Welcome to Sumatra, Indonesia's buffalo country

Welcome to Sumatra, Indonesia's buffalo country

By Carola Frentzen

MEDAN, Indonesia (DPA): The waiter dashes back and forth to
the kitchen loaded with a fresh armload of plates, pots and bowls
every time. There's buffalo meat bubbling away, chicken in curry
sauce and from other meals fish heads peek out.

Not to mention the vegetables, tapioca and spinach, duck eggs
and an impossibly hot pepperoni paste. It's all accompanied by
pots full of steaming basmati rice. "Khairul," someone calls,
"what's this dish called?" The guide smiles and informs guests
they are about to tuck into "our national dish: Nasi Padang."

In Indonesia, nasi means quite simply rice, and Padang is the
capital of West Sumatra province. Long ago, the local speciality
became the epitome of fine cuisine across the whole of Sumatra.
But Europeans who aren't used to spicy cooking should watch out -
it's hot!

The two tourist guides Khairul and Agoes grin as they chomp on
scorchingly spicy pepperoni sauce and rice. "It's a matter of
habit," they say. Like so much of Sumatra itself though, it is
not always love at first sight.

Distances on the world's fourth-largest island are huge. The
roads here are bad and travel is arduous. Covering almost 475,000
square kilometers, Sumatra is about the size of Spain.

Most of the territory is almost devoid of people and overgrown
with tropical vegetation. The rainy season here lasts an
interminable 10 months of the year but even in the so-called dry
periods in June and July it rains almost every day.

The island is green, very fertile - and in some parts
unpassable. Orangutans still live in the rain forests, not to
mention tigers, elephants, poisonous snakes, rhinoceroses and
numerous other exotic animals.

One of the island's recurring motives is its buffaloes. They
are everywhere, grazing at the side of the road or ploughing the
paddy fields. They are also served up as the national dish.

Further west and into Minangkabau country it becomes evident
just how much this animal is worshiped - almost mystically. This
can be seen in the shape of the curious fashion for houses here.
The rumah gadang are multi-family wooden longhouses on stilts
with saddle- shaped roofs, the ends pointing majestically upward
like buffalo horns.

One legend told by the Minangkabau says that many years ago, a
Malay prince tried to conquer the province of Sumatra Barat (West
Sumatra) but was thwarted by the villagers' stiff resistance. To
break the deadlock, the prince suggested a buffalo fight should
decide who would rule the province. The Minangkabau thought long
and hard about what they should do before deciding that a young
buffalo should fight for their side, one which they fitted with
huge horns of iron.

The ruse worked and the prince's gigantic buffalo soon fell to
the ground dead, its belly slashed open. The villagers retained
their independence and from then on called themselves menang
karbau - triumphant buffaloes.

Khairul and Agoes are Minangkabau but today they live in the
capital of the North Sumatra, Medan. "We are a proud people and
famous for our openness and hospitality," they say. The "people
of the triumphant buffaloes" are also exceptional because of
their matriarchal family structure, unique in Indonesia. The
women have the say in Minangkabau society, they feed the family,
bring up the children alone and make the most important
decisions.

One of the most beautiful palaces known to Minangkabau culture
is the Balai Janggo near Bukittinggi, the former royal residence.
From the outside, its buffalo-horn roof makes it look like the
typical "rumah gadang", except that this building is much larger,
and sumptuously decorated.

"Durian, 1,000 rupiahs" calls an old women waiting for hungry
tourists at her little fruit stall at the palace gates. It stinks
here since durian is probably the worst-smelling fruit in the
world. Gourmets call it the Limburger cheese of the fruit world
although underneath the hard rind it tastes magnificent.

The official website for tourism can supply more information
about Sumatra under www.indonesia-tourism.com/west-
sumatra/history.html. Private trips can also be booked through
one of the guides mentioned in the text and Khairul Sikumbang can
be contacted at his e-mail address: ksikumbang@yahoo.com.