ethnic tourism

Periplus Adventure Guides, Various authors and contributors.
Publisher: Periplus Editions

This invaluable series of books on Indonesia from Periplus is gradually being completely revised and updated. Their Travel Guides have now become Adventure Guides but the changes are far more than merely cosmetic. The Travel /Adventure Guides are, as owners of any of the existing books will know, far more than just guides to travelling in the particular region covered. Travelling or not, the books are worth reading for their own sake. The historical vignettes are especially enjoyable.
The Hollandia (now Jayapura) headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur apparently caused some envy and resentment: “War correspondents, not always in awe of the quick-tempered MacArthur, filed a story about the general’s million-dollar mansion with lavish furnishings and a custom-built drive. MacArthur was furious. After the Philippines had been secured, his wife decided to stop at Hollandia on her way to Manila to be reunited with her husband. She wired him, “I want to see that mansion you built-the one where I’m supposed to have been living in luxury!” Those present did not dare record even a censored version of MacArthur’s reply„
That is from the Irian Jaya book but they are all as good, filled with fascinating essays from experts in their field.
Here is Ilsa Sharp in the Sumatra book, writing on the endangered Sumatran rhino: “This “pocket rhino” is the smallest of the world’s five rhino species and displays an aptly Asian personality-being far less aggressive than its African counterparts. It is a harmless vegetarian that exhibits a certain charm: the young are known to bleat and squeak like lambs.”
From the same book, Robert Cribb brings the Krakatau volcanic explosion of a century ago dramatically to life for us: “Finally, early in the afternoon of August 26th, 1883, Krakatau exploded with a series of roars heard around the world-from Rangoon, Burma, to Perth, Australia. A pillar of ash and pumice towered 26 km into the sky. Rock and dust rained over the surrounding region, forming a blanket cloud which turned day into night for 150 km in every direction. Ash from the eruption gradually spread through out the atmosphere, creating spectacular sunsets across the world for two years.
“The finale came the following morning, when a gaping maw in the earth’s crust-hollowed out by the expulsion of 18 cubic km of ash and rock-collapsed on itself. The sea rushed in and began to boil immediately on contact with the molten rock, throwing up tsunamis (tidal waves) 10 meters high. The waves could still be detected a day and a half later when they finally rolled against the coast of France.”
Between them, these sensibly-formatted guides cover most of the huge and diverse archipelago and this year’s revised editions include Irian Jaya and Sumatra.