Listening Task

Deliya Mutiara Pramesti

C11.2015.01615

TORAJA

 I once went to Toraja with my friends and her parents, i went there when i was about 8. I distincly still remember how long the trip it was because Toraja is quite far from Makassar. I went there by car and i stayed there for about 3 days. When i arrived in Toraja, my friend's parents tried to find any hotel because we arrived in midnight. 

On the first day i went to a small village where i could see a lot of traditional dwellings of Toraja. Toraja traditional house is so unique, it looked narrow outside but it was large inside. Lucky me for i got a chance to come in one of the houses,an old man which was my tour guide told me a lot about the building. Every house has buffalo horns hanging on the walls. I don't even know what those are for but Toraja people believe that those all are for luck.

On the next day i went to a cemetery. As we know that Toraja people have a unique and different tradition to bury someone. They don't burn it or bury it inside a hole but they just put the bodies in a cave. I visited the cave or a cemetery exactly and i could see so many skulls even on the ceiling of the cave. I also saw 3 chests on the corner of the cave and the guide told me that they just passed away several days ago so they had to be kept in their chests. All of tourists were taking pictures with the skulls but if we had to be careful because the cave was slippery. There were so many furnitures that are kept in the cave because in Toraja, when there's someone dies the family have to bring him his favorite stuff in order to he doesn't get lonely. There were table,plate,doll,cupboard,glass even television. And one thing that is unexplainable, the smell of the cave ain't bad though there are only bodies inside, but the cave was so humid and kinda spooky since it was my first time. Outside the cave there's a huge cliff, it's a cemetery as well but it's just for the elder or people who have high position in the habitants. They will be buried on the cliff, the higher their places the higher the cliff they get. I saw there were a lot of dolls on the edge of the huge and long cave, the dolls were made alike people that are dead so it means that there are more than 300 dolls there. I also looked around to baby's cemetery. For babies they have different place, when there's a baby dies he will be buried on the big tree in order to no fierce animals can reach him out. 

On the last day, i went to a restaurant where i could taste Toraja traditional food. I forgot what was is that name but it was made of sago and i did like it because it tasted different with any food from Makassar. I also went to souvenir shops to buy some souvenirs to my family and my friends. I bought a few key chains, traditional cloths, coffe, and a box made of wood. Then, i got back to Makassar after lunch.