A Piece of Losari Luxury in the Middle of the Pandemic

KOMPAS/RENY SRI AYU

Warga menikmati panorama matahari tenggelam di anjungan Pantai Losari, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, pada Rabu (30/9/2020).

For half a year, the Covid-19 pandemic has prevented people from travelling. The chance to relax and enjoy the sunset has become a luxury. In Makassar, South Sulawesi, Losari Beach offers that luxury.

It was getting dark on Losari Beach on Wednesday, when the sun began to set. The rays blazed orange across the sky and the horizon. The graduation of colors from orange to blue, white and gray formed a beautiful natural painting. Under the roof of the sky, people and the objects around them slowly turned into silhouettes.

As if not wanting to lose this twilight moment, a number of visitors took pictures. The rest enjoyed their surroundings while sitting on concrete benches. When the sun finally disappeared, some left Losari. The others still sat, waiting for the night under the lamps.

"Alhamdulillah, it is quite refreshing for the mind to relax for a moment. Usually I come here with my wife and children. However, this time my father and mother also wanted to come. Maybe they are also bored at home and want to play with their grandchildren here,” said Hariyandi, 45, a resident of Tamalanrea district, Makassar.

On arrival in Losari, the sun was shining so hot that they took shelter on a shaded concrete bench below the trees.

They departed at around 4:00 a.m. from their house, which is 13 kilometers from Losari Beach. On arrival in Losari, the sun was shining so hot that they took shelter on a shaded concrete bench below the trees.

That afternoon, Novia Yulianti, 22, and four of her colleagues also enjoyed the twilight. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, they often toured a number of points outside Makassar to enjoy the weekend twilight.

"Since last March, I have not been out of town. My parents prohibited me, and I also chose not to go anywhere. Luckily Losari has already been opened. It\'s not bad to be able to sit here enjoying the breeze and spend the afternoon,” he said.

Tight protocols

Losari and a number of public places were closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Makassar administration had closed Losari during the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) since April 24. Losari was just opened in the last weekend of July.

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Officers lined up holding banners recommending wearing masks in the Losari Beach area, Wednesday (30/9/2020).

Opened under a new normal concept, the supervision of health protocols in Losari is very strict. Visitors are required to wear masks and keep their distance. Makassar Public Order and Safety officers regularly guard and educate the residents.The residents are quite obedient. No one is without a mask. Indeed, occasionally someone takes off the mask, but usually not for long. That is also done if there are not many visitors.

The head of the Makassar Public Order and Safety Office, Iman Hud, said that citizens\' compliance with the health protocols was constantly being ensured in this area. "Officers are on guard at all times, even into the night. We want to ensure that Losari does not become a Covid-19 cluster. Hence, all visitors must wear masks and are not allowed to gather in a crowd. We are aware that residents need a place to relax, but we also want to make sure they are not infected by the virus,” he said.

Losari visitors appreciate the firmness of the Makassar administration. This is one of the reasons residents feel secure. "That is why I have the courage to invite my children and parents here because I see that here [the health protocols] is quite strict. Most of the visitors wear masks and do not crowd or approach people who are not members of their group,” said Hariyandi.

Historic icon

The routine health protocols at Losari Beach are enforced by officers of a joint team. Visitors who are simply passing through or intending to go to Losari are required to wear masks.

The 910-meter long beach is an icon of Makassar city and has a long history. Losari was originally a coconut plantation.

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Children playing on Losari Beach before sunset, Wednesday (30/09/2020).

A Hasanuddin University historian, Amirullah, said that in the 1870s, Losari was a coconut plantation that separated the coast from the villages and rice fields.“Losari was originally a coconut plantation with its own building complex and jetty, bordering rice fields on the south and east sides. To the north there lies the narrower plantations of Arendsburg. There is also Kampung Bessi, where former residents of Kampung Dompo were resettled in the early 19th century after their village by the sea was devastated by a storm,” said Amirullah.

In 1916, the rice fields adjacent to Losari became villages and coconut plantations, which were then under pressure as the city expanded further south. In 1919, a housing complex of at least 100 families of city employees was built in the interior part of Losari Beach.

In the historical records, the dualism of the development of Makassar could be seen in 1938. Neat roads lined the simple European villas in the west of Bessiweg. Meanwhile, rural poor and dilapidated villages also stand near the heart of the city. This made the city government consider their removal.

“The safety and prestige of the waterfront location was established when the two modern houses that were built in 1938 proved to be able to withstand the western monsoons. One of them is the new official residence of the mayor of Makassar,” said Amirullah.

In 2003, the Losari renovations were designed. Reclamation was an option to increase public open space. Now, Losari has three platforms, namely the Losari Beach platform, which is flanked by the platforms of Bugis-Makassar and Toraja-Mandar.

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A resident crosses the Losari Beach pavilion, Makassar, Tuesday (30/6/2020).

In the midst of the pandemic and a slowing real sector, the Makassar administration will revitalizeLosari again. Acting mayor of Makassar Rudy Djamaluddin said a Rp 20 billion budget from the Makassar City Regional Budget (APBD) had been prepared to for the renovations.

This is good news for Makassar residents, as they can still enjoy the beauty of Losari without fear of being exposed to Covid-19.