It’s been a while since we blogged about Russell Johnson and his wonderful site, the Connected Traveler. So we thought we’d pay him a visit to see what he’s up to. Well, he’s up to a great deal, and rather than try and cover it all, let me point you to one story I particularly enjoyed. In this audio story, narrated and written by Mr. Johnson, he discusses the Kecak dance, better known as the Balinese Monkey Dance. For those of you who have seen the film Baraka (one of my favorites), you know this dance well. The men sit in a circle and get themselves into a trance, yelling in synche and moving hands like, well, more like birds than monkeys. In Baraka, I am not sure what the men were after, but according to Johnson, in this story they are asking the gods for a return to the days of high tourism. As folks who follow the news know, the Bali attacks of a few years ago dealt a horrible blow to the regions tourism industry. I hope the Kecak dance helps.
I Eat Cannibals
Sleeping with Cannibals was simply a headline I couldn’t resist reading.
The Smithsonian Magazine always has wonderful articles and this one is no exception.
Adventurer Paul Raffaele journeyed deep into Indonesian New Guinea in search of the Korowai tribe who are reputed to be some of this planet’s last remaining cannibals. In what is almost always a cliché regarding such adventures, he journeys further up river than anyone before, where the locals have never seen a white person before.
The article is a rather interesting read that delves into the challenges of traveling through such remote terrain as well as the mysticism which surrounds the Korowai’s decision to cannibalize or not cannibalize.
Poor Raffaele never had the chance to witness such a human feast, but he didn’t wind up on the menu either. He was presented with plenty of evidence which suggests that the practice continues, however, and even learned which human parts were most tasty (the brain).
Indonesian Volcano Threatens 20,000
From CNN.com: Mount Merapi, one of Indonesia’s most dangerous volcanoes, has been growling for about a month now– but an increase in lava flow in the past day has intensified worries that an eruption is imminent. As a result, more than 20,000 people will need to be evacuated to shelters that are already crowded (one of them already filled to three times its capacity).
If that isn’t bad enough, the United Nations is predicting that as many as 80,000 people may be displaced by an eruption, depending on the way the lava flows. Volcanologist Catherine Hickson, of Thompson Rivers University in Canada, said “What the officials are saying is that we’re going to have a larger eruption than what we’re seeing right at the moment.”
Merapi is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It is part of the so-called “Ring of Fire,” which is a series of fault lines and volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean.
Inland Bali
I always felt Bali was over-rated when I first stepped foot on the Indonesian island. The beaches and waters were nice, but they hardly compared to Thailand and a few other tropical locations I had visited.
It wasn’t until I ventured inland that I discovered the true beauty of Bali. Its lush green forests, mellow rivers and tropical abundance were simply overwhelming. This was particularly true in the village of Ubud where life creeps to a leisurely halt and an atmosphere of relaxation hangs softly in the jungle air.
I enjoyed my time in Ubud much better than the time I spent at the beaches and felt sorry for those who never got past the white sands of Bali–which, unfortunately, is the majority of tourists.
Lucy Gillmore of The Independent was one such lucky person who dove right into the jungle and found the true spirit of Bali far from the sun-worshipers and surfers that haunt its coasts. Take a moment to read about her time in the island’s inner-sanctuary; it will give you an entirely different feel for this otherwise touristy slice of paradise.
Photo of the Day (4/12/06)
Today’s photo of the day was uploaded by sendeuros, and
is a shot of the water temple in Bali, Indonesia. I how this shot conveys peace — though the stillness of the
water, and the heaviness of the clouds — in contrast to the startling colours of the flowers in the foreground really
beautiful.
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our Flickr Pool, and upload your best shots there. Every day
we’ll pick one to be featured here on Gadling. Thanks!