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Paying Tribute to the Dead

Our adventures continued the next day in Toraja with Arru picking us up at 8:30 am. We stopped by the grocery store to pick up some cigarettes and candy which we would offer to our gracious hosts whom were hosting the day’s funeral ceremony.

Our first stop however, was the beautiful village of Ke’te Kesu. It is the home of some of the oldest traditional houses, some dating back 700 years.  It was also Arru’s home village so he was happy to show us around.  A major site here, are the ancient hanging graves.  A stunning site, the Torajan’s of old used to bury the bones of their dead in ceremonial wooden coffins, and then hang them up high on the side of a rock face to protect them from thieves and other critters which might have interest in them. One coffin would house the bones of an entire family. In old times they would keep the body at home as a mummy until it was reduced to a skeleton. At this time the bones would be deposited into the family grave box. Wild rituals. The site was filled with many coffins, with many visible bones.  At the top of a long stair case was a dark cave housing many coffins, and still being used by the villages. It was a strange feeling in there, and the site of newer coffins really struck home the fact that this is a resting place for the dead.  However, it did possess a strong natural beauty, and the emotion you feel quite possibly reflecting your thoughts on our final resting place.

After this it was time to head to the funeral. I was a bit anxious as we arrived but the hosts made us feel welcome immediately.  The event was for a lady who had passed away 9 months earlier, at the age of 69, almost the exact age and time of death of my own mother. This really hit home for me, and was a unique experience to say the least, to compare the rituals we humans share in regards to death.  The ceremony may have been elaborate, but at the root, we all feel the same deep sorrow and loss, we are all human beings, no matter where we live or how we are raised.

Temporary structures are built to house the guests that arrive, and many bring pigs or buffaloes to be slaughtered. The hosts serve sweets and coffee/tea to us, and offer us cigarettes, palm wine and betel nuts ( beware.. ).  After some socializing, the family’s close guests arrive in a ceremonial procession, and are taken to a special sitting area where they are served by the host family.  The hosts are marched out to a mournful singing, and slowly greet their guests. They are all wearing beautiful clothing to suit the importance of the occasion.  In the open square is he coffin of the deceased, which will be carried to a higher platform at noon, signifying the setting of the sun, and the end of life.  After this time, one buffalo will be slaughtered to bring the end of the first day of the funeral.

The atmosphere was powerful, first however, as they brought all of the donation pigs down the open square in front of the family and the coffin. The pigs were squirming and squealing in the heat, and would soon be meeting their maker.  Julie and I were unsure how we would feel about the animal sacrifice, but I felt like a hypocrite to judge, as I’m an avid meat eater, and so far these animals had been treated better than any North American farm animal.  Perhaps a good time to reflect on my eating habits.  It was an intense scene as they pulled the pigs away, knowing they were about to die.  The were casually killed and prepared to be butchered so the meat could be distributed to the families in the village.  As we passed from one area to the next, without much warning, we observed a slaughter. A man stabbed a pig in the heart, and he spurted out to his death. It was very hard to watch, but am glad I did. I believe too many of us think of our meat as a faceless commodity, and all meat eaters should understand where it comes from.

High noon had come, and the family carried the coffin on their shoulders to a higher platform to finally begin the next phase of the ceremony.  A large water buffalo was soon marched into the square, and tied to a post.  The thin veil between life and death was dangling before us as we awaited what was about to take place.  The buffalo’s throat was cut by a machete, and the giant beast bled out, while bucking for it’s life. An indescribable sight, we watched in awe. Another tourist at the event fainted at the gruesome scene.  I will spare the details, but it was a powerful image that would flash through my mind for the next while along with that of the pig. The local butchers quickly descended on the animal and soon the skin would be sent to a leather maker, and the meat quickly cut into it’s pieces.  Again a reminder how we use animals in our everyday so casually without giving much thought to what has really taken place.

This description really does no justice to how amazing an experience this was. We were honored to be welcomed to such a personal event, and share in their long standing customs.

We rounded out the day with some more stunning grave viewings, and taking in the scenery before heading back to our hotel. That night we would head out on a night bus back to Makassar, flying out in the morning to Lombok to beging the next stop.  Toraja made a huge imprint on both Julie and I with it’s stunning natural scenes, and even more stunning culture.

See you in Lombok!

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Funerals, Graves and Effigies

Greetings friends,

When we last spoke, the journey had taken us to the lesser known Indonesian island of Sulawesi. A wild looking island, it has some fascinating travel destinations, the most well known being the strange land of Tana Toraja.

Buried in the southern highlands of Sulawesi, Tana Toraja is a sociologist/anthropologists wet dream. The Torajan people are known for the their deep respect for the dead.  They commit great resources to preparing for the most important event in the Torajan culture, the funeral.  At first it may sound like a strange tourist trap gone horribly wrong, but it is a beautiful authentic land.  The Torajan’s openly welcome travelers to join them in the elaborate funeral ceremonies. Sometimes lasting as long as 5 days in length, the ceremonies are a dramatic display of heart warming, welcoming spirit, and possibly most known for a large amount of animal sacrifice. Pigs and Buffaloes are slaughtered as a tribute to the dead.  The social class of the dead determining the number of animals to be slaughtered with as many as 40+ buffaloes for the highest ranking people.  The animals are immediately butchered and skinned, and distributed to the families of the village.


A more macabre feature of the the belief system is that of keeping the body of the dead in the family home as a “sick” person, until the family can afford to give a proper ceremony. In older days, this could be many years, but modern times it ranges from a few months to a year.  A bit strange to others, the Torajan’s have such a deep respect for their loved ones, they feel they are caring for them until they can give them a proper send off.

The land itself is possibly the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. A lush display of jungle, mountains, terraced rice fields, and the stunning unique architecture of the traditional Torajan homes make every second in this special place a visceral experience. Words and photos truly don’t come close to doing it justice.

We arrived in the southern gateway city, Makassar, on an early flight from Bali.  Not keen on messing around finding buses and local transport, I had booked a private car to take the long drive to Toraja.  We quickly found our driver, and in relative, air conditioned comfort, we were off on what was expected to be an 8 hour drive.  Our driver didn’t speak much English but did his best, and in true Asian adventure style, should also consider applying to the formula one circuit, as his driving skills were wild, aggressive and skilled.   Once into the mountains, the views were stunning, the roads a bit treacherous, and the constant driving on the other side of the road something to adjust to.  8 hours later we had safely arrived at our destination, Hotel Pison, in the town of Rantepao, the standard jumping off point in Toraja.

That night we met up with a local guide named Arru who was recommended on many trip advisor reports.  Our goal was to spend some time seeing the sites, and to take in a local funeral ceremony.  We were in luck, and despite it being down season, there was a ceremony in two days time.  A 2 day plan was laid out with Arru and a driver, and after some grub, we hit the hay early after an exhausting day of travel.

The first day began at 9 am, and our first stop was the local market. We had just missed the large version of this the day before but some action still remained. The Rantepao market is mostly used for buying and selling Pigs and Buffalos.  The Buffalo being a revered figure in the local culture.  They are the heart of the ceremonial sacrifice.  The rare albino version can sell for as much as $10000, and Arru jokingly referred to him as the ferrari buffalo. Locals were busy that day buying pigs for the funeral we would attend the next day.  It is a standard tribute for the guests to bring an animal donation of some kind, either a buffalo or pig, to be slaughtered in tribute to the dead.  Poor piggies were nearing the end.

After the market, and a stunning drive through the countryside, our next visit was to see the stone graves.  Although it sounds like a creepy, disrespectful tourist operation, the Torajans take great pride in their belief system, and enjoy sharing it with visitors.  The stone graves are visually stunning.  The families carve by hand deep caves out of solid rock, to be used as the burial site for the family. Many bodies are placed into this grave until it is eventually full.  The door is sealed with a decorative door.  Many graves can be found in the same large rock faces, making for a strangely beautiful site. Some of the stone graves go back a couple hundred years.  Shocking at first, the bones of the dead are openly visible in some graves, as the doors are in mid replacement.  Apprehensive to view this place, Arru assured us it is ok, and not disrespectful to take in these sites.  That being said, taking photos of piles of human skulls is a bit unnerving experience…

Next up was the even more strangely named site of “Baby Graves”.  We hiked up the mountainside to a large tree, with markings sealed over, moving up the trunk.  Not practiced anymore, the old culture would bury any baby who did not yet have teeth, in the trunks of these trees. As a symbol of sending the baby to a new mother, they thought of the tree and its sap as the mother for the baby to take it to the next life. A somber site indeed, and a reminder that infant mortality rates have declined greatly with modern medicine.

After this fascinating site, we headed to a traditional village.  The old homes date back as far as 700 years, and have a beautiful style. The roof tops looking like massive boats, built on top of a 3 room structure. Mounted on the front of the building are columns of buffalo horns, representative of the buffaloes slaughtered in the families funerals, and the more there are the higher status the family. We had a look inside one of these beautiful buildings, grabbed a couple necklaces to support the local economy and then set out again.

The next stop was about a 45 minute drive away up the nearest mountain to the community of Bututumonga.  The views were breath taking.  Never ending terraced rice fields, beautiful houses buried in the horizon.  Again words and photos don’t do it justice.  We had lunch at the mountain top, and relaxed to a soothing afternoon rain.  Soon later, we took a beautiful walk down through the rice fields and passing through a local village. It was a great way to decompress after some of the intense sights we had seen.

This would wind out the day, and we went home to relax and prepare for the ceremony the next morning.

Till then…

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Surf, Sand, and Sun

Hey Dudes and Dudettes,

We continue things in an easy going lifestyle in Bali.  After our first day of lounging ( and burning ),  we were eager to get ourselves moving.  The activity of choice was surfing!  The Kuta/Legian area is a fabulous beach for beginners. Big, yet forgiving swells, with an all sand bottom to cushion your fall.  There are no shortage of beach options too, with all the locals set up with their own little business of selling comfy chairs, surf boards and cold beers.  Being low season, it didn’t take us long to find a new friend named Bego.  We negotiated an acceptable rate for 2 boards, a one hour lesson for Julie, and some umbrella space for staying out of the sun.

Surfer Dude

Julie kicked some ass, and actually was up on her feet on her first run.  A remarkable feat I say! I floundered around on my own, and after a couple hard crashes into the sand on my burn, I took to the beach to watch Julie’s skills improve from afar.

After hanging ten for a while longer, and a couple Bintangs in the sun to celebrate, we took it easy for the rest of the day.  We queued up 2 scuba dives for the following morning however, as we were both excited to get under the ocean as well as on top of it.  I was tuckered from my burn and slept away the evening, while Julie did a little shopping and ordered some hand made leather garments from a local vendor.

The next morning we woke early, as our driver was picking us up at 7 am for our first day of diving!  Again, due to low season, it was just the 2 of us and our dive master.  The site, Padang Bai, was a 1.5 hour drive and as we rolled in I remembered it clearly as the jump off point for fast boats to Gili T ( a fav spot of mine from 4 years ago ).  We chilled in the local restaurant while they assembled our gear, and after a refresher test we were on a small boat heading out.

Our first dive went smoothly, a there and back cruise along the reef wall at a depth of 6-20 meters.  It was a nice dive to get our comfort levels back up, and see a little bit of sea life.  The water temp was 28 and the visibility was about 15 meters so conditions were great.   The next would be much more interesting.

With both of us now eased back into our skills, the next dive was to take us a bit deeper across a lagoon, where the boat would meet us.  The first point of interest was a small sunken boat!  I had never done a wreck dive ( not calling this a wreck but… ), so it was very cool to float along side this lovely little vessel.  I’d forgotten how serene and otherworldly it is to just float weightless underwater, temporarily sharing existence with the tropical life usually only seen through a camera lens.  A few interesting fish later, we had an encounter with cranky fella. He was quite a large fish, perhaps 1.5 feet long, 1 foot high, and he decided Julie was the enemy.  He followed us lunging at her fins, nipping away! Wow, what a jerk!  We did manage to scare him off, but a sobering reality as to who owns this world. Clue, it is not us.

We completed that lovely adventure, and feeling quite satisfied, headed back to our home base to plot the next one.   It was decided to take a walk on the beach and browse the ocean side offerings.  We strolled on the sand, sipping beers care free as can be. A happening new venue, called Potato Head Beach Club was recommended, and I had seen a photo from a friend of this place, so we made our way. It is a stunning restaurant and bar with an infinity pool, and an incredible view.  The sunset was magnificent.  We indulged a bit, as the drinks were fancy and expensive, but delicious, as was the food.  It was a pretty perfect day in paradise.

The next day we awoke with another craving for the beach, and a mild hangover.  Our surf buddy who gave Julie the lesson was happy to rent us a board, and give us some shade. I toughened up and even went for a barefoot 6 km run on the sand to kick start my body. After we clearly needed another massage.  Comically, we found our way to a suspect operation in an alley way, perhaps in a back room of somebody’s home.  We received the classic 4 handed massage, but were constantly up sold on mani/pedicures etc.  It was a decent massage but we shall not return.

This would be our last day on Bali for now, as we were bracing for a cultural extravaganza in Tana Toraja, on the island of Sula-what, sula-where?  Sulawesi.

Till next time.

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The Sun is the Same in a Relative Way

Welcome back,

The adventure has taken us to beautiful Bali, Indonesia. Bali is a classic holiday destination, and in recent years has started to be avoided due to it’s overwhelming success. This sadly leads to a cookie cutter, inauthentic touristy experience, however, we are lucky and it is literally the lowest season possible here!

The Balinese are known for their kind charm, and they have been living up to it. I visited 4 years ago for my first real Asian adventure, and vowed to return someday. Well, for most someday never comes but for me someday has arrived.

The trip here was not without its troubles however.  Julie and I hit up the HK airport with lots of time to spare. We were scheduled to fly over night through Singapore, getting into Bali 5 am the next day.  I had booked a one way ticket, as my departure date was still a mystery. Should be fine.  Ergh… nope. When we went to check-in we were informed, no entry to Indonesia without an exit ticket booked. Cripes, ok.  No problem, I’ll book some cheapo flight online really quick 30 days later.  I focused, and quickly found a 60 dollar flight and had it booked. Back to the counter I went.  Nope, no confirmation email. For the first time ever. It didn’t show up. No flight. Ok, whatever, I’ll book another flight. I’m easy.  I managed to book another 60 dollar flight on a different site, and low and behold, it came. We were however, now painfully close to the cut off, and had to navigate the giant HK terminal to our gate.  But not yet. We had to pay a fee for our bags, equal to about the cost of the ticket, and the credit card took about 10 minutes to go through, fools!

Woops

We clipped it to immigration, pushed quickly through security, and with not much time to spare we arrived at our gate after a quick train to another terminal :-/ .   Relaxed finally, wait cripes. Nobody is here!  Like a skilled amazing race team, we checked the board and saw a gate change.  A gate in yet another terminal! We ran to the train, up some escalators, and somehow managed to get to the gate on time.  Things had worked against us, but we conquered the airport, and after sleeping pretty much the whole flight, were in Bali as planned :).

As we arrived so early, we had the whole day to ease in, and do as we please.  It was Julie’s first visit, so we took a little stroll around to explore, grabbed some breakfast, and roamed the beach.  The sun we’d been seeking was blasting hot and we vegged out on the beach for half the day.  It was glorious.  Not glorious was that in my sleepy state, I failed to fully apply sunscreen to my, at the time, very white carcass.  Not sure how many times a white boy can learn this lesson in the course of a lifetime, but I digress.  I soaked up the sun indiscriminately, and the sun payed me a similar attitude in return.  Later that day I would discover my error to the tune of a very abstract red painting on my back, showcasing both the power of the sun, and the effectiveness of sunscreen!  Curses, poor form.

Poolside

Our early flight and sun bathing had taken its toll so we indulged on my favorite Asian activity. Cheapo massages!  No not the happy ending kind, just the normal ones.  They run from 5-10 bucks for a quality relaxing hour.  It was a wonderful hour indeed.  That evening, after some dining and a beer, bed was calling and we answered happily.

Stay tuned for more Bali action.

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Crazy Capers in HK – 2 Years Later

Well hello folks,

The real portion of the trip has begun!  After some last minute scrambles to get all that I need, and maybe throwing some money at the problem, I have managed to get my butt over to Asia!  A surprise announcement: my good friend Julie Patrick is joining me for the first 3 weeks of my journey!  She had some time off, and good opportunity to get away from the dreary month of January, and pulled the trigger on some adventure.

Views From 61st Floor

The trip began with a pleasant change of plans. Julie and I had booked two different flights, and I was expecting to have to wait for her in HK for a couple hours after my arrival ( undesirable after 13.5 hr flight… ).  However, her flight was cancelled! Booo… But, she was rescheduled onto my flight, and we managed to sit next to each other yay!  Random chance is looking better for 2015 than it did for 2014 :).

The flight went by smoothly, we both snoozed it up, and I indulged on some wine and sleeping pills ( the Steve Wilson special ) to help pass the time.  Before we knew it, we were in HK and meeting up with my old friends Hollie and Chris Ivany.  They were brilliant hosts during my last pass through Asia, and they didn’t disappoint this time.  Hollie greeted us at the airport and we cabbed back to their lovely little box in the sky.  Hong Kong has the most expensive real estate on the planet, and the skyline is covered with never ending towers of people stacked on top of each other.  We found our way to Hollie’s jenga piece in a massive tower, on the 61st floor.  Not for those who fear heights!  The first evening we were exhausted so we turned in and got some solid zzz’s for the next day.

The Crew

We awoke the next morning at a normal hour which was great after a 16 hour roll forward of the clock.  Some mulling about occurred, and after breakfast we set out on the town to do a bit of exploring.  First up was the local underground market near the apartment.  For those that haven’t been to a big Asian city, the markets are a must see.  The smells and chaos are a bit much at times but really play to your understanding that you are on the other side of the world in a different culture.  We passed by some exotic eats, a tub of live frogs, and some poor little turtles in a net, and moved on.

The subway carted us towards the heart of the city, our goal being to hop on the tram system with a couple beers and see a bit of this bustling beast.  Hong Kong is an urban beauty, and it really felt great to be back here. It’s quintessential piece being the amazing skyline, and crowded street signage.

Destined for the Belly

After some sight seeing, we were a bit starved and found a fav place of Chris and Hollie’s in an upcoming new neighborhood, Kennedy Town. Recently given its own MTR stop, it has come to life since my last visit, and grown from a expat lazy hideaway to a full blown stop.  The food was great, but the jet lag was lingering, and after we clipped it home to chill.

Unfortunately, Julie, Hollie and myself were all getting over illnesses and a new super bug had emerged taking Julie down in the process. Not the best way to begin a vacation.  A quick stop at the local doc though, and she had some chinese meds to ease her pains.

Julie Hooping

The next day we were due to fly to Bali in the evening, so after some good byes with the fantastic hosts in the morning, we mostly chilled all day.  We did manage to get out for a hike up the mountain overlooking the neighborhood. It had some great views and serenity given the madness it overlooks.  Julie even found a lonely hula hoop and amazed the locals with some tricks!  Yes, quite random.

That evening we headed to the airport to dive deeper into the Asian landscape, and visit an old favorite of mine, Bali.

Here comes the sun, doo dooo doo do

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A Boy and His Dog

Greetings all,

To prepare for the journey to Calgary, I had to procure a vehicle as I’m a foot dwelling creature most of the time. I rented a fine, new SUV from National rent-a-car for a one way drop off to Calgary.  I wanted a sturdy steed for the trip, as travelling through the rocky mountains in the winter time, is well, not the smartest or safest way to get around!

Pooh said his tearful good byes to his auntie Audrey ( my roommate ), who has taken great care of him, and tolerated his less than stunning attitude at times :).  We packed the SUV and hit the road.  Pooh loves to drive and was panting away wildly.

We had a 12 hour day ahead of us, and were lucky to have great roads for the first 5 hours.  We clipped along, but finally ran into some deteriorating conditions.  I stopped in Revelstoke for a rest, and was startled to hear that the highway to Golden, the only route, was shut down due to a multi-vehicle accident. Yikes… It was now 3:30pm and the estimated opening was midnight.

Pooh and I jetted across the street to try to land a hotel for the night. We did manage to scoop up one of the last rooms for the low price of $250!!!!!! Bastards… Pooh, frolicked with joy though as he loves hotels, and also eating the newly fallen snow. Pretty much best day ever by his standards.  I hunkered down for the night, and must’ve needed some sleep as I was out cold for most of the day.

Morning came, and we jumped back on the newly opened highway. It was a beautiful ride, with incredible winter views of the mountains. Quite other worldly.  A mere 5 hours later, we rolled into cow-town, and found our way to my sister’s lovely home.  Pooh was excited to see her, as was I. 


After some beers that night, we had a great day of catching up, and chilling out Sunday. Pooh discovered that -25 is cold on the paws, so Mag picked him up some boots to get him through those cold winter nights! So cute.  My stay was brief however. That night I was to fly back to Vancouver, and say bye to my Sis, and my faithful companion, The Pooh.  
A challenging good-bye, and a couple hours of delay later, I was flying back to where the temperature is sane. Audrey was great, and picked me up from the airport.   


I now have but 4 days to get it all together, pack my bag for 5.5 months, and hit the road.  Next stop with be Hong Kong, where I will acclimatize to the other side of the globe with my old friends Chirs and Hollie.

Until then

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All that you leave behind…

Well everyone,

I’m making the final preparations to begin my journey. It’s been daunting getting all of my affairs in order for this one, with some lingering details requiring my presence in Canada. But, those are taken care of, and Friday we journey off.

To say that 2014 has been a rough year doesn’t quite capture things. In a 3 month span I lost a young friend, my Father, two beloved household cats, and then my Mother.  Apart from the aging kitties, these were all unexpected loses.  Wow, how to shatter your universe…  In these entries I may diverge from the travel at times to discuss some of what is going through my mind, and if personal details make you

uncomfortable, take heed!  For now though, I am filled with some hope that I will find my way to some brighter days with my travels.

I have forged on with my beloved new orphaned pet The Pooh, and learned how much you really can love another being. He has been at my side through Hell and back, and it is with great emotion that I hand him to my sister Margaret to take care of for my travel time. He is in the best hands with her, and they will have a blast!

 

To begin the adventure, The Pooh and I will be driving from Vancouver to Calgary, as the little doggy may not do so well on a flight. This will be his fourth drive through the rocky mountains! He loves to drive, eat snow and have a good time, so it will be a fun send off for us :).

Stay tuned for the Calgary post, the winter time awaits!