{"id":517,"date":"2022-06-01T09:48:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T07:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dieferbers.de\/wordpress\/?p=517"},"modified":"2023-02-18T19:33:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-18T18:33:07","slug":"the-improbable-nation-indonesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dieferbers.de\/wordpress\/2022\/06\/01\/the-improbable-nation-indonesia\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cimprobable nation\u201d: Indonesia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My next trip in April to Borneo, Bali, Java, and Flores introduced me to the \u201cimprobable nation<\/a>\u201d of Indonesia: 273.8 mio people of 1,300 ethnic groups with 719 languages live on 6,000+ of 16,000+ islands across three time zones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hopping Nusa-Tenggara islands in Indonesia <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Each island feels like a country by itself. Denpasar in Bali is the tourist and nomadic work place of digitals. Java has been an agricultural and industrial powerhouse for several centuries. Borneo has one of the oldest and biggest rainforests in the world, but is heavily under threat by palm oil plantations.Indonesia is at the same time the world’s biggest palm oil exporter<\/a> and very exposed to the impact of climate change e.g. Nusantara<\/a>, the new capital of Indonesia will replace Jakarta<\/a>due to flooding, air quality, and traffic jams<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jakarta view from skyscraper office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Palm oil plantations destroy primary forest in Borneo at breathtaking speed. Picture from Prinz, Dieter. (2009). Contributor and Victim – Indonesia\u2019s Role in Global Climate Change<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traveling with Fairventures Indonesia<\/a> and the Borneo Institute<\/a> in Central Kalimantan <\/a>impressed me in multiple ways. The Dayak<\/a> culture and heritage visible in the \u201cLong-House“ where we stayed overnight and the importance of music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Typical Borneo river<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Kids enjoying the cool water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dayak Longhouse with ancestors shrine and \u201cgreetings\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Travel family Eastern breakfast in the Dayak Longhouse build with Ironwood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Indonesian kitchen is my favorite place to breath the local culture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Traditional Dayak musicians welcomes us at the Palangka Raya<\/a> airport.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Yanedi Jagau, the director of the Borneo Institute,<\/a> and other locals take us into the Dschungel music<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The village Wolokoli in Wolowaru on Flores<\/a> has a 500 years old community house, the \u201cRumah Adat Jopu Ranggase\u201d for ceremonies. Maria is the daughter of the chief-of-chiefs and explained everything in detail to me. In the two ceremonies per year each lasting for four days, villagers praise their two Misu gods: the god of moon and the god of the sun. With this house, the 6 different tribes in the village came to peace by voting one of the tribe chiefs to become the chief-of-all-chiefs. The rope in the middle symbolizes the peace of the 6 tribes. It holds a basket for sacrificing black rice and a pork heart to the god of the moon, dedicated to the women in the village. The smaller basket in the corner is for the good of the sun. Here, yellow rice and an ox heart is immolated and devoted for men. A metal box outside, \u201cMade in Germany\u201d, keeps the bones of the former chiefs. A German priest donated the box to the village. Amazingly, Maria is a convinced Christian but at the same time still practicing heritage religion like most people in the village. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maria invited me in the community house.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Rumah Adat Jopu Ranggase a 500 years old community house for ceremonies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Drivers have been our hidden champion during our trips in Uganda and Indonesia. They not only take care of navigation, long hours of safe but quick transport, often way beyond the German driving rules. Drivers deal with mom elephants on the road, have an amazing network in the local population, take care of the \u201cmiddle men\u201d, and open cultural doors you would not find yourself. And some even take on the job of real infotainment like Christo in Flores or Ardi in Kalimantan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our driver Steve in Uganda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Multi-talent Ardi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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