**WARNING: Some of the photos below are graphic and contain some blood**
So there we were…experiencing a moment right out of National Geographic; watching a buffalo be sacrified only feet away at a local Tana Toraja funeral ceremony.
We had originally planned to spend another few weeks on the island of Flores and then head north to Sulawesi by plane but we found out that a local ferry, that only goes every two weeks, was leaving from Lanbanbajo to Sulawesi the day we left Kanawa island. Figuring we could save a lot of money by not flying, we decided to cut our time in Flores short and spend our last month in Indonesia exploring Sulawesi. Buying tickets for the ferry should have been a sign of how crazy the ride would be, but nothing prepared us for arriving at the dock with thousands of people waiting, pushing and shouting to board the boat. When the ladder was put overboard to let people off the boat, chaos ensued and people started jumping and pushing their way on board. Even after waiting a bit, the chaos continued as we tried to get onboard and we were squeezed like sardines through a massive crowd. We met several other travellers at the ticket office and once we all got on board, we attempted to find a seat. We soon realized that was impossible as there were so many people, boxes and bags of food EVERYWHERE inside and outside on the boat. We were forced to sit on the dirty floor in one of the areas inside, this was going to be a long 18 hour ride. Soon though Jason came back with news that a worker on the boat offered us his officers cabin for us all to sleep in for about $10 per person. We jumped on the opportunity as his cabin had TV, a bathroom, a/c, a bed and mattresses for us all to sleep on. The six of us (the only tourists on the boat) crammed into the room for what turned out to be a much more comfortable ride up to Sulawesi.
After getting as much sleep as we could, we landed in Makassar, Sulawesi where getting out of the boat terminal turned out to be as much of a nightmare as getting on. But, we eventually popped out of the crowd, sweaty and wet (it had been pouring rain) and made our way to a hotel. After only one night in Makassar, we went north to the Tana Toraja area ready to experience one of the most interesting cultures we have seen on this trip.
The people of Tana Toraja focus all of their time and money on funerals for their loved ones. Funeral preparations there can cost a fortune, one man told us,” Tana Toraja is one of the most expensive places to die.” Most of the people are Christian, but they mix many of their cultural believes with Christianity. When someone in a family dies, that person is given a big party at their house. Bamboo structures are built, seating areas are made, and the homes literally turn into compounds to support visitors of the dead. Family and friends come, usually bearing gifts for the family, and are welcomed with tea, coffee and biscuits. The funeral lasts all day (with the burial happening the day after) and the main event is the slaughtering of a buffalo. The number of buffalo a family slaughters shows their social status and how much money they have. At some small funerals, only a few buffalo are sacrificed, while at large ones, there can be up to 100 killed over the course of a few days. Live pigs are also given as gifts to the family and those are killed as well and grilled up in the back to feed all of the guests.
The reason that the buffalo sacrifice is so important is that the Toraja people believe the buffalo leads the deceased on to their afterlife. Right before the buffalo is killed, the body is turned to face south. They believe the body must be facing south when the buffalo dies so they can travel together to their next life. Once the buffalo sacrifices have occurred, the body is then ready to be buried. Buffalo in Indonesia are very expensive and it can sometimes take the family a long time to raise the money to throw a proper funeral. During that time, they embalm the body of the dead and keep it in the house until the funeral can happen, sometimes staying there for years until they can afford a proper send off.
Visiting a funeral while in the area is the best way to see the culture up close. You may think, isn’t that invasive going to a funeral of someone you don’t know? But the people in the area are very used to tourists coming and welcome them as regular guests like everyone else. Hiring a car in town, us and a few friends from the boat up to Sulawesi, spent one of our days visiting a local funeral and exploring the unique burial sites around the area.
The funeral we visited was a small one and the man had died over two months ago. We were immediately invited to sit in the large seating areas (constructed just for the ceremony) and were offered coffee, tea, and snacks just like the other guests. Meanwhile, screaming pigs were brought in and out as guests arrived bringing them for the deceased family. Soon though the pigs were carried away and the buffalo made its way front and center, right where we were sitting. Only one buffalo was killed on the day we visited and then two more were going to be killed the following day when they actually moved the body to its final resting place. Wasting no time at all, the buffalo killer (who is actually hired to perform the sacrifice) whipped out his knife and WHACK, slit the buffalos throat. Blood poured out of the buffalos neck as it let out a loud moan. It stumbled around a bit and then WHACK, the knife hit its throat again. More moaning, more splattered blood. Soon the buffalo fell over and after five minutes had stopped moving. Once it was good and dead, the buffalo was skinned and chopped up right on the ground where it had fallen. Most of the meat was distributed to guests to take home or cooked in the back for the celebration. Seeing the slaughter happen in person was one of the most intense things we both have ever witnessed. Becky could hardly watch and even now still has a hard time looking at the pictures. We didn’t stick around much longer, we had all seen enough and it was time to continue on to the other sites in the area. The rest of our day was spent visiting some of the burial sites around town. Many people are buried in hollowed out rock faces or cliffs, making the graves an interesting place to visit.
The following day, we ventured up into the hills and did a nice walk through several small villages with stunning mountains and rice paddies. The area around Tana Toraja is also known for a unique style of house, large boat-shaped structures, only found in that area. The walk was a great way to see the homes up close throughout the surrounding hills.
All in all, the area was a wonderful place to experience a fascinating culture where lives revolve around family and death. We enjoyed getting an up close (maybe a little too close!) and personal view of how these people live and eventually get laid to rest.
Highlights
- Being able to join in the funeral ceremony, even if it was a bit bloody
- The beautiful houses and hillsides all around town
- Visiting the weekly market in Rantepao, hundreds of buffalo and pigs were being sold along with all the other normal fruits and veggies
Lowlights
- The madness of our ferry ride to Makassar
**WARNING: Some of the photos below are graphic and contain some blood**
Becky & Jason's Around the World Adventure 
Crazy!
I feel so blessed to be able to follow your travels. You two never cease to amaze me.
All I can say to this one is…OMG! But also very grateful that you were able to experience all of this and for sharing it with us. Amazing!
i guess buffalo is off the list of things i want to try !! Uncle Tommy