer and more powerful the individual, the more expensive is the funeral. In the aluk religion, only nobles have the right to have an extensive death feast, so I guess he was indeed a noble. At Bori megalith complex north of Rantepao. Sulawesi The passage to death is not easy… – To symbolize the difficulty, regret and sadness of death, those who carry the (incredibly heavy) bier to the tomb, stage a chaotic journey for the poor deceased… Sulawesi Casket in the middle – Here you can see the casket inside the bier, the woven yarn “eyes” (there is something identical in Mexico, and many other places I suspect), and the force of those pushing and pulling on the bamboo frame used to carry the bier. Sulawesi Tipping point – I really thought they were going to tip it – it was very very heavy, and I am sure the center of gravity wasn’t at the base. Sulawesi Push and Pull – Those in front randomly choose to push back, rock the bier wildly, veer off the road, shake it – like a massive tug of war, but with the symbolic meaning that death is not easy, and unlike western traditions, should not be slow, smooth and somber. Sulawesi Stalemate in the funeral procession – There was points of deadlock, and other times of furious dashes forward, using the bier as a battering ram. It was not, by western standards, “respectful” and that was what was so impressive. Later, branches, clumps of grass, dirt and buffalo shit were tossed at the bier, at eachother, at those on the other side. Sulawesi Young and old but all men – It was definitely for the men, as the older people and women, or those in a more somber mood, were far in the front of the bier or lagging behind. Not everyone wants to get plastered with buffalo shit at a funeral! I didn’t- especially carrying a spendy camera! Sulawesi Padding for the casket – The casket was lovingly padded within the bier using pillows and household cushions. Of course, they know what a rough ride is about to occurr. Sulawesi Turning a corner – The way from the Rante to the family tomb was only about 200-300 meters but it took about an hour. You can see why. Nobody complained for lack of excitement though. It was total chaos (from my outsider perspective, I suppose). Sulawesi The somber set – Following the bier was a much quieter group. Sulawesi Traditional items – Here, in the ground, were some of the items carried in front of the procession to the tomb, ie. the umbrella. The cane was also there but not shown. Sulawesi The tomb – While some traditional Toraja burials are in cliffs, hanging graves or tombs, this was a little more prosaic, in a family vault. WHile it is cement, being atop a boulder is significant, as these volcanic rocks are important in the culture. Sulawesi After the chaos … – Cutting the casket free of the funeral bier Sulawesi Woven “eyes” – As I said, I have seen something so identical in Mexico, and perhaps I saw this in Guatemala too. Anyone? Sulawesi Cacao trees in Toraja – As I mentioned, Sulawesi is very important as a producer of cacao, but less so in Toraja as in the south and other areas. Here a cacao tree. Sulawesi Rock tombs around the Bori site. – Nearby were many vaults carved into rock, which takes 6-12 months. Bori Megalith complex Sulawesi Vaults near Bori – As we left there were vaults carved in the boulders, which are a composite volcanic stone. Sulawesi Che is everywhere – In rantepao, Che and Mercedes symbol give some power to an otherwise dull Mitsubishi van. c’mon buddy, are you a rebel or an elitist? Both, eh? Sulawesi Typical Toraja village – As compared to the Palawa village here is a more typical one you might see anywhere in Toraja. Metal roofs are common, laid over the traditional bamboo. Large tongkonans across from the granary/storage small ones. And some newer outbuildings. Sulawesi Lunch near the coffee office – I took this photo last time I was visiting here, but hey, I love these little napkin men. GPS Geotagged Image. Rantepao Sulawesi Sulawesi That’s MISTER Cheuq to you, pal! – Watch out, Cheuq has a billion lights. I wonder how many work, and what would happen of he turned them all on. Sulawesi Back to Londa cave burial site. – Londa cave burial site isbetween Rantepao and Makele, and not that far from the road. It’s makes me feel like a gawker, but is still impressive as well. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Tau Tau at Londa cave burial, Toraja – There are three methods of burial: the coffin may be laid in a cave or in a carved stone grave, or hung on a cliff. It contains any possessions that the deceased will need in the afterlife. The wealthy are often buried in a stone grave carved out of a rocky cliff. The grave is usually expensive and takes a few months to complete. In some areas, a stone cave may be found that is large enough to accommodate a whole family. A wood-carved effigy, called tau tau, is usually placed in the cave looking out over the land. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Tau Tau, newer and more detailed, older and primitive. – Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Traditional casket carving. – Looking closely at the carvings, you seem some motifs that repeat are actually distinct, while it is mirrored down the centerline in general. The pa’tedong (buffalo head) is repeated all the way across. Carving is the visual language of Toraja, since it was not written, only spoken. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Did Lyraas Skin Care kill her? – Londa cave burial site is still being used since it is a traditional site for certian families. Sulawesi Hanging graves (Liang Toke’) at Londa – Skulls and bones peer out of cracks in hanging graves at Londa. Again the types of burials are: Liang: Complex burial place of a traditional group, which consists of: Liang Sillik : Tomb of the glen /cave Liang Erong : Grave using container erong Liang Toke’ : Hanging Grave on the walls of cave Liang Paa’ : a carved stone grave Patane : Tomb of special building made to resemble a traditional house Tongkonan Sulawesi Londa Liang Toke’ burial, Toraja – Another type of hanging grave at Londa cave burial site. Since all these photographed are at the bottom of the cliff, they represent lower levels of the families in terms of status. The high level burials woould be up the face of the cliff. (see picture later) Sulawesi Caskets decomposed – Inside the natural caves, may caskets are placed in any usable flat surface, and many are falling apart to reveal the skeletons. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Offerings – What looks like trash, water bottles, cigarettes, etc, are usually offerings to the dead person of whatever they enjoyed in life. Since everyone in Indo seems to smoke, it’s not surprising there are tons of cigarettes. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Londa is a natural limestone cave at the base – It has been used for burial (Liang) for centuries. Sulawesi Londa cave burial, Toraja – Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Londa cave burial, Toraja – Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Ian Kluse crawls through… – Like last time I came, we decided to go through the tight section – I had my massively dumb camera backpack on and I had to crawl on my belly. Ian traveled light, and could manage on hands and knees. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Beautiful cave forms – The cave itself is quite fetching. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi Caskets, wherever you can fit them. – Crammed in quite haphazardly. Londa cave burial site, between Rantepao and Makele, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi Sulawesi
