South Sumatera

TOURISM

1. SITE SRIWIJAYA
location in the village of Karang Anyar district. West Ilir Palembang municipality. President Soeharto inaugurated on December 22, 1994 with the laying of the replica back Kedukan Bukit inscription. The inscription is telling two armies laksa Sriwijaya Wanua Srijayanasa build on the Saka year 606 (684 AD) at the foot of Mount Siguntang.

2. PARK HILL Siguntang
Located to the west of Palembang. This place is a hilly area, where there are several tombs, among others: the King of The Nature Trembling, Dadar Flower Princess, Princess Hair Selako, Commander of the Great Yellow, Commander of the Great Reef, Chief Master Master, Earl King and Commander Fire Stone Jago Lawang.

3. PARK Ki Gede Ing Suro
Islamic cemetery complex was built mid-sixteenth century, this park is located on I Kelurahan Ilir. There are 38 tombs, including the tomb of Ki Gede Ing Suro, which is the origin of the Sultan of Palembang. Historically, in the year 1552 Ki Gede Ing Suro founded the kingdom of Palembang.

4. PUNTI WOOD FOREST TOUR
Forest is an area of 50 ha, located on Jl. H. Burlian (KM 7) which is the main road between the Airport Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II and the city of Palembang.

5. ISLAND KEMARO
Is a delta at the river musi, about 5 km to the downstream Ampera Bridge. On this island there is a monastery. In celebration of Cap Go Me Chinese people, including thousands who came from various cities and even from overseas visited the island to conduct Kemaro prayer or pilgrimage. This celebration lasts 2 - 3 days. Kemaro the island can also be seen at the Pertamina refinery and River Plaju Gerong and PT Pusri fertilizer plant next to the various activities on the river Musi.

6. Ampera RIVER BRIDGE AND MUSI
It is a landmark for the city of Palembang. Ampera bridge was built in 1962-1965, across the Musi River and connects the Ilir Palembang and Ulu. Since the 1970s the center of this bridge was not raised again with the consideration would cause long traffic jams. Musi River is the longest and largest river in South Sumatra province, with a length of 406 Km. Palembang distance to the river mouth in the Strait of Bangka ± 106 Km.

7. PAGARALAM
Located at the foot of Mount Dempo, the city tourism potential menyinpan very amazing. With the expanse of verdant tea plantations, Pagaralam has a very mild climate throughout the year. In addition, there are many waterfalls that add beautiful scenery. In this region also found in archeological sites thousands of years old.

HAND CRAFT

1. FABRIC SONGKET
Is a typical woven fabric of South Sumatra mas yarn imported from China and Singapore, songket is not made in manufacturing but with hand woven by traditional craftsmen. Songket very common use in the customs and other official events such as marriage, circumcision and other special dances. Songket has many motifs and colors, usually brightly colored fun and gaiety describe the people of South Sumatra, among other motives boyfriend china flower motifs and heart motif.

2. FABRIC JUMPUTAN
Made of silk, in ancient times was a special cloth used by the girls palembang but now this cloth worn during traditional events Palembang and other official events. Cain has a blend jumputan very distinctive color generally like bright red, green, yellow.

3. FABRIC BLONGSONG
Made of woven silk and cotton yarn used, commonly used by older women or young mothers. This cloth is usually used for traditional ceremonies such as shaving Palembang, fiance but can also be used at a wedding reception as the clothes.

4. FABRIC TAJUNG
Specifically used by adult males is usually to add beauty can also be paired with suits or clothing pot bay. This cloth is used during traditional parties and other formal events, usually made of woven silk fabric with motifs and colors are attractive. Well-known motif, among others limar,

5. Palembang specialty CARVING
Usually Tembesu made of wood or mahogany, the wood is a typical wood South Sumatra. Object of the carving is brand bridal, sofa, buffet and chairs, generally floral carvings with the dominant colors of red and yellow gold.


Source by Bank Indonesia

Restaurant Carpinus, Herent

The Carpinus on the church square in Herent is a very nice restaurant. The Chef Koen, is extremely motivated and he lives for his hotel and restaurant. The restaurant has a small a la carte menu but only with very good ingredients. The dishes are served in large portions and the taste is always balanced. Great place.

De Carpinus op het kerkplein in Herent is een zeer goed restaurant. De Chef Koen, is enorm gemotiveerd en leeft voor zijn hotel en restaurant. Het restaurant heeft een beperkte menukaart met enkel zeer goede ingredienten. De gerechten worden in grote porties geserveerd en de smaken zijn altijd in evenwicht. Zeker de moeite waard.

Update 2: Delhi

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
Notwithstanding everyone's assurances in Delhi that the thick fog which currently envelops it is not unusual, I have never seen it as dense...and it's colder than I expected. Having said that, it's always a joy to be in Delhi at the cusp of another photo~expedition.

Two of the photo~expedition members are already in Delhi; Terri Gold and Wink Willett. With the gallant and delightful companionship of my friend, Anamitra Chakladar, we have gallivanted on Chandni Chowk, ate Karim's kebabs, rode on a time machine with the oldest established deed writer in Delhi and tranced in Nizzam Uddin Dargah with the sounds of qawwali. Mohit Gupta joined us, and I came across Peter Aronson as well...all in a matter of moments at the shrine of Nizzam Uddin!!! It probably wasn't a coincidence, because the venerated Sufi saint must have made it all possible somehow.

This evening, the rest of the group will meet in the lobby of the posh Lalit Hotel, which is our home for our nights in Delhi. Being within a stone's throw from Connaught Place, I planned on having dinner in one of the many area's restaurants, however Connaught Place is a construction site at this time, so we'll eat in.

Tomorrow it's Udaipur...the gateway to the rest of the itinerary.

Brasserie Hulstkamp, Antwerp (Antwerpen)

When visiting Antwerp it is always nice to have a place where you can eat something. I would recommend Brasserie Hulstkamp on the Keyserlei. They have a great choice of snacks, starters and plates. The quality of the food is good and the staff is very professional. Don't forget Belgium is a beer country and they serve serval nice beers from the tap.

Als je Antwerpen bezoekt is het altijd leuk een plaats te hebben om ergens iets te gaan eten. Ik kan u Brasserie Hulstkamp aanbevelen op de Keyserlei. Je hebt een grote keuze aan snacks, voorgerechten en hoofdschotels. The kwaliteit van het eten is goed en de bediening is zeer professioneel. Vergeet niet dat Belgie een bierland is, hier serveren ze verschillende goede bieren van het vat.

Rabaul - Volcano Town

Rabaul was once called "the most beautiful towns in the South Pacific", until 1994 when the twin volcanic eruption ruined the entire town.


Since then, Government & Business Houses moved to Kokopo and no new building has been built in Rabaul. Most of the existing buddings have been collapsed because of the ash and subsequent effect of acid.

Rabaul township was first developed by the Germans. German Flag was raised at Matupit Island on 3rd Nov 1884, but the capital was in Kokopo. After they found that Kokopo does not have deep port to cater for a big ship, they have developed a new town with the big harbor - Simpsons harbor and named the town "Simpsonshafen".

Simpsonshafen was renamed as Rabaul after Germans have defeated the World War 1, but the town kept developing as main export town of Copra.

The Town was ruined by 1937 eruption which killed more than 500 people at nearby Matupit island and again by the World War 2.

But people who loved the "Frangipani" town came back and rebuilt the Rabaul.

With the mighty power of the mother nature, we are not sure if Rabaul will come back again to its beauty or not. However, with people still love the town and work hard to rebuild the town, I am sure there will be a hope.

Central Station, Antwerp - Centraal Station, Antwerpen

Located on "Astridplein" in Antwerp you find the historical entrance of Antwerp's central station. This station is very special because of the eclectic building style. This style is a combination of historical treasures and modern elements. The trains enter and leave the station on three floors. The present meets the past via a steel roofing that covers the platforms. The roofing is 186m long and 43m high. This is the most interesting train station I have ever seen.

Op het Astridplein in Antwerpen vind je de historische ingang van het centraal station. Het station is heel speciaal omwille van zijn eclectische bouwstijl. Deze stijl combineert historische en moderne elementen tot een geheel. De treinen rijden het station binnen en uit op drie verdiepingen. Het verleden ontmoet de toekomst via een stalen perronoverkapping van 43m hoog en 186m lang. Dit is het meest interessante station dat ik ooit heb gezien.

In the station you find many Jewellery shops. Antwerp is the Diamond capital of the world. In the area you see many people in traditional Jewish clothing. Most of these families work in the diamond industry.

In het station vind je veel juweliers. Antwerpen is dan ook de diamant hoofdstad van de wereld. In de omgeving zie je veel Joodse mensen in traditionele kledij. De meeste van deze families werken in de diamant industrie.

Trip to Rabaul No.1

I have visited Rabaul last week.
Staying at comfortable Kokopo Beach Bungalow, I have visited Volcano town, Remains of German Colonial time and Japanese War Relics, and very nice villages on Mainland and Island.

Enjoyed the safe Town, comfortable Hotel, tasty Food & hospitable People.
I will post the trip report in next couple of days... should not be missed !!

Update 1: On The Road: London

As much as I love London, I must say that it's quite dreary at this time of year, so I'm glad it's only a short stop over this time.

I flew Virgin Atlantic's morning flight from Newark to London, and had two small carry-ons with me. My small Domke and a canvas laptop shoulder bag. I "linked" both with carabiners, and had them stuffed with all my photo gear as well as my Acer netbook. All my cables and electronic "support system" were in my checked-in luggage, including my 70-200mm lens.

The security check was polite, fast, efficient and thorough. My Domke bag was singled out for a quick swab by a TSA agent since it had all the gear...and within a minute, I was cleared.

On arrival, I checked my main bag and found that the TSA had opened it and left me a note saying that it had done so. My TSA-approved locks were there as I had locked them. And nothing was missing.

Efficient and professional.

The second test as to my carry-on configuration will be tonight as I check in to my Virgin flight to Delhi. I expect the lines at Heathrow's security will be long.

Papua

If talking about Papua, which is often pictured in our minds is the uniqueness of Asmat wood carving or authenticity of Dani culture in the Middle Mountains of Papua who have been so recognized. In addition, there are also cultural uniqueness and originality inherent in society. Papua with an area of 421,981 km2, or more than 20% of Indonesia's land area or 3.5 times the island of Java, has a length of 2000 ± mile beach and the vast sea waters around 228.000 km2. Papua lengthwise from west to east between the City Sorong-Jayapura along ± 1200 km, and ran from north to south between Jayapura - Merauke along ± 736 Km.

Papua is an area filled with hills and mountains are rich with tropical rain forest (tropical rain forest) that are difficult to navigate and the majority is still a virgin forest. One of the top of the mountain known as Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) which is the highest peak in Indonesia that covered by eternal snow, with a conservation area surrounded by an area of 21,500 km2 Lorentz and is the oldest nature conservation area in Indonesia. The region have various kinds of biological richness in different ecosystems, ranging from mangrove swamps to the top of the snow.

World War II that occurred in all regions of Papua or the Pacific War (Pacific War) left the phenomenon itself in Papua. On the occasion of war veterans Japanese nationals, the American traveling memorial to the Biak, Manokwari, Sorong, Jayapura and Sarmi. But unfortunately, the ruins of the many relics of the war that has become old and lost iron for trade. One of the remaining relics of them is a former airfield on Biak formerly known as the Mokmer and monuments in Sentani, built by General Douglas MacArthur.

History and Culture

Population of Papua, now numbering 2.2 million people, where the proportion of indigenous population numbered approximately 1.3 million people. They are people who still can be said is still very traditional, except in some coastal areas are relatively more advanced cultures as a result of interaction with the outside world. Until a few decades ago, most people who live mainly in rural areas are still Like a stone age. There are many natives in the mountains wearing only a cover for male genitals (Koteka) and women wearing only grass skirts. Intertribal war was not much happening again, but not lost completely, while the traditional agriculture is still done.

In Papua there are 251 languages, or 40% of the language known in Indonesia that number ± 600. Language in Papua if combined with 770 languages in Papua New Guinea is one-fifth of the language known in the world. A total of 140 languages in Papua only used by less than 1000 people. One third of the Papua natives using one of the languages Dani (400,000) or the language Ekagi (130,000) and only these two languages and the language of the Asmat (80,000) are widely known.

Humans had arrived in New Guinea long before they reached the United States or the European mainland. The evidence does not directly address the that in about 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, ancestors of the indigenous Papuan people coming in small groups the same time as the formation of ice, so that the sea level dropped. The island is welcoming its predecessors is totally different from what we know today. Estimated at that stretch of ice covered large areas and there is snow at an altitude of only 350 m above sea level. The temperature was 7 degrees Celsius lower than the temperature at the present time. In some stages of the ice age, a shallow sea Arafuru is land that serves as a bridge, so that the natives of Papua could mix with indigenous Australians. Evidence of this can be seen from the common style and stone handicrafts motifs can be found along the southwest coast of Papua (Kaimana Beach) and in Arnhem Land in northern Australia. From the genetic evidence can be seen that both the native separation occurs in about 10,000 years ago.

Austronesian people is the last major group to come to Papua, which has known high technology, the types of weapons and better equipment, and farming methods and have kept pets. At the Austronesian people came, the natives of Papua are already living in farm groups are settled, in a society that is compact enough to maintain identity, language and their culture. Around tahun4000 BC, people suspected Papua and has planted taro tubers and keep pigs. There is one type of tubers Ipomea called, comes from the new world, but with how to get to pedalamam Papua, is a mystery.

Trade between New Guinea and Indonesia central and west, may have been going on since before the arrival of Christianity. Traders from western archipelago brought clothes and metal goods to be exchanged with Paradise feathers, and serf masoi bark, which in Java is used for medicinal herbs. Curly-haired person listed on the wall carvings of Borobudur temple which was built in the 18th century, perhaps the people of Papua. Fiber Negarakertagama poetry books from the Majapahit kingdom in the 14th century was also told about Papua.

In the early 16th century, the Portuguese first set foot on the soil of Papua is Jorge de Meneses is a governor who is stationed in Maluku. He was the first European to give a picture of New Guinea, which he called the "Ilhas dos Papuas". In addition, one known for his research in New Guinea was Alfred Russel Wallace (1858) who did research for five months at Dorei Bay area. Because of biological research generate a theory about the history of speciation that are similar to Charles Darwin's theory.

In the early 20th century the Dutch government began doing serious research on New Guinea, among the most important research is sending troops on a large scale inland New Guinnea in 1907 and 1915. The last major discovery occurred in 1938, when an expedition led by an American explorer named Richard Archbold, landing by plane in the lake and found Habbema Baliem valley. Big Baliem Valley is a fertile valley, lies in the alluvial plains of size 50 times 15 kilometers, inhabited by the Dani tribe of 50,000 that has not been in touch with the outside world before the arrival of Archbold. In today Baliem valley is the main tourist destination in Papua.

Missionary is one of the pioneer explorer in Papua, on February 5, 1855 two German priests employed by the Dutch Protestant Church, came to Papua and first set foot on the island Mansinam Manokwari, the pastor Ottow and Geisler. The spread of Christianity they began to take place in Papua. And to commemorate the entry of the Gospel into the ground by the Government of Papua Region on February 5 has been stipulated as entry of the Gospel in the Land of Papua and expressed As with the official holiday to Papua.

In 1942, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, continue south to New Guinea (Papua) without any significant resistance from the Dutch army that Hollandia (Jayapura) can be controlled by Japanese troops. In the spring of 1944, the United States entered the war with mobilizing troops and material in an effort to fight back under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur. By 1200 the power of the aircraft, 217 ships and 50,000 troops, MacArthur finally able to land at Hollandia, and held the city with 159 victims of allied troops. After falling the hands allies Hollandia, Biak and then became the next target for control of the north coast of New Guinea. Battle of Biak was one of the most ferocious battles during the war where American soldiers used dynamite and diesel fuel to drive the Japanese army in the cave. Only 220 people survived the Japanese army. Until now there are many families visited Biak veterans to honor family members who became victims of war. Allies later expand Biak airport for landing big bombers capable of turning the tide of war Pacific.


Source by Bank Indonesia

Quinn Ryan Mattingly: Puja

Puja from Quinn Ryan Mattingly on Vimeo.

Quinn attended the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Manali last summer, and photographed (and videographed) one of the rituals occuring right at the heart of this northern Indian town. Rajasthani families descend on Manali during the summer season looking for work and to escape the torrid heat of their state. Naturally, they bring their own rituals, which include daily prayers when some the devotees enter into trances, transported by the music and the chants. His multimedia essay merges stills and video, and brings you to the scene extremely well. I have seen the ritual first hand, and I must say that it's almost as if I was there again.

Quinn Ryan Mattingly is a documentary photographer currently based in Saigon, and most of his work aims at giving voices to those who are unable to be heard, and is working with former and current street children in Saigon.

Some of his other documentary stories are from Vietnam, and Nepal (as well as a book on Blurb). His photography essays can be seen here, and he also has a blog that chronicles some of his photography as well.

NGS: India's Nomads

The National Geographic has just published an online feature on India's Lost Nomads. I consider this to be a highly auspicious coincidence as I am about to embark on the Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition™, whose objectives is to document some of these tribes in a similar geographic area of India.

The informative article is by John Lancaster, who was East Asia bureau chief for the Washington Post, with pictures by Steve McCurry. Here's an excerpt:

"Gadulia Lohar (their name comes from the Hindi words for "cart," gaadi, and "blacksmith," lohar) are among the best known; others are herders, such as the Rabari, famous throughout western India for their bulky turbans and familiarity with all things camel. Some are hunters and plant gatherers. Some are service providers—salt traders, fortune-tellers, conjurers, ayurvedic healers. And some are jugglers, acrobats, grindstone makers, story­tellers, snake charmers, animal doctors, tattooists, basketmakers. All told, anthropologists have identified about 500 nomadic groups in India, numbering perhaps 80 million people—around 7 percent of the country's billion-plus population."

80 million people in 500 nomadic groups??? Our CF cards will melt from the overuse, and we'll run out of storage space!