Travelogues

Sulawesi is a biodiversity hotspot and harbors some of the world's most spectacular nature areas. A perefect insland for a relaxing and intersting holiday, but it is not without its problems. From the threat of gold mining companies, the erosion of the Torajan culture and environmental challenges. With this short travelogue I try to show through my photos some of these issues.

A local myth says that when the Portuguese first landed on the island, the captain of the ship met a man who was busy working as a blacksmith. The captain asked the man - in Portuguese - what the name of the island was. The blacksmith, not understanding, thought the captain had asked him what he was doing, and answered "sele besi", which means "heat iron" or "work with iron". The captain was satisfied with the answer and registered Selebesi as name of the island in his logbook.