The Compass: Indonesia's unique funeral ceremony and cultivating the stinkiest flower

Separated by seas and made up of thousands of islands, Indonesia is a big country with rich wildlife, warm people, and a long history.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

SEE BELOW, CAN YOU GUESS THE ANIMAL? VIEW ONLINE

SEE BELOW, CAN YOU GUESS THE ANIMAL?

THE COMPASS

This week's virtual field trip takes us to Indonesia. A big country with rich wildlife, warm people, and a long history. Go inside the fight to save Indonesia’s last whale hunters, learn how the "hobbit" human story gets a twist, and see photos of the men who work in an active volcano.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEMAL JUFRI A shaman’s fight to save Indonesia’s last subsistence whale hunters Remote island community faces internal and external pressures over keeping ancient practice. MISSION TO SAVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANS LANTING, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION Cultivating the world’s largest, stinkiest flower is no small task For decades, the Rafflesia has resisted attempts to grow it outside Southeast Asian rainforests. But one Indonesian botanist’s efforts have finally blossomed. BREATHTAKINGLY BIZARRE

COURTESY LIANG BUA TEAM 'Hobbit' human story gets a twist, thanks to thousands of rat bones An abundance of rodent remains adds new clues to the fate of the tiny human relative Homo floresiensis on the Indonesian island of Flores. RAT CAVE CLUES

THIS ANIMAL ONLY EXISTS IN INDONESIA. CAN YOU GUESSS WHAT IT IS? CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIAN LEHMANN When death doesn’t mean goodbye In a remote corner of Indonesia, the departed—and their corpses—remain a part of the family. DEATH IS THE NEXT STEP

GOOD READS

1. A whaling way of life 2. Their homes are sinking fast. Can their community survive? 3. How to go beyond the dragons in Komodo National Park 4. In Indonesia, orangutan killings often go unpunished

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA FRAZZETTA, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Striking photos of the men who work in an active volcano Mount Ijen’s gorgeous vistas have captivated travelers for centuries, but in recent years, its sulfur mine has become a controversial tourist attraction. DEVIL'S GOLD

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT? Be sure to check your inbox next week to find out.

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