A traveler's notebook on culture
Learning the world,
one culture at a time.
I travel to understand how people live, believe, and remember — from funeral rites in Tana Toraja to markets in North Sulawesi.
NowOn the road now — Tana Toraja, IndonesiaCountries visited: 11 · Days on the road: 400+
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Festivals & RitualsRambu Solo, Day One: Inside a Toraja Funeral Years in the Making
3 min read
Festivals & RitualsMa'nene, Day Two: The Toraja Ritual Where Families Bring Their Ancestors Back Into the Light
5 min read
LifestylePELNI: The National Ferry Line Still Holding Indonesia's 17,000 Islands Together
8 min read
Traditional HeritagePasar Bolu: The Rantepao Market Where Toraja Buys and Sells the Buffalo It Sacrifices
5 min read
LifestyleBitung's Fish Market: A Morning Inside Indonesia's City of Skipjack
5 min read
Travel guideIs There Uber in Brunei? How to Use Dart, Brunei's Only Ride-Hailing App (2026 Guide)
3 min read
Culture essays
From the field
Festivals & RitualsIndonesia
Rambu Solo, Day Five: Ma'kaburu', the Burial That Ends an Eleven-Day Farewell
October 1, 2026
Festivals & RitualsIndonesia
Rambu Solo, Days Three and Four: The Water Buffalo Sacrifice, Outside the Village and Within It
September 30, 2026
Festivals & RitualsIndonesia
Rambu Solo, Day Two: Where Guests Repay an Old Debt in Buffalo
September 29, 2026
Festivals & RitualsIndonesia
Rambu Solo, Day One: Inside a Toraja Funeral Years in the Making
September 28, 2026
Festivals & Rituals
Oct 1Rambu Solo, Day Five: Ma'kaburu', the Burial That Ends an Eleven-Day Farewell
Festivals & Rituals
Sep 30Rambu Solo, Days Three and Four: The Water Buffalo Sacrifice, Outside the Village and Within It
Festivals & Rituals
Sep 29Rambu Solo, Day Two: Where Guests Repay an Old Debt in Buffalo
Festivals & Rituals
Sep 28View all →Rambu Solo, Day One: Inside a Toraja Funeral Years in the Making
Journey by country
Where the road has taken me
Daily notes
Latest from the road
Indonesia
A Night of Roaring Tides: Football, Fever, and Finding the Pulse of Makassar
October 5, 2026
Indonesia
From Traveling to Purposeful Action: A Midnight Arrival in Makassar and Lessons from a Parting Friend
September 26, 2026
Indonesia
A Deep Dive into Tana Toraja: The Final Day of Rambu Solo and a Shift in the Traveler's Soul
September 25, 2026
Indonesia
The Soul of Tana Toraja: Eyes of the Sacred Buffalo and the Village's Melody
September 24, 2026
Indonesia
Crossroads of Blood and Prayer: Day Three of Rambu Solo and Toraja's Economy of Sacrifice
September 23, 2026
Diary
Oct 5A Night of Roaring Tides: Football, Fever, and Finding the Pulse of Makassar
Diary
Sep 26From Traveling to Purposeful Action: A Midnight Arrival in Makassar and Lessons from a Parting Friend
Diary
Sep 25A Deep Dive into Tana Toraja: The Final Day of Rambu Solo and a Shift in the Traveler's Soul
Diary
Sep 24The Soul of Tana Toraja: Eyes of the Sacred Buffalo and the Village's Melody
Diary
Sep 23View all →Crossroads of Blood and Prayer: Day Three of Rambu Solo and Toraja's Economy of Sacrifice
ZINE & Books
Photo zines & books from the road
Small records from the road — photo essays, field notes, and quiet stories from each country I've passed through.
Browse all ZINE & Books
About Hiro
Japan covers 0.29%
of this planet. I wanted the rest.
"I don't just want to live. I want to dive into everything this world has to offer — and leave it knowing I truly lived."
Read the full story →