Entranced (and possessed) in Sumatra
By Marco Ferrarese
July 2015 PHOTO ESSAY
Mysticism in Indonesia is at the base of faith and can be largely found in many aspects of everyday life. During a trip to Berastagi, a mountain town at the foot of the active Sybayak volcano in northern Sumatra, we saw ultimate proof of that when we stumbled across a street ritual called reog ponorogo. It is a form of entranced dancing that made its way to north Sumatra from central Java, carried by migrant workers who resettled into the...
Marco Ferrarese
is a musician, author and travel writer. He has written about overland travel and extreme music in Asia, and blogs at www.monkeyrockworld.com. He also curates the Penang Insider, the smart guide for traveling and living in Penang, at www.penang-insider.com. His latest book, The Travels of Marco Yolo, is available in bookstores. Follow him on Twitter @monkeyrockworld.
