Impressions of Indonesia

We’ve been thrilled by the genuinely warm welcome we’ve received throughout Indonesia. Few Americans have visited Indonesia since the State Department warnings but we have not experienced any negative reactions about the United States . In fact, many Indonesians have said that among the visitors coming to Indonesia they appreciate American visitors the most (and the French the least). We've also heard from several people that they feel thankful to the U.S. for being the first country to respond to the tsunami disaster.

Tourists are treated as kindly as Indonesians treat each other. We have quickly grown to adore the Indonesian ability to show care in everything they do and to show genuine patience with each other day-to-day. "It's better to think with your heart than your head," said one of our guides.

Indonesia is suprisingly diverse. The majority of Indonesians are secular Muslims with a small percentage of Christians and Hindus. A unique brand of Hinduism dominates the insland of Bali and is reflected in their craft and culture. There are about 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia that speak more than 365 languages and dialects. Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world in population, but the most densely populated, with the highest concentration on Java. It is very difficult to generalize about a country that is truly rich in diverse cultures and ways of life.

We were surprised by the degree of influence India has played in the cultural and religious evolution of Indonesia . We saw this influence take many forms in daily life here. The origins of this relationship date back from as early as the 5^th century AD, when Buddhism influenced the royal courts of Indonesia . We saw this strong connection particularly in the performing arts and many of Indonesia ’s historic landmarks, most notably Borobudur.

Notes and interesting Snippets

Motorcycles rule the road, driving lanes are optional and there’s no such thing as road rage. Particularly in Java, you are constantly playing 'chicken' with on-coming traffic. This is no place to test out your international driver's license, which we decided against.

Food and services are cheap but delivered with care and quality. Hotels average around $20/night and a meal for two costs around $12. There is no tipping, so hotel and restaurant staff world communally to make sure guests are treated well.

Indonesians outside the heavy tourist areas practice a "nod and smile" way of greeting strangers, both tourists and each other. Very unlike the Westerners we've come across who pretty much ignore each other.

Even the better hotels don't seem to think you should mind if you share your room with a few local members of the insect, lizard, frog, and other creepy-crawler species.

Speaking of frogs, "leapfrog technology" has not entirely caught on in most parts of Indonesia . You are luck if you have Internet access at all in Sulawesi and parts of Java. Cell phone service is sporatic and not as advertised - a point to complain about when we get back.

The chanting from local mosques coming over loudspeaker five times each day is really lovely to hear – although we must say, someone is a little tone-deaf.

We will never understand Indonesian toilets. If you want to know more, we'll tell you offline some time.


We Found Paradise
Ubud, Bali
December 4, 2005

After some pretty rugged travel through Toraja, Sulawesi we were very happy to arrive on the island of Bali. This island is really the place to kick back and relax but it's also home to some of the most exquisite examples of performance art, textiles, woodcarvings, and paintings in all of Indonesia.

The hotel where we're staying is just off the main road of Ubud, Bali. We've never seen a hotel this exquisite. The walkways are surrounded by lush tropical plants and each is flanked by water filled with lillies and flowers. The bathroom is partially outdoors and surrounded by stone carvings. If you picked this place up and dropped it anywhere in the U.S., it would easily cost $600/night. It's only $35 in off-season and we're the only people staying at the hotel right now.

We didn't wait long to get our tickets to see the Keycak dance. It's best known for its choir that chants a rythmic "check-a-check-a-check-a-check" as the background to the play. Its really a sight to see. Google it and see if you can pick up an video file on it. It's worth checking out.

We also visited a temple festival, which was attended by the local villagers. We still haven't met one American on this trip and have seen only a couple dozen westerners. We pretty much have the whole place to ourselves. A festival is quite a sight to see and really demonstrates how truly devoted the Balinese are to practicing Hindu beliefs.

In a couple of days, we'll head down to the beach area for a couple of nights. This is the area that was struck twice by the bombers, which was orchestrated by a Malaysian militant group. Shortly after we arrived in Indonesia, the Indonesian government managed to the main leader. He was killed. We plan to visit the memorial briefly and then head to the beach for a couple of days before we depart for India on the 8th.


Dying in Toraja
Tana Toraja, Sulawesi
November 28, 2005

Tana Toraja is located in the highlands of South Sulawesi . It is one of the last examples of traditional village life in Indonesia and probably in the world. The Torajan people have been virtually isolated and have no written language so their traditions and culture have been passed on through oral history.

The Torajan culture is primarily focused on ensuring the dead receive proper burial and are carried onto heaven. Elaborate funerals, suspended coffins jetting out from caves, wooden effigies of the dead, and buffalo sacrifices are among the many examples. The Tau Tau caves where wooden effigies represent the dead are perched high above in the cliffs and behind them, hollowed out caves lay the dead of the families. Massive funerals are held, lasting for days and include the sacrifice of buffalo which represent the strength and prestige of the family. The buffalo are believed to lead the dead to heaven. This tradition replaces human sacrifice, which was practiced into the 21^st century.

Some people you meet along the way are so remarkable that you just have to take time out to mention them as an experience in their own right. Dodo is one of these people. We met Dodo through our network on Lonely Planet. What is most remarkable about Dodo is that he is genuine. He opened his home and his heart to us and created some of the most memorable experiences of our stay in Indonesia . We learned a lot from Dodo – about Sulawesi but also about what it means to help others.

Dodo lives in Makassar, Sulawesi with his wife and three daughters. He is a civil servant with the government electric compay by profession but loves to meet travelers and create very memorable experiences for them during his vacation time. He is 42 years old and is one of six children. Only three children in his family lived past the age of ten due to dysentery. The island has changed dramatically in just 30 years. Sulawesi did not have electricity in the sixties, nor did they have cars, or clean water. We stopped in his village where he was raised where we met his family and stayed for tea. It was a special treat to have him open up his life to us and show us how and where he lived as a child.

Dodo offered his home to us for three nights while in Makassar . He made the grueling, ten-hour drive from Makassar to Toraja and along the way, crashed a village wedding with us. To honor the bride and groom, the three of us offered to sing them a song. The only song we could think of that we all knew was ‘La Bamba’. It was a moment we will never forget.

Located in Central Java, Yogyakarta (a.k.a. Yogya – pronounced ‘Jogja’) is known as the island’s center for Javanese culture. We touched ground here last Thursday and ever since have been amazed by the warmth of its people and the culture’s ability to embrace both the sophisticated and primitive ways of life. In every detail - the textiles, woodwork, architecture, and Java’s performing arts, there is a fusion between the preservation of the past and a clear vision of the future.

We spent our first day in Yogya admiring one of the most original examples of Buddhist architecture in the world – Borobudur. Borobudur is not considered a Buddhist temple, but instead a monument and a tribute to Buddhist ways of life. It is also a symbol of power of the Saliendra Dynasty that built Borobudur between AD 750-850. It was built 400 years before the first cathedral in Europe and 700 years before Angkor Wat in Cambodia . It is a remarkable sight, weaving the story of Buddhist philosophy in stone reliefs around each of the ten platforms, starting in the everyday world and spiraling up to nirvana – the Buddhist heaven.

In the evening, we enjoyed one of Java’s traditional performances called the Ramayana Ballet. Its origins date back to India when Hinduism came to Java. The Ramayana is the story of Prince Rama and his wife Sita who were exiled to the forest and Sita was abducted by Rawana and carried off to his kingdom of Lanka . Eventually, Prince Rama wins her back and all is well. The story follows the script of many epic plays throughout history but it is the Indonesian interpretation that makes the story larger than life. The costumes and traditional Javanese dance bring the story to life. We were privileged enough to not only see the performance but we were allowed backstage to watch the actors put on costume and given a brief explanation of each character.

Prambanan was a bit of a surprise. We were not expecting this temple to be as remarkable but we were truly amazed. The complex holds five temples: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Nandi, and Sewu, with Shiva being the largest of them all. This complex of Hindu temples was built about 50 years after Borobudur. Some say it’s as awesome as Borobudur and although the stonework is not nearly as intricate, we would agree. It is a sight to see.