Besides tourists, Tana Toraja attracts anthropologists who come to study the way of life of the local people. The largely Christian Torajan society here deserves a scrutiny as the old animistic way based on aluk or the way is very much alive and kicking. There are many burial sites here, featuring different types of graves. Our guide said there were four types but I read once there were three; so, perhaps, we should start counting -the hanging graves which consist of coffins on ledges, the graves cut out of the cliff, the baby graves and the guide could be right if you'd consider too the coffins in caves and crevices as the fourth type. It would be interesting to point out too that all the graves are above the ground level . The modern Christian cemetery with neatly arranged graves and the coffins buried six feet underneath which outsiders are used to, are nowhere to be seen. After visiting some of the burial sites, we were ready to head back to Makassar but first, we would of course have to go to town to check out if there were any souvenirs...
Going round town... What would you pick home?
Traveling Tip: You don't have to bring home a souvenir!