Madura Island

Madura Island is the outermost islands of the eastern part of Java. And is part of the province of East Java. This island has a wide 5168 km with a population of 4 million. This island has a unique shape look similar to the body of a cow.

Madura Island is the largest salt producer that supplies production throughout Indonesia and export needs. Because the results of this abundant salt Madura island is also known as Salt Island.

Most of locals that living in coastal area are farmers of salt or fishermen . In the dry season the salt production is very high due to salt production is highly dependent on the sun. So the production activities are more in the dry season. In the rainy season there is nothing to do for salt farmers. Generally they do land maintenance or repair tools related to salt production. Then wait until the dry season arrives again.

Historically, long ago the island of Madura is the unity of the island of Java, it indicates that the Javanese and Madurese are part of the same cultural community. Many Madurese leave their land and go to Java and other Indonesian islands to trade. Characteristics of Madurese are diligent, hardworking and obedient worship. Generally Madura ethnic are Moslem.

Madura island is less fertile for agriculture. Madurese instead divert their livelihoods as fishermen in the coastal areas as well as farm and raise cattle. Besides farmed, cattle are also used to cultivate paddy and dry fields. After completion of the harvest they usually held Madurese Bull Race.

Karapan Sapi is a racing term for cow race from Madura. In this race a pair of cows (with a jockey standing control of the cow) are driven racing against a couple other cows. The track races are typically about 100 m. Competition racing cows lasted about 10 seconds to 1 minute.

There is a closed dance by a jockey who won the Bull Race with a whip-lash (in Madura, whips = pecot). While accompanied by the cheers of his relatives. Because using the whip, this dance called Pecot Dance.

Bull Race in routine activities every year. Held in August to October. The competition is the  most popular traditional festivity in Madura that interested by both local and foreign tourists.

To get to the island of Madura, the Suramadu Bridge is the main entrance to it although it could be in reach by sea or air.

Legend of Tangkuban Perahu

bandung pos

In ancient times in Parahyangan West Java, there lived a princess who was very beautiful  named Dayang Sumbi. In addition to beautiful, she is also good at cooking and weaving. Because of her beauty, so many princes and kings  wanted her to be their wife.
Fearing that there would be bloodshed caused by fighting her, so Dayang Sumbi begged her father to stay calm herself in a house on the edge of the woods.
On a day when Dayang Sumbi was  weaving, her weaving yarn falling down from her house. Because high, she did not dare to take it. Then she began to say to herself: if there is someone who can help take the yarn, if a man, he would be her husband.

Without realizing it at the same time a coyote passed by. The animal helped Dayang Sumbi  to take the fall thread. Apparently the dog was an incarnation of god. He turned into a handsome man. Dayang Sumbi short falls in love and as she had promised to marry the man. But they decided to keep it a secret. Dayang Sumbi named the dog Tumang . Tumang who then accompanied Dayang Sumbi everywhere.

Then Dayang Sumbi has a son named Sangkuriang. Sangkuriang grow into young man healthy and smart hunting. Everyday Tumang always faithful to accompany him play.

One day Sangkuriang go hunting because his mother wanted to cook deer liver. But he failed to catch a deer. So he told Tumang to get it, but Tumang just stay quiet not obey. Until a few times Sangkuriang told Tumang but Tumang remains not to implement.

In desperation, then Sangkuriang archery the deer but without  intentional bow on head Tumang to death. Sangkuriang very sorry his dog died. He did not know if the dog is in fact his father. Before returning home, he took the dog's heart to give to his mother.

Dayang Sumbi receive the deer heart and immediately cook it. Then they eat together. When finished eating, Dayang Sumbi asking where Tumang why until night had not yet returned.  Sangkuriang explain to his mother the truth. Predictably, Dayang Sumbi very angry. But Dayang Sumbi not explained to him who the real Tumang. Because she could not control herself, Dayang Sumbi hit his head with a ladle and injured.

Feeling his mother did not love him anymore, Sangkuriang away with head covered in blood. He was discovered by a hermit lying unconscious in the woods. Hermit named him Jaka, because Sangkuriang can not remember anything about him. Then he taught martial arts and magic that can make Sangkuriang be mastered of spirits.

Meanwhile, Dayang Sumbi deeply regretted what she had done against Sangkuriang. Over the years she has always hoped her son back. Dayang Sumbi never gets old, but still young and beautiful.

One day Sangkuriang said goodbye to his teacher to go looking for experience elsewhere. Along the way he felt  thirst and then he stopped at a house on the edge of the woods to ask for some water to drink.

Turns out the house is home Dayang Sumbi, but mother and son did not know each other. Sangkuriang very fascinated with the beauty of a woman who was in front of him. Instead, Dayang Sumbi stunned look dashing and handsome young man who met her. In short, the two fell in love and decided to marry.

But one day accidentally Dayang Sumbi see the scars on the heads of man who called Jaka's. He remembered his son Sangkuriang. When it was asked in the young man, he says do not remember the cause. It's just a hermit found him many years ago in the woods with a severe head injury.
Dayang Sumbi shocked. She believes the man who almost became her husband it was his son, Sangkuriang. She thought hard to prevent the marriage occurred. Then she gave a heavy requirement to Sangkuriang, if he really want to marry her, to make a boat and a lake in one night. Sangkuriang agreed.

Sangkuriang started working immediately, he also put all spirits to help him. He built Citarum river dam to create a lake and cut down a tree to make a boat.

Dayang Sumbi fear, knowing Sangkuriang almost completed his work. Then she also tried to thwart. She asked residents to help spread the cloth of red silk brocade results in the east of the Sangkuriang are, so that from a distance look of redness. The the roosters crowed thought the sun had risen and the creatures  fled because they thought it was morning.

Sangkuriang very angry because knowing has been duped by Dayang Sumbi. Angrily he dismantle the dam that has been made thus causing a huge flood and kicked the boat almost finished up and thrown away and it fell reversed.

Boat crash site later became a mountain. Shaped like an upside down boat so called Tangkuban Perahu (in Sundanese, Tangkuban = reverse parahu = boat).

FACTS

Tangkuban Perahu is located approximately 30 km to the north Bandung capital of West Java province. Tangkuban Perahu volcano formed 11 thousand years ago as a parasitic volcano crater of an ancient volcano Sunda. Sunda is a large ancient volcano. Its large diameter around 2 km and high  around 3000 meters above sea level.

Tangkuban Perahu shape is stratovolcano with high 2084 masl. Tangkuban Perahu is an of active volcano which status is monitored continuously by the Indonesian Directorate of Volcanology.

From the topographic view, Bandung area is like a basins which on each side surrounded by hills and mountains. It strengthens the theory that the Bandung district in the past is a very large lake.

This lake was formed by a volcanic eruption about 6000 years ago - in a more modern research it is believed that the ancient lake was formed about 135 years ago - a result of damming the river Citarum . The recognized expert geologists believe that the Bandung plateau, 720 meters above sea level, is formed from the remaining large lake formed by the eruption Sunda Volcano. And Tangkuban Perahu volcano is Mount Sunda which is still active.

At the present time - in safe condition - Tangkuban Perahu volcano tour is in great demand by local and foreign tourists. It is in the town of Lembang about 45 minutes by car from Bandung. Temperatures average 17 ^◦ C at day and 2 ^◦ C at night. Tourists generally hike to its summit to enjoy the natural scenery around and of course see the beautiful crater.
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Papua Island

Currently, Indonesia consists of 34 provinces, five of which have special status or the Special Region Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Paua and Yogyakarta. 10 of them are on the island of Sumatra, Java 6, 5 were on the island of Borneo, Sulawesi island 6, 3 were in Nusa Tenggara islands, 2 and 2 in the Maluku islands in Papua.

Indonesia is divided into 3 regions, namely a Western Indonesia Time (WIB), the Central Indonesian Time (WITA) and Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT).

Western Indonesia Time region covers the whole of Sumatra, Java, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. Indonesia Time region covers an area of ​​Central Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. While the Eastern Indonesia Region Time covers Maluku, North Maluku and Papua.

PAPUA ISLAND

Papua is the second largest island in the world after Greeland. It is located in northern Australia. Area of ​​the island is 890,000 km2. Divided into two regions of the country, namely Indonesia in the east and the south under the government of Papua New Guinea. Papua term used to refer to the island as a whole. While the "Nugini" is taken from the New Gunea.

Why New Guinea? Historically, around  16th century when the Europeans came to this island, starting by the Spanish explorer they discover the island. They consider the land and people of Papua are very similar to Guinea. Guinea is a region on the African continent so they call Nueve Guinea.

Indonesia territory called Papua which region is administratively divided into two, namely  Papua and West Papua. Look to shape the island is also called the island of the bird's head.

There are 12 ethnic groups there, with about 250 local languages ​​used in everyday life. The Asmat tribe of Papua are very great fame by carving wood.

In Papua, there is a high mountain trails stretching from east and west of the island. Many mountains on the island are very high. Among other things, the mountain Sudirman with Puncak Jaya Peak-sometimes known by Dutch name Carstenz Pyramid (5030 masl) and Trikora Peak (4750 masl) and mountain Jayawijaya with Mandala Peak (4700 masl) and Yamin Peak (4506 masl).

Puncak Jaya, which reaches 5030 meters above sea level is the highest peak in Papua. Puncak Jaya is always covered by eternal snow and because it is so high that it is always cold throughout the year.

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Sulawesi Island

Currently, Indonesia consists of 34 provinces, five of which have special status or the Special Region Aceh, Jakarta, Papua, West Papua and Yogyakarta. 10 of them are on the island of Sumatra, Java 6, 5 were on the island of Borneo, Sulawesi island 6, 3 were in Nusa Tenggara islands, 2 and 2 in the Maluku islands in Papua.

Indonesia is divided into 3 regions, namely a Western Indonesia Time (WIB), the Central Indonesian Time (WITA) and Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT).

Western Indonesia Time region covers the whole of Sumatra, Java, West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. Indonesia Time region covers an area of ​​Central Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. The Eastern Indonesia Region Time covers Maluku, North Maluku and Papua.

SULAWESI  ISLAND

Is an island of Indonesia, which has 174 600 km2 wide and listed as the 11th largest island in the world. Its population reached more than 17 million people. The density of population is only rivaled by the islands of Java and Sumatra .

Sulawesi island located between Borneo and the Maluku islands. When itis  viewed on a map, the shape of the island of Sulawesi truly unique. This island has four peninsulas. Northern Peninsula (Peninsular Minahasa), Eastern Peninsula, South Peninsula and the South East Peninsula.
3 bays separate the peninsulas. Tomini Bay  separates the North and East Peninsula, Gulf Tolo separates East Peninsula and South East Peninsula, and Bone Bay separates South Peninsula and South East Peninsula.
Makassar Strait is along the western part of the island as well as separating the island from Borneo island.

Sulawesi Island is also known of it high mountains. The average height reaches 2000 - 3500 meters above sea level. Active volcanic mountains scattered in almost all coastal strip.
Sulawesi is also the habitat of rendangered species and unique wildlife of Sulawesi, such as Anoa, Tarsier Monkey, and Babi Rusa.

Sulawesi name is derived from Sula - the dialect of Central Sulawesi - which means island. Mesi means iron. Sulawesi Island long time ago are known to be rich in iron ore. Then foreign people coming to this island.The first set time on the island was the Portuguese, and then call it by the name of Celebes.
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