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Toraja Village House at Ke'te Kesu
Although nobody knows for sure the origin of the traditional Toraja house , it is built with a massive roof in the style of an upturned boat.
Thousands of lengths of slitted bamboo are laid on top of each other to construct this amazing roof.
The actual rooms are rather tiny in comparison to the huge roof and framework and the massive support posts rest on a large main post foundation stone that is positioned only once the building nears completion.

Timber Effigies of dead relatives.
Timber statues in the likeness of long departed relatives stand as sentries on balconies,overlooking the rice paddies of Lemo
Above the effigies ,caves are chiselled into the granite rock faces of the mountain cliffs.Here lie the bones of the departed.

Skulls of the forgotten
Even in the larger naturally formed caves there is an overflow of bones as new bodies are placed on the surrounding rock ledges .
Eventually the bones and skulls of those that nobody remembers , are removed from the timber coffins and placed around on rocks to watch over those who come to honour their departed.

	Makassar to Toraja Land
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Makassar - Ujungpandang We arrived in Makassar and were met at the airport by two local girls. One of Rod's friends had met them previously and they had offered to guide us around the area. We checked into the hotel and then decided on a trishaw ride to the Makassar waterfront. Wo watched the evening sunset over the bay and snacked at the local seaside food stalls. That evening, the fleet of sailing craft were busy preparing for the following day's races in celebration of Independence Day. We looked on from a shore-side restaurant where we were serenaded by a local Spanish quartet. That night the girls took us to one of the local nightspots where we listened one of the best nine piece cover bands that any of us had ever listened to.
Toraja Village House at Ke'te Kesu Although nobody knows for sure the origin of the traditional Toraja house , it is built with a massive roof in the style of an upturned boat. Thousands of lengths of slitted bamboo are laid on top of each other to construct this amazing roof. The actual rooms are rather tiny in comparison to the huge roof and framework and the massive support posts rest on a large main post foundation stone that is positioned only once the building nears completion.			...the road to Toraja Land The next morning after a quick stroll around town to look at the preparations for the days Independence Day celebrations and marches we loaded into the minibus organised by 'Petro Travel' for a 7 hour journey north and up to the mountain town of Rantepao in an area known as Tana Toraja. During the trip up the winding mountain roads ,we were lucky enough to drive past and even be part of many of the Independence Day celebrations and marches underway in the smaller towns. We arrived late in the evening and checked into our hotel - the Hiltra Toraja - which is built in the style of the local traditional houses.
Torajans and Death The next morning we were met by a local guide who took us first the town of Lemo to view the amazing cliff side cemetaries of the Toraja people. For thousands of years the Torajans have buried their dead in square caves chiselled into the granite rock face of the cliffs in the countryside surrounding their villages. Timber likenesses of their departed relatives are then placed on resessed balconies near the family burial chamber to remind all who toil in the rice fields below of their long departed relatives. Eventually, over hundreds of years the bones of those ancestors that nobody remembers are removed from the rear of the cavern to make room for the bodies of the more recentently expired . Access to the burial caverns for a funeral is via bamboo scaffolding and ladders erected for the event. The timber statues are very expensive to get made and funeral may take years to pay for, but is an important part of the Torajans culture. E-mail Petro Tour Touring around Toraja Land After the visiting Lemo we travelled on to Sangalla to see the baby burial trees. In this area are large rainforest trees with square slots cut into their massive trunks. Any baby that is stillborn or dies before it loses its milk teeth is entombed here. Some of the massive trees had 10 to 12 tiny doors, each representing a burial cavern. A short distance to another town and we visited caves scattered with bones ,skulls , coffins and timber effigies of other ancestors frm nearby villagers. It was then off to a sumptuous lunch in a restaurant in the middle of a rice paddyand observed preparations for an upcoming funeral. Next we visited a genuine traditional village. That evening we headed back to Rantepao and explored the local markets and street stalls. The next day we departed early and headed back to the airport for the next leg of our journey flying via central Sulawesi and west to Borneo. Add your link here			Timber Effigies of dead relatives. Timber statues in the likeness of long departed relatives stand as sentries on balconies,overlooking the rice paddies of Lemo Above the effigies ,caves are chiselled into the granite rock faces of the mountain cliffs.Here lie the bones of the departed.
			Skulls of the forgotten Even in the larger naturally formed caves there is an overflow of bones as new bodies are placed on the surrounding rock ledges . Eventually the bones and skulls of those that nobody remembers , are removed from the timber coffins and placed around on rocks to watch over those who come to honour their departed.