SULAWESI’S SOUTH struggles to compete with the big lights of Toraja, the diving and wildlife further afield. It’s worth taking a while to enjoy Makassar’s waterfront and its food, and just an hour outside is a little village a world away from the hustle and bustle.
Our last couple of journeys in Sulawesi involved getting in and out of traffic snarls of the capital Makassar.
After a late night arrival, we woke to find a pleasant and friendly waterfront city.
Makassar is home to the famed seafaring Bugis people, who legendary skills took them annually to Australia's north centuries before the white man.
Trade made the port and settlement wealthy, then the Euros showed up. (There's a motorcycle under all that!)
We'd eaten pretty well through Sulawesi, but here we found the lamb and goat we'd been longing for.
One of the many Makassar specialties is konro, goat rib soup.
The streets on and around the waterfront come alive at night with food and drinks stalls, with views across the water to this remarkable mosque.
The Asmaul Husna Mosque, aka 99 Domes Mosque can accomodate 13,000 worshippers, and was built in 2017.
The bright coloured domes and interior reminded me of Yugoslav communsit era "spomenik" memorials.
The city's other main mosque, Masjid Raya, is more traditional, boasting a massive Koran.
After a day or two in Makassar, most people are off for greener pastures.
About an hour north, towards Toraja, is Rammang Rammang, a small but stunning village.
Limestone karsts, a small river, set among green rice fields and fish ponds, the scenery here is first class.
A couple of guesthouses and a handful of cafes have set up for the trickle of tourists that come through.
A boat trip down the river to some ho-hum caves and some very scenic village fields are about all there is to do here.
Stone forests, rocky outcrops dot the landscape here and there.
There is a little bit of birdlife around, and at dusk, get to a high-up cafe to watch the 100s of thousands of bats cross the sky.
It was our good fortune to be there when a wedding was taking place, and we were warmly welcomed inside.
People were coming from all over Sulawesi and beyond for the days of festivities.
Chanting, singing, Koran recitals, blessings, dancing, and of course much food.
The local imam blesses the bride.
This was the penultimate night of the wedding. The groom's family would be joining the next day.
I have noticed at Muslim weddings the old girls are the ones smoking it up on the dance floor. Probably not allowed too often!
Rammang was our last stop on Sulawesi, a fascinating end to a fascinating island.