Tana Toraja Take 2

The first step to checking out graves was to get a map. The second was to hire a Harley as the graves are spread out everywhere. Of course it comes without fuel


From here we managed to get out of town event free and headed off, map in hand for Lemo. Here we found an albino buffalo valued at 200,000,000 Rp equivalent of about $30,000 AUD. I think he was sick of tourists and had mastered the art of almost getting bystanders with those horns.
Here we hired a Tilly lamp and headed to the cave.




Trying not to stand on the many bones we wandered around looking at the offerings (mostly cigarettes) and coffins, some of which had only been there a few months. It smelled a little musty and damp as you would expect but that was it. Every available space in and on the cliff was jammed with coffins big and small.




Apparently the richer you are the higher up the mountain you get buried. We asked a couple of people how they get the bodies up the cliff but got no real clear answer.




After reviewing our excuse for a map, we cranked up the Harleys and headed off for a swimming hole. Things didn’t go quite to plan firstly missing the turn off and then my hog got a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. Amanda swapped to Bruce’s machine to lighten the load and I sped off in search of a tyre repair venue asking locals for directions along the way. After parting with the grand total of $1.30 for the repair and having lunch we were back in business.




By this stage hot springs sounded like a better plan so back to the back roads we headed.




From here we started to head north again and into the pouring rain. Stopping for a freshly ground coffee (5 hp of grinding) sounded like a good idea at this point to wait for the rain to ease.




After a wet ride back to the Hotel and going through the now well rehearsed routine to get hot water, we returned the Harleys. Our final day was spent cruising around, sampling smoked dried Buffalo, local coffee and catching up on internet jobs before boarding the night bus back to Makassar. We decided to change bus company for one without a broken windscreen, with good air con, and working reading lights. Pure Luxury.