*CYCLE INDONESIA* Exploring Sulawesi and beyond on a Friday

"SULAWESI, Indonesia, is that spidery shaped island east of Borneo, north of Bali ..." so says Australian New World Tourist owner and Indonesia expert Colin Freestone, who shares his intimate knowledge of this country via his bicycle tour, www.cycleindonesia.com.au

IN COLONIAL times, Sulawesi was called "the Celebes".

The major ethnic group on the island, the Bugis, gave their namesake to the ‘boogie man’ a myth created in the 16th century by English adventurers to promote a phobia of their rivals.

The Buginese were in fact protecting their traditional commercial interests. They fought the marauding English, Dutch and other European adventurers who were trying to wrest control of the lucrative spice trade. The major city on the island, Makassar, gave its name to the anti Makassars that are the cloths draped over the backs of lounge chairs to absorb the (clove) oil that men used to wear in their hair.

Cloves, apart from being used as ‘hair oil’, were so highly valued by dentists for their anaesthetic properties, they were as expensive as gold. They grew on only one tiny ‘spice island’ that lay to the east of Sulawesi. As it turned out, the Dutch secured control of the trade which to this day is reflected in the impressive Fort Rotterdam which lies near the old business district of Makassar.

I first visited Sulawesi in 1970, and then 25 years later to set up a university exchange program, in 1996.

In 1970 I took a car – I wasn’t yet into cycle touring - from Maksssar on the south west coast of the island to Cape Bira in the south east. I was struck by the ever changing scenery, the quiet undulating road, the tree shaded villages, the well ordered towns and a distinct lack of ‘commercialism’, a real contrast to overcrowded, bustling and hectic Jana and Bali.

Most people have never heard of Sulawesi. I have a 40 year family, work and recreational association with Indonesia. Sulawesi offers the best cycle touring potential due to a good road system, the close proximity of mountains and coast, the friendly hospitable nature of the people and the un-commerciality of life.

I worked as a volunteer teacher in Malaysia in the middle 60s. Sulawesi in the first decade of the 21st century is like the Malaya of 50 years ago; slow moving farming and fishing communities where foreign influences are few and modern tourism don't exist.

Whether it's the docking of sailing ships in Makassar’s old harbour, or fishermen in the floating villages in Sengkang throwing nets, carpenters building traditional sailing boats in Bulukumba or the ritual slaughtering of water buffalos at the funeral ceremonies in Toraja - you know you’re witnessing something ‘real’.

And the exception of Torajaland few tourists visit it.

What's it like to cycle there? People are incredibly friendly towards foreign visitors, and especially cyclists. We'd be cycling along come across local, usually young and pretty village women selling fruits from roadside bamboo thatch stalls called pondoks. They’d try to wave us down and if we stopped they’d ply us with generous samples of their fruit, with little pressure to actually buy.Usually we’d be thirsty or hungry or tired (or all three) and they’d invite us to rest in their cool shaded pondoks. Just as often we’d be invited to take a meal at their place and they’d only ever accept payment for the fruit that we’d actually purchased, the meal being considered as part of the new friendship.

Most people in rural Sulawesi have never traveled much beyond their birth village, and so road information from locals is wonderfully vague and variable, but the warmth and enthusiasm with which they give it, together with highway milestones offset the villagers’ vagaries.

When people think of cycling in South East Asia they probably imagine the impossible traffic in cities like Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila. Traffic in Sulawesi with the one exception of Makassar, is light, consisting mostly of commercial vehicles driven by experienced drivers who know the roads and who are far friendlier and more respectful towards cyclists than their Sydney counterparts. Local drivers are particularly friendly and helpful towards foreign cyclists, as are local police.

All the provincial roads are sealed, generally well maintained and suitable for a road bike. A hybrid would be needed for many of the village roads.

Sulawesi is home to a wide variety of peoples and life styles. Fishermen along its coasts catch shark, tuna, mackerel, squid and flying fish. The Bugis, Makassar and Mandarese peoples are renowned for their stylish wooden pinisi sailing boats and their voyages take them as far as Singapore and Australia. There are lowland farmers who grow wet and dry rice, corn, cassava, sago, vegetables, coffee, cacao, and spices.

Small groups of upland farmers practice slash-and-burn agriculture. Dispersed along the coasts are the boat-dwelling Bajau.

If you can measure modern commercialism by the number of American fast food outlets, then Sulawesi rates very low indeed with the only outlets being in Makassar. Food outlets throughout the rest of the province are essentially ‘local’, with fresh fish and buffalo meat dishes being prominent.

The major religions in Sulawesi are Islam and Christianity, with some Buddhism among the Chinese minority. Some years back there was some disharmony between Muslims and Christians in Central Sulawesi but that is a thing of the past. Today there is overwhelming harmony between all religious groups.

There are rich musical, dancing and silk weaving cultures that reach their height in Sengkang. From the colourful ritual life of the misty upland Torajaland valleys to the coral gardens of Selayar Island, South Sulawesi offers a wonderful visual and cultural experience for the traveler who has the time and a sense of adventure.

In 2000, with my son, Rendra, I did my first cycling there. Using Bromptons, we took the beaten track from Makassar north along the coast to Pare-Pare and then headed northeast inland to Rappang, Enrekang and eventually Toraja land. That trip convinced me of the cycle tour potential of the province.

Six years later we made a circular trip, this time on Bike Fridays, from Makassar heading south, then east, along the coast to Jeneponto, Bantaeng, Bulukumba and Bira in the far south east corner and then north along the coast through Sinjai and Watampone onto the floating villages and silk weaving centre of Sengkang. We then headed back to the coast along a narrow coastal plain, northwards to Palopo.

This was followed by a 60 km ascent to Rantepao, the cultural centre of Toraja. This road crosses numerous streams that afford good cooling off opportunities. We went white water rafting, off road cycling and enjoyed the Torajan cultural celebrations including ritual fighting. On the return trip, after an exhilarating descent from Makale to Enrekang, we tried local yoghurt, we cut down the centre of the island, off the beaten path, stayed in the traditional royal house at Batu-Batu, soaked ourselves silly in the hot spring pools at Lejje, the cool winding descent at Camba and the powerful waterfalls and peaceful butterflies at Bantimurung.

We have packaged this trip into a 27-day, 1200 km journey that includes 19 cycle days and 8 rest 'n' recreational days.

We hope you wll join us on your Fridays - I'll be there on mine.

RELATED LINKS

Cycle Indonesia website

Friday Friendly Tour Companies