How do a people preserve the important values inherent in their culture – more than just a traditional headdress and a signature food – without sacrificing the good things that participating in the modern world can offer?
I often ask myself this when travelling – especially in poorer areas of the world where the people trying to preserve their traditions are not part of the dominant ethnic group.
Samosir Island, a volcanic island in Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Indonesia, is the centre of Batak culture. Descendants of a powerful Proto-Malayan people, the Batak comprise “six (or nine – depending whom you believe) separate groups with different (but related) languages and customs.” The largest of these related groups – and the most culturally distinctive – is the Batak Toba people. Until the arrival of the Dutch in the 1920s, the Toba lived in relative isolation, in the region on and around Lake Toba.
The traditional Batak clan houses, Rumah Bolon, with their elegant saddle-shaped roofs made of thatched sugar palm fibre, are a distinctive sight all around the Batak highlands. Elevated on stilts to protect the occupants against floods or wild animals, these beautiful houses were built without any nails. Some are hundreds of years old. Many are abandoned and falling into complete disrepair. Others have been modified: their old roofs replaced with sheets of corrugated tin. Very few traditional-style houses are being built today – which is why some better-maintained examples of the old styles have been preserved as cultural museums.
The Huta (Village) Bolon Simanindo, once the home of Batak King Raja Sidauruk and his 14 wives, was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1969. The museum houses a royal boat and a small collection of tapestries, cooking utensils, masks and weaponry.
The real drawcard for tourists, however, is the daily cultural dance performance. While pluralistic religions are not recognised by the state, and most Toba these days are Christian, the dances illustrate some of the old Animist traditions that are still alive and well.
Graves of the Royal Family The Bataks have a long, proud tradition.Hulon Bolon Simanindo, or Bolon Simanindo Village, was once the home of Batak King Sidauruk and his 14 wives. The family’s royal tombs sit at the entrance to village, which is now a little museum dedicated to preserving and sharing Toba Batak culture.
Toba Batak Musicians Toba are said to be capable musicians. Traditional music greets us as we enter the village courtyard in time for the daily dance performance.
Toba Batak Dancers The “villagers” enter the courtyard, leading a buffalo which plays a key symbolic role in the traditional cultural practices.
Courtyard Toba Batak houses stand side by side, with their front gables facing the village courtyard or street. The pole the buffalo is tied to is a Borotan, a ritual slaughter pole, decorated with leaves to represent the tree of life: the Banlan.
Toba Batak Man We have been given notes, telling us what the dancers are doing: …
Hair and Headdress … mostly, they are offering ritual prayers to the god(s), asking that the buffalo behave well, so that participants will be granted sons, daughters, wealth and health.
Ritual Offerings
Buffalo on the Borotan Slaughter Pole Once the buffalo is slaughtered, the meat will be shared.
Gondang Siboru In one number, only the women dance – hoping that one of the men will propose to them.
Young Couple One couple pairs up and dances together. Of course, it is hard to ignore the fact that most of the dancers are quite old – and probably married already. One has to wonder how well the old traditions will carry forward.
Gondang Pangurason The spirit of an ancestor comes and possesses one of the dancers…
Blessings … who then blesses th0se gathered with Holy Water.
Dancing Tourists The tourists are then loaned festive shoulder cloths (kain pelangi) and invited to dance a few rounds.
Magician In the Tor Tor Tunggal Panaluan dance …
Magician … the performer is communicating with the gods, making a specific request for the community.
Sigale Gale The last dance features a wooden marionette, who in this case represents the dead son of the king. There are several stories about the meaning of these wooden effigies, but the common thread seems to be that it is bad luck to die childless, so a symbolic “child” is needed to avert misfortune.
Toba Batak Woman
Toba Batak Woman
The Royal Boat The decorations on the boat – as on the buildings – are in the traditional Batak colours of red, signifying zest for life; black symbolising death; and white, representing the holy spirit.
Dancing Masks In the old days, wooden masks assisted dancers to tell important stories.
King’s Tomb As we leave the museum, we once again pass the tombs of the king and his family. As ornate as these tombs might seem, they pale in comparison with the many costly and opulent mausoleums all over the island – usually much more lavish than the houses that the living are relegated to! Being seen to honour one’s ancestors is still incredibly important.
It was impossible to tell from the dance performance how much of the old traditions are “lived” – rather than just put on display for the tourists. According to Wikipedia, the Toba Batak people maintain distinct aspects of their language and culture, even when they move away from the Toba region.
They are reputed to be confident and outspoken: characteristics which should stand them in good stead as they move into the future while maintaining some traditions from the past.
Morning over St Mary’s Asylum Another English winter day breaks cold and clear as a sun with little warmth rises over the public greens at Burghill.
It’s no surprise that every Brit, regardless of age or gender, owns at least one pair of gumboots or wellingtons. You can’t get far in the English countryside without them.
Winter in England has a reputation: grey and bleak and wet.
While it is true that the whole time I’ve been here, it has been wet, at least under-foot (hence the need for rubber boots), everyday has offered at least some sunlight and blue sky. It has been a pleasure walking past the fallow fields on country lanes and roads, past thickets and hedgerows and copses – such British words – alive with the chirping of small birds.
On a recent Sunday walk in Herefordshire, West Midlands, I encountered stretches of ice, puddles of water, expanses of frost, a small patch of snow, and a whole lot of mud. I was thankful for my new rubber boots at every step.
In spite of the vagaries of the terrain – and the dangerous blind corners on roads with no shoulders or verges, bounded by brambles and hedges so there is no escape from the pavement – it was a pleasant walk from my bedsit in one of the renovated buildings around St. Mary’s(Psychiatric) Hospital, Burghill (established as Hereford County and City Lunatic Asylum in 1868) to Credenhill Park Woods, site of a 2000+ year old Iron Age hill fort…
Every little corner of England is layered with history – ancient and modern.
Morning Frost There is frost in the hedges and black-ice underfoot: it’s a cold February morning in Hereford.
Snow on the Brecon Beacons Once out of the St Mary’s housing estate, there are view over Bakers Furlong farmlands and all the way to the mountains of South Wales.
Public Footpath to Burghill? Footpaths and bridle paths can be found all around the countryside. The trouble is that the signposting leads into unmarked fields, and without a proper ordnance map or local knowledge it is not clear where the path is meant to go and where the gate out of the field might be found.
Burghill Farm Growing frames wait for the new season.
Fallow Fields The winter fields are cut down and plowed over.
Herefords The popular and hardy Hereford beef cattle, now found in over 50 countries, were bred right here in Herefordshire.
Manor House The hill that comprises Credenhill Park Wood rises up from the surrounding estates and farmlands…
Credenhill Street … as the road winds around the base into the outskirts of Credenhill village.
“Old Cottage” This charming English-Heritage Listed timber-framed cottage with a traditional thatched roof was built in the late 17th or early 18th century, with some later modifications.
Snowdrops Small signs of spring rise up out of the dirt and litter at the side of the road.
Winter Fields Muddy roads lead off across the fields in all directions.
Horses in the Park Credenhill Park Wood is a 90-hectare (223-acre) woodland in the Hereford Hills near the village of Credenhill. One of the paths around the ancient semi-natural woodlands is available to specially-licenced horse riders.
Leaf Litter Steep side-trails that lead between the main trails are muddy and covered in fallen leaves.
Winter Woods It’s dark in the woods: a thin afternoon sun angles through the thick trees. The park is a mix of native broadleaf trees and non-native conifers that were introduced over the years for commercial purposes.
Fort? Deep in the woods, there is a fort of some sort in a small clearing.
Open Plateau Some of the land at the top of the hill has been cleared, allowing 360° views over the countryside. A covered picnic table probably gets more use in warmer weather.
On the Ramparts The path around the top of the hill fort ramparts may be passable, but it is slippery and rough with tangled roots.
Under the Ancient Yews The hill fort was built more than 2000 years ago, during the Iron Age. Excavations around the defensive earthworks have given some insight into how it was constructed. An explanatory signboard sits under the branches of a three-hundred year old yew tree.
Stairs Steep stairs lead up and down the ancient ramparts, which still rise to over 10 metres high in places.
Holly
Ivy
Into the Woods The woods are a dense mix of broadleaf trees (beech, ash, and hazel) and non-native conifers.
Livestock Enclosure Part of the hill is fenced off for stock grazing.
Wild Clematis Back on the roadway outside the woodlands, wild clematis winds around the winter hedges along the roadside…
Tree on the Road … and trees without leaves stand tall against the afternoon sky.
There is life in the English winter woods: I saw plenty of birdlife, including three pheasants that whooshed over my head when I startled them. Squirrels and rabbits are never far away.
It’s a lovely place for walks – as long as you dress warmly, and pack an umbrella just in case…
[…] Hills … on other days, I donned gumboots and ventured into the hills and countryside (see: Credenhill Wood). (08February2015, Canon EOS 5D […]ReplyCancel
Leg Rowers and Paddlers The water lanes through the floating fishermen’s village on Inlay Lake are busy with boat traffic.
It can be so easy – especially for people who have never travelled outside their own corner of the world – to take one’s way of life for granted: to feel entitled to a certain level of safety, opportunity and comfort.
But, imagine not being able to step outside your door because there is no solid ground beyond your simple wooden house. Imagine having to do everything – laundry, gardening, shopping, visiting, everything – from a boat. Imagine having to paddle or row everywhere. Imagine not being able to go for a walk or a run.
It is an eye-opener to see how some people live.
Inlay Lake, in the heart of Shan State, Myanmar, is home to about 70,000 Intha people. They are renowned for the unique leg-rowing style that the men use so that they can see over the floating plant life (see: Ursula’s Weekly Wanders: Iconic Images). Most Intha reside in villages and towns on the lake’s edge, but some live in simple houses made of wood and woven bamboo, raised up on stilts, over the lake itself. There they fish and tend their floating gardens.
One September afternoon I was privileged to tour one of these “floating” villages from the relative comfort of a wooden motorboat.
Boat on Inle Lake Most of the transport on Inle Lake is via shallow wooden boats loaded to the gunwales. Many boats have simple unmuffled diesel motors: a troublesome source of water and noise pollution.
Grass and Mountains The Shan Hills surround us. If it wasn’t for the unremitting noise of our motor, it would be beautifully peaceful on the lake.
Boat Operator We race across the open waters…
Inle Lake Fisherman … while a fisherman stands quietly on his anchored boat with his woven fish-basket behind him.
Spirit House The Intha people are predominantly Buddhist, but some of the old Animist practices live on.
Giant Golden Chicken Burmese barges often have giant golden chickens at the prow; I have no idea why.
House on Stilts Raised up on poles, this house – unlike many others we saw – has a lovely large porch.
Jasmine Inle Retaurant Our lunch stop is at a multi-story restaurant on the water…
View over the Lake … where we had a wonderful meal in the airy rooms upstairs, …
Houses and Temple … with views over the lake and the Shan Hills.
Restaurant Staff Two women from the restaurant help push our boat back off after lunch.
Temple on Inle Lake
Boat on Inle Lake The muddy waters are busy with heavily laden boats.
Farmer on the Lake The poles allow the planted vegetables to climb – and also prevent the whole patch floating away.
Young Man on the Lake Even the young take their turns checking the plants.
Women on the Lake The water corridors extend through the vegetation.
Woman Paddling
Tending the Crops
Grocery Store The stilted buildings crowd the narrow waterways …
Bringing Home the Groceries … which are full of boats laden with people and baskets of goods.
Water Hyacinth ~ Eichhornia Crassipes Although pretty, water hyacinth is a non-native pest which grows fast, clogging the smaller streams and depriving local plants and animals of light and food.
Little Girl at the Window As our boats chug between the rows of houses, locals watch from the windows of their modest homes.
Woman at the Window
Old Woman at the Window
Man and Baby
Old Man Some of the faces are as weathered as the wooden walls…
Fixing the Pole What the neighbourhood lacks in amenities, it makes up for in community. A group of men works on getting new poles installed.
Afternoon Light The afternoon light angles across the water, into our eyes, …
Old Man … casting a warm glow on elderly faces.
Women on the Water People call out to their neighbours as they row through the “streets”.
Young Rower The lads start leg rowing at a young age – although I think this one is still having to concentrate.
On the Stoop I can’t imagine how one safely contains active toddlers in houses that open directly onto the water!
Kite Flyer Flying kites is one of the few activities available to kids without electronic gizmos – or local parks or playing fields.
A Last Look over the Water
Purple Evening We head “home” when the light drops to the point where we can barely see… but the boats don’t stop.
One of my Facebook contacts is participating in a “30 days of gratitude” project, posting what she is grateful for daily. It has made my Newsfeed a much nicer place.
The world as a whole would be a nicer place if we all took notice of how lucky we are, instead of feeling entitled to all the “things” that we have – and more. After all, so many of the opportunities that come to us along the way are the byproduct of where and when we were born.
Every time I travel, I am grateful for the opportunity to visit new places. In many of these places, people have very few of the material advantages most of us take for granted. It reminds me just how different one’s day-to-day life can be, and I am always appreciative of the locals who are willing to share a little of their world with me.
[…] written before about it’s floating villages (Life on the Water) and about it’s distinctive leg-rowing fishermen (Iconic Images). Most of the […]ReplyCancel
[…] square-mile (117 square-kilometer) lake is known for its leg-rowing Intha fishermen and its floating villages. Amongst the reeds and narrow waterways, the ethnic markets and buddhist pagodas are also worth a […]ReplyCancel
[…] was in Nyaung Shwe on the north shore of Inle Lake in Myanmar, with photographer Karl Grobl, local guide Mr MM, and nine other photography […]ReplyCancel
Roof of the Heavenly King Hall Nan Putuo Temple, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China
新年快樂 ~ Gōng xǐ fā cái ~ Happy New Year.
It is Chinese New Year today – a perfect time to visit a Chinese Temple.
Last spring I got to explore Xiamen in Fujian Province, Southeast China, while my husband was busy with meetings. I spent a few delightful days wandering around the coastal city – mostly on foot – with a crumpled map in hand.
One of the highlights on the tourist map is the sprawling Nan Putuo Buddhist TempleComplex. Built at the foot of the Wulao Peaks, it is named for Mount Putuo near Shanghai, one of the four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism, and a pilgrimage site for over a thousand years.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the Buddhist monks who lived in the hills here had the area established as sacred Buddhist land and built the first temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Today, the extensively renovated complex spreads over 25.8 hectares, and houses (among other buildings) the Buddhist Institute of South Fujian.
It is easy to enjoy a few hours – or a whole day – of quiet, wandering through the buildings and shrines, or exploring the surrounding woods.
Gardens The temple sits amid green, sculpted gardens and and ponds.
“Free Life Pond” At the front of the complex, there is a pool for freeing and feeding pond animals. Turtles and carp are popular choices.
Monks in the Courtyard The temple is a popular pilgrimage and study site, with about 120 monks residing permanently.
Candles
Lighting Incense
Smoke
Heavenly King Hall People kneel and pay their respects before entering the hall.
Reflections of Nan Putuo Temple A golden guardian protects the temple entrance. In the reflection, you can see temple buildings, one of the layered white Longevity Towers, and Wulaofeng: theFive Old Men Mountain.
Scaffolding New buildings are being added; the new work is as ornately carved and decorated as that on the older buildings.
Buddhas in a Cage Even though the golden Buddha and Bodhisattva images are out of reach…
Lotus … the faithful still bring offerings of flowers and drinks.
Ornate Grill Delicate work adorns the stone balusters.
Temple Grounds Stairs go off in all directions …
Temple Grounds … so that you can feel alone with the rocks and trees, …
Man on a Rock … and you can find quiet places to sit.
Stupas in the Garden
Icons in a Cave One of the small caves on the hillside is filled with hundreds of small Buddhist statues.
Teahouse Entrance By the time you have climbed up to the teahouse, you have earned a break!
Prayers As the rough tracks and stairways lead off into the woods, the way is brightened with random prayer flags and bougainvillea.
Delicate Flowers Small wildflowers grow in the leaf litter.
Shoes on the Stairs When I see the footwear the local women sport to clamber up and down all the stairs, I am ashamed to feel tired and sore.
View As you get higher up, there are great views over Xiamen.
Old Monk on the Stairs
Old Monk
Shrine Around every corner, there are shrines…
Stupa … and memorials …
Oil Lamp … and lamps to be lit.
Buddhist Complex Back at city-level, there are more buildings next to the monks’ quarters.
Master Hongyi (1880-1942) Before leaving the complex, I stop at another of the memorials – this one for Master Hongyi (Li Shutong), Chinese Buddhist monk, artist and art teacher.
I always find Buddhist temples calming, and when they integrate nature, as this one does, it makes a wonderful break from the hustle of the city.
I wish you quiet breaks in your busy lives, and everything good in the “Year of the Goat”.
[…] contributes to the “liveability” of the city: it has preserved the past in its temples (see: Nan Putuo Temple), forts, and other historical buildings (see: Gulangyu Island); it is surrounded by water and […]ReplyCancel
Rocky Shore The shoreline is as wild at Hot Springs Cove in Maquinna Marine Provincial Park as is it around the rest of Clayoquot Sound, BC.
Once upon a time, if you came upon Hot Springs Cove very quietly, “hippies” could be spotted under the full-moon, frolicking nude, like faeries in the woods. Isolated and wild, the cove shelters geothermal hot springs, where the waters – naturally heated to a glorious 50°C – are pumped out at a rate of over five-litres-per-second.
These hot springs, at Sharp Point on the Openit Peninsula on the rugged west coast of British Columbia’sVancouver Island, have always been isolated. There are some small un-incorporated communities in the area, but the only access is by boat or seaplane. Traditionally Hesquiaht(Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations) territory, most of the peninsula is now part of the Maquinna Marine Provincial Park. The park, which is named for 18th century First Nations Chief Maquinna and his descendants, includes a number of Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations cultural heritage sites.
Isolated though the hot springs may be, they are far from deserted. This popular tourist attraction is only an hour and a half north-west of Tofino by motor boat, or 15 minutes by sea plane, and a number of tour companies offer daily trips: cruising the 26 nautical miles up the rugged coastline through UNESCO listed waters to the Maquinna Provincial Park and the still-popular Hot Spring Cove where people from around the world enjoy the reputedly healing waters.
If you set off early enough (which we didn’t) there is a chance of spotting bears. The area is also home to cougar, mink and wolf – none of which we were likely to spot from our noisy, but comfortable, 30-ft aluminum cabin cruiser. Bald eagles and tufted puffins are regularly spotted and the waters are said to be full of Gray whales, orcas, and humpbacks, as well as the more common Stellar and California sea lions, dolphins and porpoises.
We packed our swimmers, towels, and some rugged water-proof shoes for the rocks, and set off.
Cleaning Fresh Fish Tour boats and fishing boats keep the working dock down from our hotel busy. Tofino is a working town: mining, logging and, of course, fishing. The young man’s tee shirt is a reminder that we are in the Pacific Rim, and therefore in tsunami territory. I remember watching the news about the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, which resulted in 131 deaths up and down this sparsely populated coastline.
Tofino Waters … and into the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve.
Window on the Waters Even from inside the boat, there is a good view of the magnificent coastline.
Tofino Waters I prefer to be out in the fresh air, leaning over the rails of the boat, watching the waters go past.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) If you watch carefully, you can spot Bald Eagles in the trees…
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) … or soaring in the air.
Skipper Our skipper and guide keeps up a running commentary on the area, and answers any questions.
Clayoquot Sound Waters Water, trees, mountains… and just a touch of snow in the distance.
Motors Even with a pair of big motors…
Travelling North … it’s about an hour and a half to Government Dock at Hot Springs Cove, …
Nasal Opening – Humpback Whale … especially when we slow down for animal sightings, like this massive humpback whale, hiding in the navy waters.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) with Fish
Hot Springs Cove We cruise past where the hot springs empty into the ocean. Unlike the old days, swim suits are no longer optional.
Changing Rooms Aside from toilets and some changing cubicles, the actual hot spring area has been left completely undeveloped. It is, however, easily accessible from Government Dock via the well-maintained 1.2 km boardwalk.
Das Boot There are some small communities around the area – locals get in and out by boat.
Government Dock Our boat ties up at Government Dock for a couple of hours…
Into the Woods … so that we can make the 30 minute walk through the Temperate Rainforest (Coastal Western Hemlock) to the hot springs.
Stump The coastal regions of the park are home to Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar, Amabilis Fir, Western Yellow Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Pine, Douglas Fir, Yew and Red Alder. To me, it’s just “woods”.
Boardwalk The 1.2 km boardwalk from the dock to the hot springs is maintained with the help of planks sponsored by boats who have anchored in the cove.
Rainforest Ferns
Steam Rising Rainwater seeps about 5 kilometres into the faults in the ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks, and is thermally heated to over 109°C before being forced back to the surface, and flowing through the rain forest …
Hot Springs Falls … and cascading down a small cliff into a series of five natural layered rock pools: …
Nature’s Spa … each one slightly cooler than the one above it.
Knotty Trunk Too soon we have to make our way back to the the boat, …
Proposal … pausing to admire an ingenious proposal. (I hope she said “Yes.”)
Coast We head back south, rugged coastline to the east of us, nothing but water to the west between us and Japan.
Whale and Rock We come across a number of humpback whales – who disguise themselves as barnacled rocks in the wild waters.
Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca Monocerata) All types of sea birds fish in the rich waters.
North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis) A lazy otter welcomes us back to Tofino waters …
Back in Tofino … where we dock, early evening, in time for dinner.
A walk in the woods, time on the ocean and a soak in a natural spa –
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
They are reputed to be confident and outspoken: characteristics which should stand them in good stead as they move into the future while maintaining some traditions from the past.
– and wear your rubber boots.
Until next time~
A walk in the woods, time on the ocean and a soak in a natural spa –
Always a pleasure to travel the world through your eyes, Ursula.
Always lovely to have your company, Melissa. 😀
I am always amazed at how much we do on our short side trips and how educational they are. Good piece.
We ARE pretty lucky!