Mamasa: The forgotten side of Toraja

Filomena Reiss, Contributor, Mamasa, South Sulawesi

When you tell people you are going to Mamasa, you often get a questioning look. "Is it in Manado?" someone asked me.

At least it's on the same island. Mamasa is in fact a quiet hillside town which is still part of Tana Toraja. It is situated 340 kilometers from Makassar, about eight hours to nine hours drive to the north of Polewali, Sumarorong.

The town was known in the local language as Mamase, meaning "lovely valley", and it was changed to Mamasa by the Dutch when they came here in 1907 and made it a favored mountain resort.

Unlike Toraja, Mamasa does not have spectacular tourist attractions or elaborate funeral rituals, but this region still has many traditional houses and beautiful landscapes that are ideal for trekking.

But, be forewarened that the pace of progress is slow here, and the roads to villages are passable only by motorbike, horse or on foot.

Starting from Pena, half an hour from Mamasa town, the first stop is Tedong-Tedong, the buffalo coffins, which is a special graveyard for the village people's ancestors. The coffins were cut out of a single huge tree trunk and carved into a shape of a water buffalo.

As you walk slowly uphill you see plenty of Robusta and Arabica coffee plantations and can smell the newly roasted coffee being pounded. It is a delightful experience to drink a freshly ground brew of coffee when you stop by one of the village houses.

Traditional houses, called buana sura, are similar to those in Tana Toraja. The thatched roof is boat-shaped, but has slightly extended gables. The people believe that their ancestors came from the sea by ship up the river. A huge carving of a buffalo head is usually placed on the big post in front of the houses, as well as a curved horse's head, which is a new status symbol.

The roofs need to be rethatched every couple of years, which is expensive for the villagers, and the traditional houses are fast disappearing. More than half of the ones we saw had corrugated iron roofs. Some may call it progress but it totally changes the feel of the place.

Ballapeu is the longest traditional village in Toraja, with approximately 200 houses and rice barns in a row. The village is 1,400 meters above sea level, an ideal place to stay overnight.

Dinner here can be arranged and if you are lucky you will be offered boiled black rice, specially served to noble people. At sunset or sunrise one can see the beautiful panoramic view of Mamasa, half an hour's walk up the hill.

From Ballapeu, you trek down to Batarirak, passing well-tended rice terraces, and after four hours trekking you arrive at Rantesepang, a weaving center. The women here weave commercial dyed threads in bright red, orange, purple and blue on a back strap loom to make into a double-purpose sarong-cum-blanket, called a sambu.

The next village for an overnight stay is Tawalian. Bapak Phillips who owns the whole village of traditional houses is able to arrange for the villagers to perform a welcome dance and songs accompanied by an unusual bamboo flute orchestra, but you need to make a request in advance. Philipps' wife makes the costumes for the dancers, including the colorful beads they wear called sassang.

The walk the next day was through the rice fields, passing cliff cave graves on the hillsides. In Mamasa the dead are buried in cliff caves in a rite similar to Tana Toraja.

One can also visit the oldest church in the Mamasa area, built by the Dutch in 1929 (the church bells are still the Dutch originals).

Although most Mamasanese are Christians, they still follow their traditional rites called Aluk Tomatua, meaning "the rules from the ancestors", passed down from generation to generation through oral teachings.

Pastor Juliana, who proudly served us her traditional dish of chicken and banana trunk cooked in bamboo with sauteed fern, heads the church.

A visit to Rantebuda village is a must, home to the biggest traditional house in Mamasa. The house belongs to the former leader of the village who has the title rambusaratu, meaning "hundred smokes" or one who performs extraordinary functions in the society. The house has the largest front pole of any in Mamasa, indicating the high status of the residents.

There are other places around Mamasa to trek, but for a longer distance. If you have time and energy, you could cross Tana Toraja in three days and two nights. This is probably better and worthwhile as the road from Mamasa to Tana Toraja is often washed away by the rain.

Since Mamasa became a regency earlier this year, the head of a trekking agency in Mamasa, Arianus, is hopeful that the road and telecommunications will improve soon, so this trekking haven could attract more tourists.

If you do decide to come to this unspoilt part of Sulawesi (before the rest get in on the secret), remember a few things:

* Make arrangements well in advance if you plan to trek in Mamasa, as communications are still bad.

* Contact a good trekking agency (in advance), which can arrange your stay and food in the villages.

* The days are hot, but the nights can get very cold, and you will need a light sleeping bag.

* A first aid kit is essential as medical facilities in the area are limited (and hospitals far away)

* Be prepared to eat different types of rice most of the time and traditional food.