"And the Mountains in Reply" Trip or "Health Tourism" Trip, or "Aishah and Pras" Trip

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing over the plains
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains:
Glooooo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria in excelsis Deo!

this Christmas I spent--or celebrated--it with friends. I went to Puntang to join Umi, Echi, Fitri, Indri, Lusi, Ifan, Jarir, and Hamok. We had fun cooking, eating, swimming in the ice cold river. we had fun reading too!

i finished some paragraph of The Malay Archipelago. And we had an interesting moment listening to the tale of Aishah and Pras. "Kamu kepanasan ya? Ayo buka kancingnya..." there goes the story. (and if you think it's an erotica, you guess wrong, Sem. This is a UN-sponsored book for sex education.)

Unfortunately, I fell ill on Christmas Day. I've never had this kind of embarassing sickness in my trips since August 1998! It was nice of Echi for the accu-pressure treatment, Umi for accompanying despite the nocturnal 'music' from our brave brother Hamok, and friends for cooking meals and hot drinks and the well-wish. I love their noisy company.

Fortunately, I recovered the next day. Hallelujah! Call it Christmas miracle

So which one should i pick to name the trip? Is it "And the Mountains in Reply" Trip or "Health Tourism" Trip, or "Aishah and Pras" Trip? :)

Closely Monitor-ed (at Pulau Biawak)

One scene in Ocean movie keeps playing in my mind every time i think of the sea: lighting crashes, rain falls, it storms. one coconut tree is struck, falls into the sea. Meanwhile, a medium-sized monitor (biawak) rushed to the scene and swims to the fallen trunk, embarking on a journey to an island or a beach or ... to uncertainty.

The scene was repeated when friends and I stepped aboard a small boat on our way from Pelabuhan Karangsong, Indramayu. Destination: Pulau Biawak.

Sailing to Uncertainty

The clouds hung heavy above our heads and the wave caused headache. (To my shock, it was a tiny boat, it don't even have a cabin. here we were, all 13 of us plus two boatmen.) sleeping was the only option.

after 3 hrs, we met other boat. The boatman asked, where's the island? That way, replied the men on the other boat. and our boatmen changed the direction.


"Bon Dieu, these guys navigate by sight!" thought I. "How can they see it when all is dark blue on the horizon?" To turn back would be a defeat yet to go further seemed impossible. we were already halfway of 40 nautical miles distance.

I was reminded of the scene. I was worried we were drifting to uncertainty... It was magical that the worry din keep me sitting stiff. Instead I fell asleep again. I guess Atticus was right, It's not time to worry yet.

Waking up, it rained and wet us all. fortunately, the island was at sight. large and green. with a white lighthouse, a legacy of colonial era, towering near its pier. What a relief!

Picture Perfect Holiday
The weather wasn't our friend yet friends and I could enjoy the short holiday on the Pulau Biawak. We built three tents, snorkeled around, cooked this and that menu (almost constantly), and devoured (we being "nggragas") anything before us, sang to the half moon, chasing monitors, and climbed the lighthouse up to 60 m to the top! very exciting!

While sitting near the lamp cage on the lighthouse, I observed the island. it reminds me of Pulau Rambut in Kepulauan Seribu. Both are dense with lush carpets of mangroves and palms (conifers too!) and are birds sanctuary. big water birds like ibises, herons, and cormorants were seen here.

While snorkeling, I noticed that the reefs and the fishes aren't so colorful nor plenty. I guess it's due to 2004 oil spill. It still affects the island although I can see it recovering. Perhaps that explains why the fishes are of small sizes.

(a "hi there" look from Monsieur le Monitor, photo by friend Tetty alias 'tettyyangmotoloch')

Meanwhile the residents whose identity become the entity of the islands were rarely seen. I only spotted four. Most of them are of slender features and their skin patterns are interesting. Only one is very fat! couldn't believe it. how can a reptile grows so fat? guess that's the benefit of being the only predators on the island.

The whole journey was pleasant. Picture perfect. I even came to appreciate God's Lamps and learn to take chances. When arriving on the mainland, I texted Papi immediately, Pi, I been to Pulau Biawak (Varanus salvator), next is Pulau Komodo (Varanus komodoensis)! :)

Lift up my eyes to the hills (Puntang)

Lift up my eyes to the hills around Mt. Putang, to what I instantly fall in love with.

it's a lovely sight. the white lilies, 'netherlandische' aubergines, young coffee bushes, red rose and its hips, and of course the conifers (Pinus pinaster, probably). The wind sings through the branches of slender conifers, making the hills very much alive. Also there are many lovely ruins of kolam cinta, houses, cave, kitchen, tennis court. things must have been lively back then, yes? see the bw pictures.

Go there with my merry company.

we first hike uphill abt 100 m off kolam cinta. notice how the Dutch governed the water and the trees. unlike the 'sterile', pine-only Hutan Pinus in my hometown, i see thickets of bougenvillae, wild brambles, liliums, mats of grass and weeds, banana plants, even palm etc mashing up with the conifers. lichens and mushrooms are ubiquitous. pleasing to the eyes.

then the rain starts falling and wets us. sooo cold that we rush back to the warung and eat, eat, and eat.

Later join the rest in the evening. we build the tents of orange, silver, black and dark blue. four in all. Also the campfire is fun with DJ Echi playing, sweet potatoes roasting, storytelling, star gazing, and dinner. (long since the last time i went camping in 1999 at Curug Nangka).

the next day i go to the river with Yudhi and Echi. ice cold water runs endlessly, waking all nerves! then discover the wonder of swinging in the hammock. imagine myself wearing white shirt and pants inside green hammock (me nagasari cake!)

later we go trekking. first to the Cikahuripan ('river of life') waterfall. what a name, yes? and to the river where we dip and have a freezing fun (not to mention tent washing!). awwwwwww ice cold!

as for me, love the company and the experience.