Sunday, 05 January, 2014
Three Pristine Lakes of Luwu
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Sulawesi has three pristine lakes hidden in its hearts. The lakes are called Matano, Mahalona, and Towuti. They are connected with two rivers nearby.
Matano Lake is located in Nuha Districts, East Luwu Regency. The nearby Soroako Village has been developed into a modern settlement by a nickel mine company PT Vale, which has been operating since 1968. With its 500-meter depth, Matano becomes the deepest lake in South East Asia and the eighth deepest in the world. The lake is connected with Mahalona Lake and Towuti Lake in the south. The three lakes were formed as a result of tectonic activities million years ago.
The team uses ketinting (motor boat) that cost us Rp400,000 for a whole day trip to visit some locations around the lake. The ketinting took us from Soroako pier to a rocky cliff where an underwater cave exists. The cave height was approximately as tall as a half of a badminton court. The water was clear and greenish if a sun light stroke into it. This was really a secret cave; the beauty could only be enjoyed by entering it. Another cave called Tengkorak (skull) cave was located nearby the underwater cave. Rumors said that there were many human bones and skulls found in the cave which had existed since long ago.
Less than an hour from the Soroako pier, we arrived in Mahalona Village. We washed our faces in the Bora-Bora spring, only few steps from the lake banks. A research by Australian National University said that the village has existed since 2,000 years ago and the soil contains iron ores. The iron was believed to be used by ancient smiths to make Luwu Keris (An ancient traditional Javanese dagger) in the Majapahit kingdom era.
According to one of the elderlies, Dewi, there were 40 smiths who made a number of weapons and cannons before the Dutch colonial ambushed the village and confiscated the weaponries. Since then, the locals have been planting peppers and chocolate.
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ma 6 jan 2014 - 1:17