Saturday, August 22, 2009

Tanjung Karang Beach


Tanjung Karang Beach is one of the tourism object which is located in Donggala District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This beach is located about 37 km northeast of Palu City. This beach visited by many local tourists, especially those in the vicinity of Palu city. Along the journey from the City of Palu, we will found coastal scenery of the beautiful Bay of Palu on the right side road. After arrive in Donggala, visitors will find a peaceful atmosphere with a few buildings still use the Dutch architecture.

To reach Tanjung Karang Beach, visitors should proceed about 3 km journey again. From the path towards Tanjung Karang Beach, visitors will be able to see the Donggala City, complete with its atmosphere of the port. Tanjung Karang beach have white sand that perfect for swim and sunbathing. Visitors can also do snorkeling and diving. Marine parks are still natural, so it can be found coral and the beautiful ornamental fish.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Banggai Island

Now I want to introduce you one of the exotic island in the Central Sulawesi, Banggai Island, located in western part bordered by Banda Sea in the south and Moluccas Sea in the north, these islands have numerous large reefs that support a very rich marine life; vertical drop off covered with hard and soft coral, a lot of reef shark and turtles, schools of jackfish, tunas and many coral reefs fishes. Biodiversity is extremely high and its most unique species in the endemic ornamental fish "Banggai cardinal fish" (Pterapogon kaudermi).

Although some areas have suffered from destructive fishing methods, the outer reefs is still promising with some very beautiful walls, with a lot of gorgonians and black coral, small caves and overhangs. Divers will encounter larger animal like whales, dugongs, turtles, groupers, sometimes sharks and eagle rays. The inner island boast fringing reefs with coral gardens populated by small fish and also special animals like frogfish, ribbon eels, bobtail squid and more.

Also there is a waterfall that rarely visited by tourists even by the local community. This waterfall located in Salodik Village, and this pictures documented by M. Affan (Affan.web.id), described that waterfall. The best season to visit is April to October every years, and you can contact Maleo Cottages (wallacea@indosat.net.id)

(Source : Ecotourism Booklet - www.my-indonesia.info)

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Sunday, August 02, 2009

Kulawi Wedding Custom

By : Utje Mangela Patoki, Ir.,
Member of Kulawi Custom Chamber,
Natural Resources Conservation Field

One of the local custom in Lore Lindu National Park is Kulawi. Their custom very unique and one of them is wedding customs of Kulawi, called "Poncamoko none-pokono", which means a wedding stage for men and women who love each other. In general, the procession of Kulawi Wedding Custom going on 3 days. In the first day, held a series of procession that must be run, among others: Mampewiwi, Pekahovani and Pemua. Then the next day held a wedding procession called Pobauni. A series of ceremonial procession in Pobauni custom among other mo linaiki, Mantime and Movia Oli. Then on the last day was held the Pe Pantodui / Me Pantodui procession. Explanation of each procession of the above as follows:

  1. "Mampewiwi", wiwi means lips or mouth, the discussion between bridegroom family and bride family to continue their engagement in a formal manner. This discussion also represented by one of the indigenous elders of each side. When the agreement has occurred, and then will proceed with further procession.
  2. "Pekahovani", kahova means dowry is a sign of love bonds between men and women who will step toward marriage. So mangkeni kahova/pekahovani means bring the dowry from bridegroom family to bride family. Those which brought are a food tray called padence, "mbesa" cloth (Kulawi custom cloth) and a hatchet. This indicates that the woman may not receive a proposal from other men. In Kulawi indigenous culture, with kahova levels adjusted by maternal lineage of the woman, who at this time is generally carried out by the Indigenous Kulawi People with the ability of the bridegroom family called "Lima Mpole Ka Ono Mpulu Ngkau" means five dowry with 6 tails buffalo slaughtered, 74 food tray, 15 pieces mbesa cloth and 15 tails buffalo.The implementation of the mangkeni kahova according to the traditional rules then appointed a spokesperson representing bridegroom family called huro/tope bawa amount 6 people with traditional full dressed .
  3. "Pemua", Pemua/memua means to enter the house. Pemua is a procession where the bridegroom transported to the bride family house. In accordance with the provisions of customs, the convoy are huro that amounted to 6 people. After arriving at the bride family house, and bridegroom and bride sit together, accompanied the bride family and the indigenous elders (totua adat). Next procession is a tradition dinner. After finished, huro will explains the purpose of their arrival to the representative of the bride family, represented by one of indigenuos elders. After discussion is completed, and then as a Kulawi custom they became husband and wife formally. Then there was a procession that carried out called "Po Hoda Guma/Tono", po hoda means hanging in, guma is a Kulawi chopping knife hereditary, tono means chopping knife. This procession carrying by the head of huro, guma hang on the wall of a bride room. The purpose of this procession are still in the shelter of the Lord, always given a luck, run hard in life and protected from all kinds of unwanted interference.
  4. "Pobauni", was a procession that is identical with the benediction, or often we call wedding reception. This activity is intended as a sign of thanks to God, that the implementation of Kulawi wedding custom has been completed. This procession implementation in bride family home. Family and parents of the bridegroom picked by huro to implement a remaining series of procession. Then in the early-morning held a traditional procession called mo linaiki to the river, where the two families/parents, husband and wife use "tali patoko" (rope from a nails, twisted to all who are present in the river), then indigenous elders take river water spraying to the husband and wife head with say the spell. This procession is rarely done because it only applies to nobility. After returning from the river and then held a procession called "mantime" means slaughtered. Husband and wife and their families transfer to the slaughter, in this case that a buffalo slaughtered was tied on a areca nut tree that has been cutting off called "haropu potaka ra bengka to time". a buffalo slaughtered is white stripe that indicates that the wedding came from noble or his descendants. That is to slaughter one of indigenous elders, the husband holding the waist of the indigenous elders followed by his wife holding the waist husband. After slaughtered, then the blood of buffalo that still stick in the chopping knife scrubbed in the husband and wife forehead along with their families. This means that no interference of evil spirits or they ancestor spirit in their life. After the "mantime" procession finished, husband and the wife and then return to the wife family house and greeted with a roll of paper wasp called mogima and the arts called "rego", a Kulawi custom dance.
  5. "Movia Oli", Movia means of speech, Oli means dowry, the procession which was held to discuss the dowry, is appropriate or whether there are additional needs that must be fulfilled by the husband/husband parents. This event was conducted by the "huro moliwe", indigenous elders sit face-to-face amounted to 12 people and two parents of husband and wife. In their face available dowry which being discusssion. Then they do called "mo hia tawe" means as a calculating from a banana leaf sheet, cut small, this event was also witnessed by representatives of Kulawi Custom Chamber and the District Government. After the discussion going, and the dowry agreed marked by "pinongo" (stored in a small food tray/"pampongoa") from the indigenoous elders wife parents to the huro as spokesperson for the husband's parents. After processing is complete and held a "me pebangka tamo" which means we can implement traditional dinner party together ).
  6. "Pe Pantodui/Me Pantodui", that means tread. This procession is held where the husband pick up his wife to come in the husband family house, huro be under guard by the amount of 6 people. Then the front door of a house in the husband's family was ready to wait for the parents of the husband with the idigenous elders. there is a food tray, hatchet/stone teaser and hulled rice. The idigenous elders which is to invoke the Lord's prayer caleed no gane and lift one of wife leg upon the food tray containing a stone hatchet and laying teaser in the head while prayers and shower hulled rice to wife head. Then the husband's parents are waiting at the door giving a "mbesa" cloth to the wife to enter the house followed by the husband and their family. After that held a lunch together, and then after finished, continued with the shake hands to mark the end of traditional procession "pe pantodui".
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