Boomers Abroad

Description

In Bali, Sulawesi and the Moluccas, examining social, spiritual and cultural relationships with the natural environment.

Spanning from Malaysia to Australia, and comprised of over 17,000 equatorial islands, Indonesia hosts the world's highest level of biodiversity and one of the richest cultural tapestries on earth.

Dragons' Indonesia semester takes students on an ethnographic adventure into remote communities and ecosystems that are rarely visited by travelers. This semester focuses on indigenous communities and their relationships to the natural environment in three very unique regions - Bali, Sulawesi and the Moluccas. Using a solution-oriented approach with an emphasis on conservation, we will explore the complexity of these relationships as they pertain to social, spiritual, artistic, and cultural practices.

Our Indonesia semester begins with an orientation in Sideman, a small village set in the lush landscape of central Bali flanked by the majestic silhouette of sacred Mt Agung. We then transition into our week long Balinese homestay in the outskirts of Ubud - Bali’s cultural and artistic hub. Students are invited to explore the arts through different workshops in the visual and performing arts, including dance and music. Along with their host families, students will attend the many religious ceremonies and participate in daily rituals that characterize Balinese life. Home-stays are accompanied by intensive language study of Bahasa Indonesia (one of Asia’s most accessible languages), helping students make deeper connections and gain further insight into daily life in Indonesia.

Bali is renowned as a tropical paradise, yet the role of tourism and globalization has had great impact on Balinese culture. It is here that we begin to explore important development issues as well as growing environmental problems in the region.

From Bali, we head to Sulawesi to the Tana Toraja region of the southern highlands, home of extraordinary tongkonan architecture. Starting in the city of Rantepeo, we visit the famous buffalo market and wander the labyrinth of coffee and spice stalls. We then begin our trek through terraced rice paddies and along mountain ridges to the sites of traditional cliffside graves, where we will learn about complex Torajan funeral rites and the rich symbolism of Torajan relief carvings and local textiles.

Next, we make our way to the Morowali Nature Reserve to seek out the Wana people, shifting farmers and hunter-gatherers who inhabit this “dry” tropical rainforest in East Sulawesi. Treks through dense jungle take us to remote settlements where students learn about ancient swidden agriculture techniques, traditional blow-dart hunting practices and the collection of rattan, honey and medicinal plants. Through meetings with a local NGOs and the Wana themselves, we survey issues related to hunting and gathering in a protected area and find out why the very survival of the Wana is at stake.

From Morowali, we board the Pelni ferry headed to the southeastern archipelago of Wakatobi, an extraordinary National Marine Park and home to the Bajau people (otherwise known as “sea gypsies”). Staying in simple stilt houses over the water, we begin our second homestay living with the Bajau in the welcoming village of Sampella. Whether spear fishing at sunrise, snorkeling over rainbow coral reefs, or seaweed farming from dugout canoes, our students will learn firsthand about the unique worldview and lifestyle of the Bajau, and their deep-rooted connection to the ocean.

Heading south to Bau Bau, we board another Pelni ship headed to the mysterious Bandas, a small group of 10 volcanic islands famous as a source of nutmeg and cloves. Students will learn about the history of the Spice Trade, while exploring the secret niches of Pulau Run, a small island which was traded by the Dutch in exchange for a small island on the other side of the world: New Amsterdam, now known as Manhattan! Featuring dramatic volcanic formations draped in luxuriant vegetation and uninhabited islands wrapped in white sand beaches, the Bandas boasts the worlds most biodiverse marine environment and much of our stay will be spent studying coral reef ecology and learning about the rich marine life that abounds here.

From the Bandas, we then head north to the island of Seram, where we find ourselves in our final homestay with the people of Masihulan. Students will learn to weave waterproof baskets from harvested rattan, cook traditional Moluccan dishes, volunteer in the local Preschool, harvest and prepare sago, and take part in forest ecology lessons. Through meetings with local villagers and local NGOs, we learn firsthand about the many ways in which deforestation is affecting local communities. Working with well-established organizations, we will collect wild forest sprouts, care for the older seedlings, and help with planting. Seram is also the perfect setting to explore '”sasi”, Maluku's traditional system of zoning for resource management, and to get involved in tree planting and carbon sequestering projects. Students may also choose to volunteer at the local bird rehabilitation center to care for the rescued birds. It is here we will learn about an inspirational project that has trained (now ex-) bird poachers to become skilled eco-guides and to use their deep understanding of the local bird populations to educate others.

A trip to the rainforest, though, would not be complete without a boat trip up the classic Salawai river to witness the tangled depths of the jungle. Spend a few nights in this stunning rainforest seeking out rainbow lorikeets, salmon-crested cockatoos, and giant fruit bats, learning about rainforest ecology, and collecting river shrimp at night.

From the forest, we head back to the small village of Sawai, set serenely on a peaceful bay, where students prepare for the final leg of their journey and their student-led expedition in Maluku. The final few days are spent in Bali to celebrate this incredible journey.

In ecology, a “niche” refers to a position or role taken by a kind of organism within its community. As we explore the many unique indigenous communities of Indonesia and their relationship to the natural environment, we begin to understand that our “community” extends far beyond the other people in our towns and on our planet, but to all of the other life forms which sustain us. Indeed, we have come to a critical time in history - a time when we truly need to reassess our relationship to, and role within, the natural world. We will dedicate the final days of this journey to reflecting on this important issue, and identifying the many tools we have in our grasp to effect positive change as we return home.

Land cost: USD 12,200
Begins in: Los Angeles
Est. flight cost: USD 1,500