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Indonesia

latest picture: November 16, 2017

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094  Liliana is standing at the little gate that marks

the beginning of the jungle trail to Kali waterfall.

It turns off at the village of Kali 7½ mi [12km]

south of Manado (coord. 1.39518/124.84216) …..

095  ….. shortly after we are surrounded by

ferns, trees, palms, giant leaves and creeping

plants, which lushness and variety fascinates

us at every step during approx. ½ hour …..

096  ….. red-green leaves are common

and sticking out brightly from the green

surroundings

Following the more or less overgrown jungle track we venture deeper into the forest and discover pretty flowers and a rock,

covered with moss that someone gave it a face

097  Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum

Paniculatum)

098

099

The gorgeous vegetation continues to please us all the way to the waterfall: Once it is a colored leaf, once just shrub

100

101

102

103  A creeping plant clings to a strong

palm tree that heads straight for the sun

104  Liliana is enshrouded by the dense

tropical forest vegetation. This is what she

most likes to do: To explore untouched nature

105  A young fern in its ultimate beauty

106  A butterfly that breaks the lush tropical

green with its bright orange color

107  On the nature trail we discover all kind

of interesting flowers and leaves. This red

flower is a single specimen, probably

belonging to the ginger family

108  The not anymore maintained jungle

path where fallen trees lie across, adds to

the adventurous taste. One of the gorgeous

flowers we notice is a yellow ginger blossom

109  After about a 20 minutes’ walk, the

rushing of the waterfall announces itself. And

then, we are standing in front of the Kali water-

fall in its fairytale surrounding of moos and

leaves that cover everything in its surroundings

110  Actually there are two waterfalls that

captivate us: The bigger one might be about

200 ft. [60m], the smaller one 65 ft. [20m]

111  Liliana is standing on the little bridge in

front of the waterfall. She doesn't mind to be

soaked by the spray, too beautiful is the

experience to have this romantic place

completely to ourselves

112  In Rap Rap in Airmadidi are ancient

“Waruga” stone sarcophagi. The Minahasans

of North Sulawesi laid to rest their dead in a

fetus position looking North in the belief that

their ancestors came from North …..

113  ….. a tombstone with an owl engraving

114  On their way home school kids

are passing by at the “Waruga” park in

Airmadidi. As always our LandCruiser

stirs up their curiosity

115  The bigger “Waruga” stone sarcophagus

park in Sawangan belongs to the UNESCO

World Heritage Sites. Here the engravings

are more elaborated than in Rap Rap …..

116  ….. a single head stands out

from all the others …..

117  ….. but also this tombstone deserves a

closer look. Most date from mid-19th century,

but there also previous ones (1769)

The Gardenia Hotel in Tomohon has a beautiful large scale flower garden. We admire especially:

118  Orchids that look especially

attractive in their natural surrounding

119  The pink flowers with the name

Medinilla (Medinilla astronioides)

120  The exotic palm tree with its red seeds

121  Onions, garlic, chili, tomatoes, lemon,

ginger, potatoes and a lot more is on display

at this market stall in Tomohon

122  Cooked food and sweets are

stored behind fly protecting glass

123  Especially eye-catching are the huge piles

of chili peppers. Practically no food is served

in Indonesia without these peppers

124  Fish is an important food source in Indo-

nesia. Here it is sold dried on bamboo frames

125  Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

is a Minahasan delicacy

126  Smoked skipjack tuna (in Minahasan

language: Cakalang fufu), clipped

on a bamboo frame

When we reach the traditional meat section at the Tomohon market – which is also mentioned accordingly in “Lonely Planet's” Indonesia guidebook –

we are confronted with shockingly macabre images. We have debated extensively if we shall show them on our website or not but decided to do it,

because it shows the brutal reality of a different culture and attitude towards animals

127  A freshly slaughtered pig is dismembered

128  Two flame-roasted cats

129  At the dogs corner it definitely turns our

stomach: On the table lie dozens of dead animals.

Nearby are new victims in cages still living. They

are caught with a sling, beaten to death with a

bludgeon and roasted over an open fire

130  Also snakes – here a python – belong

to the local diet: They are sold in pieces

131  A street vendor is trying to sell us crayfish

132  A couple of chicken are already plucked.

Additional supplies are waiting crammed into cages

133  Bush rats are skewered

and sold flame-roasted

134  Nothing is spared: Even lizards

are killed for food

135  Bats are also sold as meat. The terrified

expression on their faces is testimony of their

agony. The wings are sold separately

136  We are gazing from the rim of the

“Mahawu” crater in the volcano region of

Tomohon towards the 5'184 ft. [1'580m] high

“Gunung Lokon”, which is ascendable too

137  Chinese tourists swarm the viewing

platform at the “Mahawu” volcano

138  The “Mahawu” crater is 590 ft. [180m]

wide and 460 ft. [140m] deep

139  From the mountain road leading to

the “Mahawu” volcano more cloud free

volcanoes are visible on a clear day

140  The panorama from the “Mahawu”

volcano is reaching from the scattered

highland town of Tomohon …..

141  ….. to the big “Tondano” Lake

where there is a road all around

142  The mountain climate and the fertile

volcano soil of the Minahasa Highland

benefit agriculture

143  Handworked vegetable fields with

cabbage, onions, carrots, chili on the

steep slopes of the Minahasa Highland

144  On our way back from our tour to the

“Mahawu” volcano we have a fine view over

Tomohon and the Minahasa Highland

145  On top of the hill sits a new tourist attraction

at Kumelembuai near Rurukan: “Tintingon Puncak”

(=hill) – particularly popular with tourists from

China who ‘overrun’ the Highland

146  “Danau Linow”, the small sulfurous

lake that changes its green

colors with the light

147  Giant leaves – taro (Colocasia esculenta)

– belong to the tropical vegetation that

grow around Lake Linow

148  Detail of the small hidden Chinese temple

“Watu Sumanti” near Kayawu in the Tomohon

region, which once belonged to a cult site …..

149  ….. Michael, German manager of

the “Mountain View Resort” in Tomohon

and Emil on the stairs of the

Chinese Tempel “Watu Sumanti” …...

150  ….. Owl at the cult site “Watu Sumanti”.

At full moon elderly people apparently still

offer alcohol and cigarettes for the deceased

151  Rice cultivation is an important part of

the agriculture of the Minahasa Highland;

here slightly west of Tomohon

152  A hidden primitive bootleg schnaps

distillery that lays in a forest

clearing of Tomohon …..

153  ….. the modest hut of the schnaps

distiller that he uses during his work

154  The white strings of an acacia flower

(presumably Archidendron lucyi)

155  These deep red flowers are a bouquet

in itself. They belong to the Achiote shrub

(Bixa orellana)

156  These deep hanging angel trumpets

(Brugmansia versicolor) originate actually from

Ecuador and are poisonous. We saw them even

more often on the island of Réunion (pic #57)

157  Scenic Lake Tondano is the largest lake in

North Sulawesi. It lies ca. 20 mi [36km] south-

east of Manado and 1'970 ft. [600m] above sea

158  Carpets of water hyacinths (Eichhornia)

cover the shore of Lake Tondano

or form floating islets

159  Fish farming is popular on the shore of

Lake Tondano. Bamboo poles and the huts

of the fish farmers dominate the view

160  An idyllic sight at the shore of Lake Tondano

161  A fisherman in full action at Lake

Tondano. Different kind of fishes populate

the lake and are being hatched

162  Dozens of ducks splash about in puddles

in the south of Lake Tondano. They are not wild

but belong to a farmer who watches over them

163  The bark of the cinnamon tree

(Cinnamomum verum), spread out to

dry in the sun, scents already from far

164  One of the pretty traditional wooden

houses on stilts on Lake Tondano

165  Like rice, cinnamon and chili also

corncobs are spread out to dry in the sun

166  How big might the fern be? Bigger

than 5 ft. 7½ in. [1.71m] anyhow,

because this is Emil’s size

167  A bundle of fruits of a

toddy palm tree (Caryota urens)

is hanging heavily from a branch

168  With its shiny white, this delicate

flower contrasts beautifully with the

green of creeping leaves

169  After its rescue, the rhinoceros

beetle (Xylotrupes gideon) is clinging

upside down to a twig

170  The Amboina box turtle (Cuora

amboinensis) lives in a water basin

of the “Mountain View Resort” in

Tomohon. But it shows itself rarely

171  A flying black Atlas beetle

(Chalcosoma atlas), also belonging

to the rhinoceros beetle species,

takes a rest on a plant

172  Every evening at the same time

this farmer returns with his ox from

his work in the fields

173  The papaya fruit is a popular

tropical fruit. It's said that its seeds help

also against diarrhea, but they taste awfully

174  A mystical sight when mist engulfs

the forest. View from our bungalow at the

“Mountain View Resort” in Tomohon

175  The gardener and a ‘tame’ reticulated

python (Python reticulatus) in front of our

LandCruiser. The approximately 13 ft. [4m]

long snake lives in a terrarium at the

“Mountain View Resort” in Tomohon

176  The yellow black-naped oriole

(Oriolus chinensis) lands every morning

on a tree in front of our bungalow. It

announces itself with a melodious call

– a wonderful start into a new day

177  Liliana is standing the last time on

the balcony of our bungalow at the

“Mountain View Resort” in Tomohon

where we spent a relaxing time

178  A neat little house surrounded by tropical

green and blooming flowers at the coastal village

of Batu Putih at the entrance of the Tangkoko

Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi

179  The tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata)

with its red flowers and its erected beans are

actually native to Africa, but became invasive

also in e.g. Australasia and the Caribbean

180  The little fishing harbor of the coastal

village of Batu Putih with its black sandy shore is

on a midday nap. In the background the volcanic

hills of the Tangkoko National Park

181  Fishing boats, a black sandy beach at the

foot of a tropical hill of Mount Tangkoko. This is

the enjoyable view across the Batu Putih Bay

182  High palm trees straight as a pole line

the coast of the Molucca Sea at Batu Putih

183  View from the palm-fringed shore

across Batu Putih Bay towards Cap Pulisan

184  Our LandCruiser on a discovery tour

through exuberant tropical green near Batu Putih

185  A bright dash of color in the tropical

greenery: A hibiscus flower in full bloom

186  Who needs a chair if a coconut

also does the job?

At the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi:

187  Liliana enjoys to watch the Celebes

crested macaque (Macaca nigra), which live

at the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve.

Their main task is delousing each other

what they do with great endurance …..

188  ..... this troop consists of 90 animals.

But there is still a bigger group counting

130 members. They are peaceful

and not yet spoilt by tourists …..

189  ..... the male is watching over its

harem and is busy fathering new babies

At the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi:

190  Mushrooms often grow on dead tree trunks

– one of the many beauties nature produces

191  It is fascinating, how fast young

leaves develop and head for the light

192  Another example of nature’s beauty

At the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi, the only recently discovered Gursky’s spectral tarsiers (Tarsius spectrumgurskyae):

193  “Who is waking us up again?” two

adorable tarsiers peek from their tree home.

These nocturnal primates are a bit smaller (ca. 6")

[15cm] than the ones we saw mid-January 2011

on the Island of Bohol in the Philippines …..

194  …. tarsiers are one of the world's

smallest primates. Their huge eyes are the

most noticeable; they are the size of their brain.

The smallest – the pygmy tarsier, 4" [10cm]

(Tarsius pumilus) – live in Central Sulawesi

195  Three cute ochre-bellied hawk

owls (Ninox ochracea) are sleeping

At the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi:

196  The Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx fallax)

is standing out with its shiny red plumage. It is one

of the 8 kingfisher species in the reserve

197  The knobbed hornbill (Aceros cassidix /

syn. Rhyticeros cassidix) is native to Indonesia.

The call of this colorful bird sounds like barking

of dogs, revealing its presence

198  We also spot the blue-headed kingfisher

(Actenoides monachus) on our 5 hour walking

tour through the reserve. It is also endemic to

Central and North Sulawesi

Im Tangkoko Batuangus-Naturreservat in Nord-Sulawesi:

199  “I am here!” The Sulawesi bear cuscus

(Ailurops ursinus) is looking cheekily down at us.

Its habitat is in the trees where it is hard to spot. It

weighs about 15lb [7kg] and gets about 24" [60cm]

long with a tail that has about the same length. It

remembers us a bit the lemurs in Madagascar

200  Off the beaten track one easily steps

into a spider net. Here we spot an interesting

spider specimen, presumably a female

golden orb weaver (Nephila pilipes)

201  The two of us between impressive

roots of fig trees (Ficus variegata),

which are widespread in this reserve

At the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi:

202  A Phytocrene bracteata, about the size of

a soccer ball, very heavy and very spiky. The fruit

hangs from a vine and starts obviously to bloom.

Resembles a wild durian (Durio Wyatt-Smithii)

203  A young round-leaf fountain palm,

also called woka palm (Livistona rotundifolia)

shines in its fresh green

204  Nature reclaims constantly

and forms bizarre jungle creations.

Creepers wrap everything

205  At the ferry terminal of Bitung, 34mi [55km]

east of Manado, heavily loaded trucks are ready to

board the ferry KMP Portlink VIII. They will be

neighbors of our LandCruiser, which will bring us

in 15h from Sulawesi to Ternate in the Moluccas

206  As always our LandCruiser is the

star. This time it is also a welcome pastime

for the truck drivers during our 7 hours

waiting time to board

207  Thunderstorm clouds hang deeply over the

port of Bitung when we leave Sulawesi on Novem-

ber 16th, 2017, and embark for Rupees 2'692'000

(= US$210) to the island of Ternate on the

Moluccas. Nevertheless it was a calm journey

More websites from the "Borneo-Sulawesi-Moluccas-Papua" trip:

Part 1: Pictures from Sarawak-Kalimantan-North Sulawesi – Miri/Malaysia via Kuching and Balikpapan to North Sulawesi from Aug. to Oct. 2017

Part 3: Pictures from the North Moluccas Part 1 – Ternate und Tidore in November/December 2017

Part 4: Pictures from the North Moluccas Part 2 – Halmahera in November/December 2017

Part 5: Pictures from West Papua Part 1 (Irian Jaya) – Sorong and westerly ‘Trans Papua Road’ in December 2017-February 2018

Part 6: Pictures from the Moluccas Part 1 (Central) – Seram in February 2018

Part 7: Pictures from the Moluccas Part 2 (Central) – Ambon in February/March 2018

Part 8: Pictures from Papua Part 1 – Yapen in March 2018

Part 9: Pictures from Papua Part 2 – Biak in April 2018

Part 10: Pictures from West Papua Part 2 (Irian Jaya) – Manokwari and easterly ‘Trans Papua Road’ in April 2018

Part 11: Pictures from South Sulawesi-Kalimantan-Sarawak Part 2 – South Sulawesi via Kalimantan to Kuching and Miri/Malaysia from May to July 2018

More websites from Indonesia and Timor-Leste:

• Pictures and report from the first part of our Indonesian trip in Java and Sumatra from November to December 2006
• Pictures from the second part of our Indonesian trip in Bali from January to March 2007
• Pictures from the third part of our Indonesian trip in Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores in April 2007
• Pictures from the fourth part of our Indonesian trip in Sumba and West-Timor in May and June 2007
• Report and pictures from Timor-Leste (Oecussi and Mainland) in May 2007
• Pictures from the fifth part of our Indonesian trip in Southern Sulawesi before and after Toraja Land in June and July 2007
• Pictures from Tana Toraja (Toraja-Land) in South-Sulawesi in June and July 2007
• Pictures of the sixth part of our Indonesia trip in Kalimantan (Borneo) in July 2007
• Pictures and report from our 2010-Indonesian trip in North Sumatra from March to April 2010
• Pictures and report from our 2010-Indonesian trip in West Sumatra in May and June 2010
• Pictures and report from our 2010-Indonesian trip in Southern Sumatra in June 2010

More websites from East Malaysia und Brunei:

• Report from Brunei in September 2006
• Report from Sabah in October 2006
• Report from Sarawak, Part 1: Northeast (Miri) from June to August 2006
• Report from Sarawak, Part 2: South (Kuching) in November 2006
• Pictures from our Borneo trip through Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan from August to November 2006
• 1st Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser in Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia from 6/15/2006 - 8/26/2006 + 9/17/2007 - 9/24/2007
• 2nd Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser at the same place from 7/30/2012 - 10/4/2012
• 3rd Rejuvenation of our LandCruiser at the same place from 2/6/2017 - 5/3/2017 + 7/16/2018 -