Virgae often show distinct bends like the ones clearly visible in the photographs. These bends often occur where the falling ice particles melt into water droplets. The ice crystals fall almost vertically. But as the water droplets start to evaporate, they become smaller and so fall more slowly, leaving them trailing behind the cloud above.

In other cases, the bend may indicate a region of wind shear, where the strength or direction of the wind changes. On very rare occasions, where the wind is stronger at a lower level, virgae have even been observed in front of the head that generated them.

After a hearty lunch, we got ready for our last megalith — Palindo. At over 4m tall, it is the biggest and best-preserved of all the megaliths. Indeed, Karel had saved the best for last. The imposing stone figure towered over us, its round eyes giving no hint of its history. Some locals say Palindo represents Tosaloge, the first mythological inhabitant of the nearby village of Sepe. In the past, villagers presented offerings to him before embarking on an enterprise.

The origin of these stone statues remain a mystery. No one knows who made them, when or why. No tools were found. The megaliths are estimated to date back to AD1300 and are believed to be the remants of a 2,000-year-old megalithic tradition which was once spread across Indonesia and Indochina.

In fact, the Sulawesi megaliths resemble stone figures found on Cheju island in Korea. Called harubay, these statues are believed to ward off evil spirits.

There are various explanations for the Sulawesi megaliths. Some locals believe they were used in ancestral worship or may have had something to do with human sacrifice. One legend says they were criminals turned into stone. Interestingly, all the megaliths are made from a type of stone not found in the area.