Indonesia Inside

In 1961, Indonesian President Sukarno prohibited rock and roll and other western genres of music, and challenged Indonesian musicians to revive the indigenous arts. Gugum Gumbira took up the challenge, and studied rural dance and festival music for twelve years. Jaipongan, or Jaipong, was the most popular result of his study, derived from the updating of a village ritual music called ketuk tilu, with moves from Pencak Silat, the Indonesian martial art, and music from the masked theater dance, Topeng Banjet, and the Wayang Golek puppet theater.

In the original ketuk tilu, the group typically consists of the ketuk tilu pot-gong, other small gongs, a rebab (spike fiddle), barrel drums, and a female singer-dancer (ronggeng) who is often also a prostitute, who invites men to dance with her sensually. Gugum expanded the drum section as part of an urban gamelan orchestra, sped up the music, redefined the singer as just a singer (sinden), and came up with the catchy onomatopoeic name. Many listeners consider the music very complex, with the dynamic rhythm liable to change seemingly randomly.

Jaipongan debuted in 1974 when Pak Gugum and his gamelan and dancers first performed in public. Sporadic government attempts to suppress it due to its perceived immorality (it inherited some of the sensuality of ketuk tilu) just made it more popular. It survived even after the official Indonesian ban on foreign pop music was lifted after a few yea

 

 

rs, and became a craze in the 1980s. Since the mid-1980s Jaipongan’s importance as a social dance has waned, but it remained popular as a stage dance, performed by women, mixed couples or as a solo.

The most widely available album of Jaipongan outside Indonesia is "Tonggeret", featuring singer Idjah Hadidjah and Gugum Gumbira’s Jugala orchestra, released in 1987, and re-released as part of "WestJava: Sundanese Jaipong and other Popular Music", by Nonesuch Records under their Explorer Series label.

Hotel Indonesia (HI) is one of the oldest and most well-known hotels in Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, it is one of the first 5-star hotels in the country. For many years, it has been the city’s major landmark. Its fame is often linked to the country’s political pride. The hotel is located in Jalan Jendral Sudirman. The famed traffic circle Bundaran HI (HI Roundabout) gets its namesake from the hotel.

Occupying 25,082 m² of land, Hotel Indonesia was designed by an American architect, Abel Sorensen, and his wife, Wendy. The hotel was inaugurated in August 5, 1962, by the first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, to facilitate the Asian Games IV in 1962. The building was declared as national heritage by the local government, Pemda DKI, in March 29, 1993.

The hotel was operated by PT. Hotel Indonesia. Later in 2001, it was merged with PT. Natour (which manages other government-owned hotels) to form a new enterprise named PT. Hotel Indonesia Natour. Due to low occupancy and financial difficulties, on April 30, 2004, PT. Hotel Indonesia Natour widthdrew its operation from Hotel Indonesia. Currently the hotel is not operating, to allow for the much needed renovation. The surrounding site is also being developed into a mixed-use complex Grand Indonesia, which adds a shopping mall, an office tower, and a luxury apartment. Once the renovation is finished, the hotel will be managed by Kempinski Group and renamed to ‘Hotel Indonesia – Kempinski’.

 

In South Jakarta’s prime residential area of Blok M sites the 149 rooms Hotel Gran Mahakam Jakarta, a luxurious 5 star property with tastefully furnished well-appointed rooms and suites with modern conveniences and facilities. Splendidly design and decorated rooms creates a relaxed radiant ambience. The hotel is just 15 minutes from the central business district and within walking distance to Block-M Plaza, Pasaraya Plaza Senayan Shopping Center and numerous other shops restaurants and bars in the area. A sport complex including the 18-hole Senayan Golf Course is also within close proximity.Room Description :
All rooms in the Sofitel’s Gran Mahakam Jakarta have individually controlled air-conditioning and feature IDD telephone, international satellite television, movie channel radio, music, internet access, minibar with refrigerator, in-room safe, tub and shower bathroom, coffee/tea making facilities and hairdryer. Nonsmoking rooms are available.

In folklore, Pontianak often appears as a beautiful and seductive woman, usually accompanied by the strong scent of frangipani. According to myth, men who are not wary will be killed or castrated when she morphs into a hideous being; she will also eat babies and harm pregnant women and has been said to cause miscarriages.

People believe that having a sharp object like a nail helps them fend off potential attacks by Pontianak, the nail being used to plunge a hole at the back of the Pontianak’s neck. It is believed that when a nail is plunged into the back of a Pontianak’s neck, she will turn into a beautiful woman, until the nail is pulled off again. The Indonesian twist on this is plunging the nail into the apex of the head of the kuntilanak.

Pontianak is associated with banana trees, and its spirit is said to reside in them during the day.

A pocong is a Indonesian ghost that is said to be the soul of a dead person trapped in their suit. The pocong suit (shroud) is used by Muslims to cover the body of the dead person. They cover the dead body with white fabric called mori and tie the clothing over the head, under the feet, and on the neck. According to the native beliefs, the soul of a dead person will stay on the earth for 40 days after the death. When the ties aren’t released after 40 days, the body is said to jump out from the grave to warn people that the soul need the bonds to be released. After the ties are released, the soul will leave the earth and never show up anymore. Because of the tie under the feet, the ghost can’t walk. This causes the pocong to hop.

 

Pocongs often appear in religion-based movies or TV serials. In the early 2000s, TV stations in Indonesia purported to capture ghost appearances with their cameras and put the records on a specific show of their own. In these shows, the pocong appearances could be seen very often, along with the kuntilanak. There was also a movie with the title "Pocong", which was banned due to the scary scenes. Not so long after it was banned, the director created the sequel, "Pocong 2" which is played on theaters.
 
 

 

 

The keris (also spelled keris) is the national weapon of Indonesia and the oldest distinctive weapon in that culture. It is found throughout the archipelago, as well as in Malaysia and the Philippines. It was the tool of ancient heroes and kings, becoming a symbol of both courage and beauty. Sultans had elaborate versions of the kris made for them by famous bladesmiths. Keris blades are hammer-welded of special iron, even meteoric iron.

According to legend, Empu Ramadi around A.D. 230 made the first keris. Early kerises were leaf-shaped and were called pasopati, paso or pisau, meaning knife, and pati, meaning deadly. Antique kerises are kept as heirlooms or votive objects, and some are said to possess magic power. The curved blade appeared around A.D. 329. The number of curves is always odd, and the correct number for a particular owner is based on a thumb-beside-thumb measuring ritual accompanied by “lucky” incantations.

The wavy blade or sarpa lumaku (walking serpent) was perfected and began to decline in the 15th century, the last period of “magic” kerises. The pamor (Damascus) blade-welding technique also began to die out after the Majapahit era. Hammer-welding three metal bars containing nickel iron and meteoric iron created the distinctive patterns. This allowed varying degrees of hardness in the blade, combining sharpness with shatter resistance. Rust and even poison were sometimes added to make the blade deadlier.

In 1883, a volcano off the coast of Indonesia erupted, setting off a mega-tsunami that killed some 36,000 nearby villagers almost instantly. But halfway around the world, in places like western Africa and the UK, subtle changes were noticed. The skies turned an ominous red (see the famous Scream portrait, supposedly inspired by this eruption). The tides became erratic. People thought it was the end of the world.

What actually transpired was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history. Krakatau (popularized in the West as "Krakatoa" by the British colonialists) had left its mark in the history books.

I`ve come to the epicenter of the disaster zone 125 years later. The original Krakatau had blown itself to pieces in 1883, leaving behind three crescent-shaped island remnants. But in the middle of the underwater caldera that has formed is a curious new sight: an island that appeared out of the sea before our very eyes.

Anak Krakatau—literally "Son of Krakatau" in Indonesian—is a reincarnation of the original Krakatau volcano. Since the son`s fitful birth in 1930, this faraway piece of rock, sandwiched in the strait between Java and Sumatra, has earned a reputation among academics as an ideal laboratory for observing how life begins, endures, and sometimes perishes in an island ecosystem.

During its heyday in the 1980s and early 1990s, research conducted here on the 400 plant, 50 butterfly, 30 bird, 17 bat, and 9 reptile species, among other animals, came to define much of what we know about island biogeography and ecological dynamics.

Eruptions throughout November-the most violent in over a decade-recaptured the world`s attention, with news of 3-kilometer-high ash fumes, showers of lava bombs, and blasts that rattled the windows of houses on the shores of western Java, some 40 kilometers away. Anak has remained active ever since, with eruptions this January, April, June, and July.

On this bright day, my tour guide is Tukirin Partomihardjo, a wiry botanist sporting at once a collared shirt and a machete. We wade onto the black-sand beach of Anak. The 56-year-old "King of Krakatau" has arrived.

It`s hard to take a step here, even on the beach, without crushing some sort of life. Just moments after arrival, Tukirin, who works for the Indonesian Academy of Sciences at Bogor Herbarium, points out blue-ish ghost crabs, armies of tiny ants, fast-multiplying casuarinas seedlings, and even one coconut that has sprouted an impressive-looking stem. These are some of the early colonizers of Anak, and each day they continue to launch amphibious attacks on the island.

"There is a constant struggle here," says Tukirin, referring to the battle between these pioneering species and the elements. One of his on-going projects seeks to explain the degree of success in colonization by examining the diversity of the beach seedbank. This afternoon alone, he finds some 30 different seed species of varying descriptions: green cactus-like, flat and pea-shaped, walnut-shaped (he easily rattles off their obscure scientific names).

But it`s not just about quantity. He holds up a dark, oblong mangrove seed and shakes his head. "This can`t survive here."

Later this afternoon, he heads into the modest jungle, a panopoly of dominant casuarinas, waist-high grasses, ferns, and emergent fig trees that reach 30 metres. Parts of the rainforest sport bald spots where lava has completely wiped out the vegetation.

Today, for instance, Tukirin is surveying the damage of the November blasts. "Many trees have died," he says, blaming the ash that has buried much of the understory. "But this place will recover."

Tukirin, as it happens, is the world`s leading expert on Anak Krakatau (hence the nickname), first hearing about and visiting the place in 1981 during a training seminar. Since then, he`s been back to the island some 30 plus times, leading almost all foreign expeditions there.
It`s quite remarkable how far he has come. He grew up on a rural farm to parents who didn`t make it through elementary school and became the first in a family of 9 siblings to earn a Ph.D. His dissertation was, of course, on Krakatau. "Even with very difficult conditions, my parents felt I needed education," he says. "They encouraged me to study hard."

Today, Mount Kelud is very phenomenal with its new dome that exists from its lake. To reach Mount Kelud, the visitors can use motorcycle and the direction come from Kediri to Wates continued to Margomulyo – Bambingan till Jurang Gelap or Mount Pedot. From Jurang Gelap till the new dome of Mount Kelud is about 2 km and you can go on foot.

Mount Kelud has change, it had green crater before explode, but today the beautiful crater is gone and turn up new crater that different from the previous.

The increase of Mount Kelud activities from the beginning step to the next step is show phenomenal activities that never happen before. The water temperature in 1990 exploded is about 400 Celsius, and in this activity, the water temperature is increase till 77,50 Celsius, makes thermometer broken caused of high warming. The earthquake is also has increase level, both volcanic and tectonic earthquake. The earthquake is higher compare with exploded in 1990. The white and black smokes that come out from the crater is not happen in 1990.

The climax activity of Mount Kelud is to turn up a dome from the lake crater in November 5, 2007 with diameter 100 meters and 20 meters height from crater water. Today, the Lava Dome still growing slowly till 200 meters height and widened to southwest side of the lake crater wide.
The first white and black smoke are detected in November 4, 2007. At that time is 200 meters height and today the wind has blow them to south side. The white smoke is come out from the dome and blow to the air till 1.000 meters height.

If this is really the end of Mount Kelud and the status is normal, with Mount Kelud condition at the present, then Mount Kelud has a new face. With its Dome that comes from the crater, Mount Kelud is more beautiful than before, add with the other phenomenal that never happen before.
Mount Kelud changes with its new Dome are very interesting for visitors. The visitors can see and enjoy its new dome if the condition is really safe to be visited. The Dome is seems to be Mount Kelud’s son. There is no crater-lake or green water in Mount Kelud, but the new Kelud presents its new dome. Fantastic and curious nature panorama.

Established in 1991, the Bunaken National Marine Park in Indonesia is one of its kinds. With 89,065 hectares of total area, the Bunaken Marine Park Indonesia attracts numerous travelers. After 30 minutes scenic boat ride from Manado you will reach the Bunaken National Marine Park. North of Sulawesi Island, the Bunaken Marine Park is a perfect place to meet the marine world.

The Bunaken National Marine Park in Indonesia has about 2,000 species of coral fish. You might come across giant clams, butterfly fish, shark, turtles, sea snails, whale, damsels, coelacanth, pygmy seahorse, frogfish, blue-ringed octopus and dugongs while diving in Bunaken Marine Park. The national park is filled with rich coral and fish life. The marine park extends out to five islands, namely Bunaken, Manado Tua, Montehage, Nain and Siladen.

The Bunaken Marine National Park Indonesia is a heaven for scuba divers. Try your hands on wall diving, drift diving and night diving in Bunaken Marine Park. For beginners, the park has several coral slopes. Divers can also immerse themselves in underwater photography. See schools of Barracudas and Jacks, reef sharks, Napoleon wrasses and many other marine species. Besides diving, one can also go for snorkeling. You can expect the level of visibility up to 25m making it a perfect place for snorkeling and diving.

The marine park has over 22 dive sites to take you to the underwater realm. Steep coral walls and seabed offer accommodation to an excellent variety of marine fauna. Watch dolphins bouncing around. The Bunaken Marine Park Indonesia always attracts diving enthusiasts and those who are interested in exploring an astounding marine world.

Mount Bromo also Gunung Bromo, located in the Tengger Caldera, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in East Java, Indonesia. It is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, and even though at 2329 meters it is not the highest peak of the massif, it is the most well known.

According to a local folk tale, at the end of the 15th century princess Roro Anteng from the Majapahit Empire started a separate principality together with her husband Joko Seger. They named it Tengger by the last syllables of their names. The principality did prosper, but the ruling couple failed to conceive children. In their despair they climbed Mount Bromo to pray to the gods, who granted them help, but requested the last child to be sacrificed to the gods. They had 24 children, and when the 25th and last child Kesuma was born Roro Anteng refused to do the sacrifice as promised. The gods then threatened with fire and brimstone, until she finally did the sacrifice. After the child was thrown into the crater, the voice of the child ordered the local people to perform an annual ceremony on the volcano, which is not held today.