Seven amazing sex facts about Indonesia

1. Gunung Kemukus. Or the lucky mountain. It’s located 25km north of Solo, and on top of the hill is said to be the grave of Pangeran (prince) Samodra and Dewi Ontrowulan. People come here seeking blessings to either become rich, get a promotion at work, win the lottery or perhaps find a suitable marriage partner. However, there is a catch. And it’s this: you have to have sex on the sacred hill. And with a stranger!!!

2. Sukuh temple. On the western slope of Mount Lawu, Central Java, the Javanese constructed an ancient temple which pays homage to, er, sex. Carvings of sex and genitalia are all over the place – a sort of porn set for the ancients. Shocking! And most bizarre of all is this peculiar chap:

Oh My God - what on Earth does he think he's up to?!
 
3. Dolly. The name of SE Asia’s largest red light district where over 15,000 girls ply their trade. Named incidentally after one of its most popular girls (and not the cloned sheep), Dolly is a bloody incredible place - it’s like they took a huge honky-tonk Mexican border town and simply moved it piece by piece to Surabaya. There are row upon row of little shacks, and the streets are full of young women, old hags, greasy pimps, roaming minstrels, destitute beggars, and even little kids wandering around. If you visit, go with a mate – it’s safer and more enjoyable.

4. Pasak Bumi jamu as an alternative to Viagra. Indonesians are skeptical toward modern medicines and often rely on herbal remedies (better known as jamu) instead. Not only are these herbal medicines cheap but they are also thought to be effective. There are jamus for headaches, stomachaches and back pain; a jamu to make you slim; a jamu to help you put on weight; a jamu for flu; and, yes, even a jamu to “help” impotent men. 

Indonesia’s herbal version of the wonder drug Viagra comes from a plant called Tongkat Ali (or “Ali’s walking stick” in English!), a slender tree which reaches heights of about 10 meters and can be found in the tropical rainforests. But besides Pasak Bumi Jamu Indonesia also has a slightly more practical solution to the age old problem of male erectile disfunction and it takes the form of three or four raw eggs (free range, naturally) mixed into a large glass full of Guinness!
 
5. Production of a durian flavored condom. In a bold attempt to encourage safe sex, condom manufacturer Simplex launched a durian flavored johnny. But does it leave a “bad taste” in the mouth? Well, I wouldn't know but English writer Anthony Burgess would certainly not have approved: he once famously remarked that feasting on durian was a lot like eating custard in the latrine!
 
6. Paying respect to the “Si Jagur” Portuguese canon near Fatahillah Museum in Jakarta. The allegory of a large and strong canon capable of spouting out huge cannonballs has not been lost on the people of Jakarta, and the ancient Portuguese “Si Jagur" canon has attained the sacred reputation as an object which is able to cure infertility. At the base of the canon is this fist:

And, as you can see from the picture, the thumb is penetrating between the index finger and the middle finger, and we all know what that can only mean! So don’t be surprised if you come here and see Jakarta women attempting to mount the damn thing as if it were a wild horse or something – with some of the women even falling off the canon (much to the amusement of onlookers!).
 
7) The Palang. If you really want to stand out from the crowd you might want to consider getting a Palang done. This involves having the glands of the male member pierced horizontally and a barbell inserted (somewhat smaller than the one pictured on the left obviously!). A custom of the former headhunters of Borneo (the Dayaks), the term "Palang" translates as "Crossbar" in Iban and can be related to the timber roof supports of the longhouses of the tribes of the area, and symbolizes the protective power of the male over the family. But be warned: the pain of having the piercing done is said to be indescribable and, on top of that, the healing process can take up to six months. Not for the fainthearted!

One more fact (added 2 August 2010)

It’s a little known fact that Japanese AV star Miyabi (Maria Ozawa) recorded a rather steamy video in Indonesia back in 2006. Quite possibly this is the only XXX rated footage of an international AV star shot in Indonesia – although many amateur videos exist of course – none less notorious than the two featuring Peter Porn and his co-stars Cut Tari and Luna Maya. Ironically enough, religious zealots prevented Miyabi from coming to Indonesia to star in a family friendly production a few years later, completely unaware that the Japanese head turner had already done the Indonesian porn gig (the footage was shot on a beach in Bali – where else?). For those of you who are interested – and I’m sure there are many – Miyabi’s erotic (s)exploits can be seen on a S1 Video production (available exclusively in Indonesia at Glodok). And no – the title of the film is not Bali Bonking! Hahaha!

Maria Ozawa: cute but far from innocent

Further reading:

How to have safe sex in Bali