Mount Lawu, the mythical beginning of Java

Godeliva D. Sari , Contributor , Ngawi, East Java. |

Sunrise seen from Sendang Drajat. (JP/Godeliva D. Sari)

Lawu, which straddles the southern border of East and Central Java, is the volcano for beginners.

At 3,265 meters above sea level, temperatures at the summit can drop to freezing, so bring warm clothes to change into and lighter clothes, which will end up being drenched in sweat, for the climbing. Enough water and energy boosting food is essential, as well as decent boots. With common sense to keep you to the path, you do not need a guide.

A well-maintained track, laid with roughly hewn stones that are reasonably secure, leads right up to the summit. Do not stray off the track as there are many gorges and ravines, covered with vegetation and almost invisible. A crater sometimes spews out toxic gases, so it is wise to check the condition of the mountain with the ranger or the locals at the last village before the trek.

In ancient Javanese mythology, Lawu is called Mahendra and legend has it that the gods who created the first kingdom in Java descended from heaven here. In later history, Lawu was the retreat of the last king of Majapahit, Brawijaya V. On the eve of the Javanese New Year, thousands of adherents of the indigenous Javanese belief - kebatinan - climb to the summit to meditate.

As in other sacred places in Java, names that dot the landscape often echo the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata. The crater, for instance, is called Candradimuka, believed to be the place where the gods boiled Bhima's son Gatotkaca in molten metal to make him invincible. Bhima is the second of the five Pandawa brothers, who are the main protagonists in the Mahabharata.

A cave called Sigolo-golo recalls the name of the cave that the Pandawa brothers, led by the brave Bhima, escaped through when their palace apartment was burned down by their evil cousins the Kurawa.

Brawijaya V had a fascination with honest Bhima, for in the Karanganyar regency (in Central Java), on the Surakarta side of Lawu, he built two fascinating temples dedicated to him; Candi Sukuh which looks almost Mayan and Candi Cetho.

Candi Cetho was "developed" on the orders of the late president Suharto without any archaeological considerations. Irresponsible and inappropriate development is still irreversibly changing the spiritual sites of Lawu. The current building of a Javanese pendapa pavilion with marble flooring, over a sacred stone in the area near the summit called the keputren - the princesses' quarters- by a wealthy businessman, is but one example.

The shortest route to the summit of Lawu begins in the Cemara Sewu village, between the resorts of Tawangmangu and Sarangan. You can also begin from Cemara Kandang, but the trek is longer and the path is not paved. The distance between Cemara Sewu and the summit called Hargo Dumilah is 7 kilometers. The average time needed to climb to the summit is 7 to 9 hours, but if you are fit, you can do it in 4 to 5 hours. Super fit mountaineers fly up in 3 hours.

For the first two kilometers or so you walk through agricultural land, where the locals plant vegetables amongst charred skeletons of trees that stand as a reminder that this area is prone to forest fires. As you go higher the vegetation changes and if you are climbing in daylight, you will begin to notice that inquisitive, orange beaked, brown birds are following you. These are Jalak Gading (Acridotheres javanicus) and are endemic to Lawu. Unlike other wild birds in Java, these guardians of Lawu are protected by the belief that whoever attempts to harm them will get lost and perish. The birds do not have the fear of humans that animals in Java have (except for city rats).

To reach the summit for sunrise, begin climbing in evening. The advantage of hiking in the night is that the sight of the dauntingly steep hills will not deflate your spirits. It is best to chose a time close to full moon in the dry season. You will enjoy the millions of stars in the sky, twinkling, falling, and shooting. There are five resting places on the way to the summit where you can light a campfire if you need to keep warm while you rest but be sure to extinguish the fire properly before you leave and remember that the best way to stay warm is to keep moving. It is dangerous to wander off the track looking for firewood.

At the fifth resting post, you will find a shack by a shallow well that has a tiny spring at the bottom of it. This is the sacred Sendang Drajat and the freezing cold water from this spring is believed to have the power to make the person who bathes in it attain high achievements in life.

Weary climbers enjoying the morning sun at Mbah Parto's shack. (JP/Godeliva D. Sari)

Mr. and Mrs. Parto live in the shack and they sell food and hot drinks at very reasonable prices considering that they have to carry everything up the path that you have just climbed. Next door to their shack is a cave where you can take a nap if you do not have a tent.

Alternatively, you can walk a little further to the site called Hargo Dalem, where Brawijaya V used to meditate. Mbok Yem and her son Muis also have a warung here, and space to rest.

These two places are good places to rest because the worst is over and the summit, Hargo Dumilah is a mere 0.8 kilometers away.

Down the other way from the summit, there is a flat plain called Selo Pundutan with many Edelweiss blooms. The followers of Brawijaya V used to practice martial arts here.

If you arrive at the summit early, take time to explore the sites around it but conserve enough energy for the hike down.

Bring your litter down because the whole track is filthy with energy drink bottles and various items of plastic waste. It is in everyone's interest to make Lawu clean once more.

Tana Toraja: A journey through Celebes Highlands

Stephanie Brookes , Contributor , Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi

The valley of the butterflies seemed a nice place to spend a Sunday. The valley is nestled in a deep limestone gorge, just an hour from the hustle and bustle of Makassar, and I was looking forward to some peace and reflective solitude with the butterflies.

However, I had forgotten that Sunday means family picnic day everywhere in Indonesia.

By 10:00 a.m., there were already loads of people spreading rugs, juggling rice cookers and playing loud music from speakers.

The waterfall of the "valley of butterflies". (JP)

Luckily the portable speakers (all playing different music) remained stationary and I found an escape route. I followed a small trail along the river, which led to a series of waterfalls, and to my delight I found plenty of brightly colored giant butterflies, which are attracted to this scenic valley.

My journey continued on the long highway leading north out of Makassar — the road that takes you on the timeless journey into Tana Toraja.

The Torajan culture, with its elaborate sacrificial funeral rites and sacred burial cave sites guarded by effigies, has fascinated people for centuries. The colorful hand-painted houses called Tongkonans are beautifully decorated in tribal motifs and buffalo horns from past sacrifices.

Torajan culture is said to date back to celestial time as the Torajan people believe they descended from the stars and arrived in starships. It is believed the shapes of their houses resemble those very starships.

I stayed overnight in the town of Pare Pare overlooking the magnificent Makassar Strait, in a hotel perched on top of a hill that offered fantastic views. I was up bright and early the next day for the long, slow drive into the highlands. About five hours later I arrived in Rantepao, the heartland of Toraja country.

At the summit is a place called Buntu Kabobong, which means “erotic mountain”. Why erotic mountain? Well, laid out before you, welcoming you to Toraja, are two enormous geological landmarks that resemble genitalia. To the local people they are known as “Most Holy Penis” and “Most Sacred Vagina”.

This is the place to where the Torajan people claim their first ancestors descended from the Pleiades in starships. Another belief is that the Tongkonan houses resemble a boat-shaped design to allow the soul of a dead person to be launched back to the stars.

The Tongkonans are built without nails and are slotted together with precision, making them strong enough to last a lifetime. The houses stand on stilts enabling a cooling air to circulate; the stilts double as a shelter for the family water buffalo. The slatted floors allow the animal droppings to be collected and reused for crop fertilizer.

The next day my local Indonesian (English-speaking) guide Sada called into an Internet café to check his email. He appeared five minutes later with a big smile on his face.
“We are lucky, Miss,” he said. “Even though the funeral season is usually June and July there is a funeral in progress only 30 kilometers from here.
“It is day three of the funeral and will be the most interesting day: the day of the animal sacrifice.”

Torajan funerals are held only when the families have saved enough money to host the elaborate event. It is necessary to build a complete village to house hundreds of guests over the five-day period. The temporary village is dismantled afterward. The other major cost involves buying animals for sacrifice.

A buffalo about to be sacrificed, with the traditional Tongkonan houses in the background. (JP)

One healthy buffalo can cost up to Rp 40 million (US$4,370) and a pig can cost up to Rp 3 million. It is not uncommon for more than 50 pigs and several buffalo to be sacrificed. For this reason, the dead body may end up being kept in the house for five years or more to await the accumulation of finances.

One of the traditional villages I visited actually had a five-year-old mummified body in the family lounge. The corpse was that of an elderly woman; her husband’s death preceded her own and the family was unable to pay for a second funeral even five years later.

Some of the preserved bodies are stored in ornately decorated sarcophaguses and if you are a man of royal descent, then your royal widow must stay in the same room as the body until the time of burial. It is also not uncommon for a widow to stay there for five years or more.

The widow must stay with the disintegrating corpse and sympathetically “rot” herself, living on a special diet for the entire period, excluding rice products. She must become symbolically dead and is not permitted to leave her husband’s side. Lesser widows and slaves tend to her needs.

To make sure the soul is not neglected, a bowl of food is replenished daily and palm wine poured plus an offering of betel nut or chewing tobacco is made at regular intervals. The Torajans believe it is only through this intense rich ritual that the deceased will always be “a free soul” and become richer in their next life.

It was already 35 degrees when I arrived at the funeral at 10.00 a.m. Sada escorted me along the 1 km trail to reach the temporary bamboo village, which had been erected for the sole purpose of this burial.

If foreign tourists come to a traditional Torajan funeral it is seen as a sign of good luck. In the hierarchical order of status, a foreign tourist is seen as a dignitary, and therefore treated as an honored guest. I had many offers of coffee (homegrown Torajan coffee), for which the area is well known, local cakes and other sweets.

The Torajan society is a highly structured one, with four classes of people, from the nobility down to the peasant class.

Depending on your ranking in the village, you must offer a certain number of pigs or buffalo, which are then slaughtered and the meat distributed evenly among the guests, depending on their ranking in the village society.

A government official records in triplicate every animal given for slaughter and a tax is imposed accordingly.

When a funeral is in process, family members come from all corners of Indonesia; many of the local guests spoke fluent English. In Toraja a nobleman’s son or daughter will have an assistant assigned from birth to accompany him or her throughout early childhood and into young adulthood.

The animal sacrifice had already begun when I arrived. It took place in a specially designed area where pigs and other animals were hauled in to the “circle of death” and killed with great speed and efficiency.

Blood flowed through the middle of the common area and huge chunks of meat were weighed and divided throughout the day according to the ranking and status of the recipients.
A few bamboo pipes went past me, filled with animal blood, but I didn’t dare ask what they were for, or where they were going. I checked my tea was actually tea.

I felt very privileged to attend this ceremonial funeral. In the afternoon I returned to the luxury of the Toraja Heritage Hotel, a magnificent 160-room 4-star property featuring villas designed in the shape of Tongkonan houses.

The hotel had all the finishing touches including a welcoming meet-and-greet service with cold towels and a relaxing head-and-shoulders massage.

Skulls can be found in many hillside locations, on rocks or in cliff faces, the "graveyards" of the Torajan people. (JP)

Next on the agenda was a visit to several of the death cliffs in the area. This is another fascinating aspect of Torajan culture. The dead are placed in chiseled coffin slots in hillsides, rocks or cliffs.

Some have effigies placed in the open doorways to guard the spirit of the dead body. Others are left open, exposing the bones for all to see.

On day five I decided to take a two-hour drive to a traditional village and experience a homestay with a local family.

Sada made a couple of phone calls and organized an overnight stay in a “real” Tongkonan longhouse in a small village perched high in the mountains.

It was late afternoon when I reached the high road that would lead me to this village.
As it was a school day, a procession of children dotted the side of road. It is not unusual for children to walk between 8 and 12 km to and from school each day.

The children were friendly and inquisitive and tried out their schoolbook English with me. It was a very lively and humorous exchange, which led to a series of fantastic photos.

Though these rural people have very basic standards of living with scarce resources, they are always happy and relaxed, seemingly without a care in the world.

In terms of materialistic acquisition, which many of us in the West aspire to, the Torajans seem happy to live simply, not wanting for much. Their most important asset is a large healthy buffalo.

When I arrived at the Tongkonan house for the night, I had a choice of which attic I wanted to sleep in. I was told the room rate would be a grand total of $4 including a pancake breakfast.

Terraces of rice paddies.

The owners of the homestay cooked a delicious dinner, and I dined that night overlooking the beautiful mountains of Toraja with an exquisite view of the valley below. To enhance the scene, the full moon appeared, bathing the landscape in its light.

It was more than enough to make up for the slight discomfort of sleeping on a simple mattress on the floor and taking a traditional stand-up cold mandi (bath).

The next morning I awoke to find I was above the clouds. I descended down into the misty valley where the next adventure awaited me — white-water rafting.

It was a one-hour walk through a series of rice fields and a small village to the “put-in” on the riverbank. As we paddled downstream, I lost myself in nature.

Only the occasional swooping of eagles soaring above interrupted the quiet serenity of the deep gorge.

As the river narrowed, its energy changed as we passed by a series of large waterfalls cascading from the steep mountainous terrain. The rapids appeared in small bursts, but mostly it was a trip down a lazy river — just the remedy for finishing a spectacular seven-day trip into Torajaland.

For anyone who wants to experience a fascinating culture, set in an exquisite mountain environment, then Tana Toraja is a gem worth exploring.

Who's Heroes?

Some thoughts on the recognition of the nation's heroes and historical personalities amidst poor historical literature and western comic book and Hollywood appeal.

What kid doesn't know about Batman? Hollywood recently launched Chris Nolan's Batman sequel The Dark Knight, the highly anticipated superhero movie, after a successful reboot of the DC Comics franchise three years ago.

The fictional caped crusader of Gotham City got his hands back in action, rescuing Gotham from the grasp of villains and crime. Batman, co created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, first appeared in May 1939 and immediately became famous. In the late 60's the Batman TV series and movies followed. The pointy-ears-and-a-cape figure was one of many comic book superheroes. Marvel Comics itself has more than 200 characters.

Superheroes are a phenomenon admired by many in both hemispheres. Keywords are 'good, great, liked to help the oppressed, and fighting crime'. It is not surprising then that these figures of greatness are idols that easily find their way into the hearts of people.

Unfortunately, fiction is fiction. And all of the mass-marketed American superheroes are fictional. Any Indonesian... and/or native heroes around?

Based on various definitions, a hero is a remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown great courage, strength of character, or another admirable quality.

And Indonesia's historical struggles record many real-life heroes, starting in the 16th century during the Portuguese and Spanish trade monopoly. From the Molluccas comes the name Pattimura. In Java, the Javanese king Sultan Agung led a struggle against the control of the Netherlands. Teuku Umar, a Muslim scholar in Aceh, took part in leading the Dutch expulsion.

In their struggles they used mere bamboo stakes, Kris daggers, and other traditional weapons. No Batman beacon, web swinger, or flying Krypton guy to save the day. But the struggle continued through time and not in the blink of an eye. Many Indonesian heroes fell in the battlefield. Not a few leaders in the struggle were caught, punished and exiled, but the people's spirit of struggle did not subside.

The pastime warriors embraced the popular slogan "independence or death!" which meant that the Indonesian nation would never live unless free from colonization.

"A great nation is a nation that acknowledges its heroes," is the famous slogan. In Indonesia we knew the term from the classrooms. We were expected to honor the heroes who fought in the past and sacrificed for our gaining independence.

In Indonesia, this appreciation is realized on the appointed date of November 10, commemorated as National Hero's Day. On this day in 1946, Surabaya was in commotion because the Netherlands wanted to reoccupy Indonesia and disregard Indonesia's proclaimed Independence on August 17, 1945.

On every Monday morning, students are present in the school's flag-raising ceremony. They observe a moment of silence to honor the fallen heroes. They enter their classrooms of which walls are filled with illustrations and pictures of national heroes from all over Indonesia. They study about the history of the nation's struggle. Later, the early-graders go home along roads named after national heroes. However, once they reach home… and the television set is turned on... children's television hour programs are filled with Western superheroes.

Many people regret this. Most consider it a fad in nationalism. In fact, the sense of nationalism is not measured from the idolized character but from everyday behavior. It is obvious that access to and promotion of foreign idols is incessant. Meanwhile, recognition of the nation's heroes and historical personalities are limited due to poor literature. No wonder Western comic book figures and Hollywood personas win the appeal.

There's nothing wrong with the admiration of fictitious superheroes and western film characters. But we ought to pay respect to real life figures that defend the truth and stand up for the right – the quintessence of the true hero. ■

Text by Ni Luh Dian Purniawati, photos by Nyoman Ari Gunadi

www.baliandbeyond.co.id

Cheering Independence

Indonesians celebrate their nation's Independence Day through various activities. Students attend flag raisings and people participate in iconic competitions - all in cheers from the struggle to liberation from over 350 years of colonization.

The flag raising ceremony, at the front of Bajra Sandhi and the Bali People's Monument of Struggle. Various types of crowd games during the Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.

August 17... early in the day, activities start to kick off. Students and public service staff prepare at school or at the office for the flag raising. In Indonesia, flag raising attendance is usually obligatory. All are in neat uniforms and hats. Meanwhile, people at home prepare red and white flags on poles of all sizes and place them in front of their houses.

Communities have other ways to show their independent happiness, such as by holding various competitions such as areca pole climbing and cracker eating contests, sack races and tug-o-war.

TO THE TOP!
The contest that is the most interesting is the panjat pinang. Panjat pinang involves climbing a 7-9 meter areca pole that has a number of prizes hung at the top. The pole has been specially prepared by smearing oil and grease on it, which guarantees an interesting sight as the people fight to climb to the top.

Anybody is invited to participate in reaching the hanging prizes. Climbing the pole is not an easy task. Skill is one factor, but cooperation is what is needed to get the job done. It takes five people or more depending on the height of the pole. The first person holds the pole tightly, then the second climbs on his comrade, standing on the first person's shoulder and likewise securing his grip on the pole. The third person does the same, then the others follow until the last person is able to touch and grab the prizes. There are various kinds of prizes attached to the pole, such as leather bags, a radio set, or even a bike. The 'finisher' will remain on the top of the pole and throw down all the prizes, one by one to share with his team.

No one knows the game's origin exactly. But some Chinese Indonesians believe that it came from their traditional festivity called the Festival of Ghosts. Based on Chinese tradition, the thirteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar is referred to as a day of ghosts, and the seventh month in general is regarded as the ghost month. They believe that during that period ghost and spirits, including those of the deceased, come out from the nether realm.

Among the many attractions during the Festival is something similar to the areca pole climbing. This seventh month often comes around in August or September. Chinese historians have tried to relate this Independence Day feature with the Chinese festival, also due to its occurrence during the same timeframe, which in time became more known as a part of the Independence Day celebration. This hypothesis is not entirely proven, but the influence of Chinese culture in Indonesia indeed began in the earlier centuries.

This panjat pinang sport can be found in Bali, usually in parks and at around noon, as the oil gets really slippery under the sunlight and promises an interesting game. Last year a competition was held on Kuta Beach and was joined in by many foreigners. However, only the skilled Indonesian climbers came down victorious.

PEACE, NOT WAR...
Another popular game is the tug-o'war. In Indonesia it is called tarik tambang or 'rope pull', a demonstration of strength by two opposing groups, often between two departments within a company or institution. And at the center of this 'war' is the thick rope.

There is no specific time and place in history which defines the origin of the game, but the contest of rope pulling certainly originates from ancient ceremonies and rituals. Evidence has been found in countries like Egypt, India, Myanmar, and New Guinea. Tug-o-war in Indonesia might have been brought in by merchants from India in the earlier centuries.

MUNCH AWAY!
This unique game could only be a native Indonesian favorite, as it uses the Indonesia's all-time favorite deep-fried prawn cracker snack known as Krupuk, which is also a popular snack in other parts of Southeast Asia and in China.

The game organizers hang many krupuk on a string, and contestants 'race' in front of the hanging krupuk with hands tied behind their backs. Each tries to eat as many of the krupuk as possible as soon as the game starts, and the first one who finishes them all, wins the game. Simple as it is, but the game surely offers a whole lot of cheers and jeers as the dangling line moves unsteadily with all the participants in motion. Old and young, adults and children, all join in the games together.

A BIT OF HISTORY
August 17 is an important day for Indonesia, as 63 years ago Indonesia's founding father Soekarno read out the 'Proklamasi' Kemerdekaan' text on Pegangsaan Timur Street in Jakarta on August 17, 1945. Soekarno was chosen for this declaration because he was the head of the Preparatory Committee for Indonesia's Independence (PPKI). Now on that exact location stands the proclamation monument, and the name of the road has been changed to Jalan Proklamasi.

Indonesia has a long history. The first and the oldest kingdom recorded on a prasasti or stone inscription is Kutai in East Kalimantan. Along the way, many kingdoms have come and gone. The famous Sriwijaya of Southern Sumatra was hailed in the seventh century as one of the biggest kingdoms of its era. It was then followed by the Majapahit kingdom that covered current Indonesia and Malaysia. This Hindu kingdom saw its fall sometime in the 15th Century and was replaced by the Muslim kingdoms.

The Dutch arrived in Java in the 16th Century, not long after the Spaniards and Portuguese landed in the eastern part of Indonesia. They came for spices, which later led to political expansion. The Dutch often interfered and influenced the rule of kings in Indonesia.

Since most weren't on the same side as the citizens, people began to oppose the Dutch. Teuku Umar in Aceh, Pattimura in Ambon, and Diponegoro in Yogyakarta were some of the leading figures in the struggle. Now their names have been immortalized as names of streets in many cities throughout Indonesia.

In 1908, an organization named Budi Utomo was created as a momentum of the national movement. In 1942, Japan won over the Allied Forces and briefly replaced the Dutch as rulers in Indonesia. But finally in 1945, after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered, and Indonesia used this status to announce its independence. ■

Text by Ni Luh Dian Purniawati, photos by Riyan

Ancient... but Still Vibrant

Discover the island of Sumba in the archipelago's East Nusa Tenggara, a fascinating island of a revealing natural beauty and home to some of the most beautiful people on the planet, who still keep their megalithic traditions alive.

I think the first thing that will strike visitors to Sumba isn't that it is beautiful, although it is, but that it is still so beautiful. That while it is 'discovered' it is also undiscovered, and its pleasures are those of a revealing natural beauty, a graphic raw nature in which Sumba's inhabitants live close to the influences of the sun, rain and wind, of the sea, and the mountains and forests.

The Sumbanese are best known for their Sumba thoroughbreds and their Pasola horseback warrior festivals. Sumba offers an escape for those seeking respite from the rapacious nature of modern life. Incredible waters surrounding Sumba provide great surf, and magnificent dive scenes. map

To glorify them by praising them for not 'moving' with the times or not embracing the advances of encroaching tourism is to miss the point. People from Sumba are not unaware of the rising tides of economic pressure, as they send their children, when they can, elsewhere to receive education, to find jobs and training, so that they can return to the island with beneficial knowledge.

The Dutch colonized Sumba, all 11,000 square kilometers of it, in 1866, although they didn't really take control until the advent of the twentieth century. The pre-colonized Sumbanese lived in tribal groups that included relations from the Majapahit Empire. With the arrival of the Dutch came the religious influences that shaped the islands demographics as they are today, with a small number of Roman Catholics, a strong almost thirty percent presence of traditional animism, and a small group of Sunni Muslims along the coast. This harmonic acceptance is indicative of Sumba, where welcome is important.

Sumba is completely fascinating: Megalithic burials still take place. These stone tombs were used in prehistoric times throughout Europe and their existence and continued construction in Sumba is a living window into ancient history. Ancient history aside, Sumba is also a living window into the recent past of other islands in the archipelago. Sparsely populated and minimally developed, it offers an escape for those who are seeking respite from the rapacious nature of modern life and desire nothing more than to be at peace with whatever nature has planned.

Certainly this was what drew Claude Graves to Sumba over fifteen years ago. As one of the founders of the Sumba Foundation and one of the people behind the Nihiwatu Resort, Claude recognized the need to be able to protect Sumba without suppressing the needs of the people, so they could live in a world where they can achieve better health care and education. Nihiwatu, through the creation of the Sumba Foundation, became a model for genuine eco-tourism, establishing itself in a way that commits to giving more than it takes. By creating a resort that exists in harmony with its surroundings, that offers guests a chance to 'dissolve' into nature while being supported by the indulgences of fine food and elegant care, Nihiwatu has achieved this balance.

A balance that enables guests to enjoy activities such as mountain trekking, bird watching and horseback riding, to fish, to dive, to surf in the incredible waters surrounding the island, and at the same time contribute by volunteering in local activities such as helping out at the school, playing soccer, or putting to use any skill or technical ability that they wish to share. There is also the opportunity for guests to spend a day at a traditional village as the locals go about their activities. None of these activities are 'put on' for show or tailored to the visitor. This is a genuine cultural exchange, and once taken, can never to be forgotten.

At Nihiwatu there is an inclusive family policy, as everyone is welcome. Nihiwatu is a haven for children with safe activities and plenty of fun to be had, but with that added element of the ability to truly engage in a culture that responds to children. One can never predict where the seeds of knowledge will grow but I would take a chance and say that any child visiting Sumba will leave with an indelible memory of a life enhancing experience. I know certainly of two teenaged children that traveled there recently and have returned with open eyes, open hearts and open minds. They speak enthusiastically of the cliffs they climbed, the mud they wallowed in, the horses they rode and the people they met, and at the same time of the need to return to help out with the projects of the Sumba Foundation and to share their knowledge of Sumba, not just with others who could visit but with people everywhere so that they too can be aware that we can all contribute to preserving, protecting and positively helping some of the most beautiful people on the planet: The people of Sumba.

These people live expressively, carrying out their religious ceremonies and their creativity distinctly, creating intricate weavings of cloth that denote rank and wealth and taking part in vigorous and physical ceremonies involving hunting and mock tribal warfare that mark cleansing rituals and rituals of sacred purpose that are intended to abate ill fortune and please the omnipresent spirits. Their traditional beliefs are inextricable from daily life and should you have the fortune to witness a ceremony or village event you too may feel the intense power that comes from being in the midst of an ancient but still vibrant culture. ■

Text by Katy Robertson, photos courtesy Nihiwatu and The Sumba Foundation

Nihiwat, Reservations Office
Kuta PoLeng Complex Block C/2, Kuta, (0361) 757-149
info@nihiwatu.com

The Sumba Foundation
www.sumbafoundation.org

President Yudhoyono to open Asian Beach Games I

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to officially open the Asian Beach Games (ABG) I, an Asian beach sports commpetition in Nusa Dua of Bali, on October 18, 2008.

A release received from the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) said here on Sunday, the plan was conveyed by Chairman of ABG I Organizing Committee Rita Subowo when at a meeting with Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika in Sanur, Bali, on Sunday.

"The president has received us twice and the latest was during a cabinet meeting. The president is scheduled to open the event, while the vice president will close it on October 26," Ritas said.

With 17 sports events being competed in the event, at least 45 countries with around 3000 athletes have confirmed their participation.

The sports events also include beach football, beach volley ball, jetskying and takraw.

"We have also obtained assurance about the presence of British and Qatary royal families and a number of sports ministers and the Beijing Olympic Committee chairman as well as General Chairman of the international Olympic Committee Jaques Rogge during ceremony," Rita said.

However security posed a priority during ABG I, especially that it coincides with the first Bali bombing anniversary.

In the meantime, Bali Governor Made Pangkupastika said he would coordinate the security with all relevant agencies in the province.(*)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Indonesia Muslims begin performing fasting

Indonesian Muslims begin performing fasting

Muslims in Indonesia start on Monday performing their holy obligation of one-month fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

During the month, night clubs, restaurants and other public facilities are restricted on their opening in order to respect those performing fasting in the multi-religion country.

The government has officially declared that Ramadan begins Monday.

"We want to step up unity and cohesion," Antara news wire quoted Religious Minister Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni as saying.

A child stands among Muslims attending prayers on the eve of the first day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan at a mosque in Makassar, South Sulawesi August 31, 2008. Muslims around the world congregate for special evening prayers called "Tarawih" during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
In Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, police ordered all entertainment places in the city to close down during Ramadan and would regularly conduct sweeping to ensure that no one breaks the rule.

Boys fall sleep among Muslims attending prayers on the eve of the first day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan at mosque in Makassar, South Sulawesi August 31, 2008.
Muslims account for 87 percent of Indonesia's total population of 230 million.

Source:Xinhua