Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine December 2017 | Page 121

Travel | Rinding Allo
119
1 Three teenagers walking on the slopes
of rice fields in Manganan village.
1
2 A charming misty morning in Rinding Allo
highlands.
5 Senses – Sight
RICE FIELDS
The slopes of Rinding Allo are the ideal
place to enjoy the beautiful sight of the rice
fields and the mountains. The best time
to take in this natural beauty is at dawn
or before sunset. It is a tradition among
locals to head out to welcome the sun
while exchanging stories and enjoying
the spectacular view.
In Rinding Allo, the mountains, the rice fields and
fog wrapped me in what felt like a long symphony.
lost completely despite being a relatively
lucrative trade (four metres of woven fabric
could be worth one big buffalo).
“It’s only in recent years that we tried to
bring back Rongkong woven fabric,” said
Norma, one of the craftswomen. She and
seven others had learnt the art from Mawila,
one of only two weaving experts in the land
of Rongkong. In this hamlet alone,
Mawila is the only one who owns
the necessary equipment.
Mawila said, “Weaving is a spiritual process.
It teaches human beings to be patient.” In her
old age, Mawila still spoke with a strong
voice. I met her daughter, who walked out of
a room bearing a few pieces. “I made these
when I was a young girl,” she said, spreading
the fabric out on her lap. I touched the edge
of the cloth, which felt soft, as though I could
feel strands of Mawila’s patience in my hand.
Early the next morning, I visited an empty
lot perched on a corner of Salurante hamlet,
where a few local residents had gathered.
I found them deep in conversation with one
another, facing the rice fields, waiting for the
sun to come up from behind the mountains.
In this place, time is nothing more than the
ticking of the clock. There is no cellular
reception, only a radio that is used as a
means of communication. But being
surrounded by nature, the warmth of locals,
a well-preserved cultural heritage, and
Lereng-lereng di Rinding Allo adalah
lokasi yang tepat untuk menikmati
keindahan petak-petak sawah dan
pegunungan. Waktu terbaik untuk
melihat bentang alam ini adalah setelah
subuh atau sebelum matahari terbenam.
Warga di dusun-dusun ini memiliki
kebiasaan menyambut matahari pagi
seraya bercengkerama dan memandang
hamparan sawah.
pristine corners of the village, shouldn’t all
that beauty be the only thing that matters?
In Rinding Allo, the mountains, the rice
fields and fog wrapped me in what felt like
a long symphony. It was time for me to leave
Rinding Allo behind. Tracing the path back
along the Rongkong forest in the rain on
a rocky motorbike ride with Adnan driving,
we rode away from the villages, touted as
a new ‘destination’ in the highlands of
Sulawesi, to reunite with the hustle and
bustle of days in the city.
2