Semakin Basah, semakin...Basah

Hujan. Basah. Seminggu di Lombok, tiada hari tanpa hujan pas liburan dengan trio A: Agus, Ayu, Acionk. Tapi, semangat kita tidak luntur disapu hujan.

Pertama kali buatku liburan di pulau ini. Aku suka pesisirnya yang berteluk-teluk. Cekung-cekung itu memberi tempat untuk pantai-pantai yang indah. Kita naik motor dan menyusuri jalan-jalannya yang penuh tantangan—terutama buat Agus (dia bonceng aku, that explains...) Selain itu, kita sering mengalami “intervensi hewani” karena banyak ayam, anjing, sapi, kambing, dan kerbau turun ke jalan....

Oh ya, bolehlah aku memakai istilah “intervensi ilahi” untuk menyebut jeda terang di musim penghujan. Kita tetap bisa menikmati libur walau awan gelap menggantung di atas kepala.

Empat hari di pulau utama, kita pergi ke Tanjung Aan, Senggigi, Kuta, dan sebuah teluk yang permai betul. Hari itu, kita menuju Blongas. Jalannya, wah, menantang, menukik, menanjak, dan…rusak. Kita sangat terguncang—dalam makna sebenarnya.

Akhirnya, jalanan mulus juga. Di satu puncak bukit, kita terpesona melihat sebuah teluk yang indah. Pantainya pasir putih dan ada sand bank-nya dan petak-petak rumput laut. Kita bermain-main di situ. Seru betul.

Setelah bertahun baru di Kuta, kita ke Gili Trawangan. Pulau cukup luas dan punya bukit. Seru walau sangat modern. Banyak toko keperluan dan mesin ATM! Ketika masuk air, kulihat banyak ikan. Terumbu karangnya banyak, namun tidak sedikit pula yang rusak. Menariknya, di pulau ini, kapal dilarang buang jangkar dan orang mulai menanam koral sebagai usaha konservasi.

Teman-teman semua bilang, mereka melihat penyu di laut. Sementara aku? Tak seekor pun! Ke mana penyu-penyu? Akhirnya kusimpulkan, hanya kaum beriman yang bisa melihat penyu di sini….

Kita suka tempat-tempat nongkrong di pualau ini. Tidak sedikit yang kemahalan, tapi kita menemukan juga tempat-tempat yang sajikan menu enak sesuai harga.

Pagi terakhir di Gili, Agus ajak aku masuk ke air. Sebenarnya, aku malas, apalagi telapak kakiku baru saja disengat lebah! Kayaknya, sudah bertahun-tahun lalu sejak pertama kali disengat! Setelah mencungkil sengatnya, aku ambil peralatan dan masuk ke air. Gila, airnya dingin dan arus kencang betul!

Waktu timbul ide untuk naik ke pantai saja, tiba-tiba, Agus memanggil. Dia menunjuk ke bawah. Apa itu? Wow, penyu sisik! Besar pun! Penyu itu sedang mengayuh perlahan ke permukaan dari kedalaman 3 meter. Indah betul penyu dan gerakannya. Aku mempehatikannya sampai dia hilang dari pandangan…. Berbahagialah mereka yang melihat dan percaya!

Ah, akhirnya aku bisa melihat penyu…. Sekarang, bolehlah aku menganggap diri sebagai bagian dari golongan orang beriman!

Wide Eyed Adventure

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(photos by Diah R. Sulistiowati)

You come in the wrong time. That’s what people said to me, MbakDiah and MbakTeja. We came to Alor when the west monsoon came. The sky was grey all the time and the dark clouds kept sending heavy rain. The sea was welling up albeit remaining calm.

I could have drown in sadness and regret, but I just forgot to do so. Every thing I saw was quite new and I love the scenery. I indeed said to myself that it must be more beautiful to see them when it is not raining. But strangely enough, I just forgot to feel resentment.

All things bright and beautiful, even in bad weather.

I was surprised to find that even this old grey brain played a tune to the trip. I didn’t give command to open the file. It just played John Rutter’s song over and over: Look at the world, everything all around you. Look at the world and marvel every day…

Dive and Jive

 

 Photo by Dwi Ariyogagautama  

I am so overjoyed having ever dipped in Alor waters. It was a rainy day, with big waves and strong current yet my friends and I endured them all and enjoyed it. Welcome to west monsoon, said Yoga. Indeed. I only dived once but it is one of my best experience albeit brief. Definitely look forward to dive in Alor again.

A Curious Thing

Wanted to observe this creature closer but the drift carried me away....
Nusa Lembongan, Bali.

I Am Free (Diving)!

Ever since I saw Hola, Rian, Ricka, Phie, Sena, Romulo (?) “ducking”, I thought, I wanted to do that. Even more, how Chok retrieved my sunken snorkel in the pool was a surprising sight. I wanted to duck dive. It turned out to be not easy as it might look. Found it difficult, especially the equalizing part.

As often, the excitement was soon forgotten. But when buddies started free diving, I lazily said, I’ll give it a try.

Two months or six sessions in pool later, here I was: free diving at sea! I joined the ever famous Jason Hakim aka JJ, Azam, Andrian, Pak Bayu, and Agus to free dive at the waters of Pulau Air, Pulau Bandeng, and the pier of Pulau Pramuka. 

There at Pulau Air, I, unfortunately, had to bid farewell to my goggle. I accidentally dropped it into the black water. Sad. It had accompanied me for two years of diving, snorkeling, and free diving. Well well now I am not that sad. I am looking forward to wearing new goggle. I thanked Pak Bayu for bringing extra goggle, I could free dived last weekend! 

It is true that one may never freedive alone. I was exhausted at the water of P. Air. Buddies were ever helpful and supportive. they waved to call the boatman to pick us up.

Photo by the famous Agus Hong

I had a big time free diving eventhough equalization was difficult to do. It was fun to watch buddies descending to the black and whence ascending, like dolphins.

Sleep Is...Overrated!

Garut, Jan 2012

“Almost an Island” & Nobody’s an Island

This is not an island. Pseudo-island!, I said to Mamet, Hamok, n Ricka. As fas as eyes can see, Pulau Santolo is an unlikely island. it is like a large piece of land cut off from the mainland. It is about 5 meters away from the mainland. You can cross the river by swimming or 30 seconds boat trip! But who wouldve known that the island later revealed itself in its own way.

So after a long journey that produced a pain in the ass (for sitting for 8 hrs), we arrived at Pulau Santolo. Relieved, we hung the hammocks. The sea breeze lulled us to a deep daydreaming… I gazed to the roaring south sea, and thought, phew, a tsunami hit this area not long ago.

I put the terrifying thought to sleep and later off I went to the nearby hut-cum-resto and ordered coffee. I continued reading Nigel Barley’s shallow yet entertaining travel book, titled In the Footsteps of Stamford Raffles. I like it. I have read it through years ago and still find some chapters entertaining. Had Raffles been here to Garut anyway? Apparently no.

That afternoon after rain, we found a bale whose owners are very friendly. They din overprice the food. So we ordered 1 kg grilled ikan baronang, ½ kg grilled squid, ½ kg deep sea dwelling crabs aka rajungan, and ½ kg rice. A feast it was! I havent eaten any rajungan for decades! All tasted well and sooo delicious. A feast by the sea indeed.

At 22.00, nightmare began. The wind blew so strong it scattered anything. We woke up frightened. The wind literally screamed! We rushed ourselves to the nearby hut. The minute the hut owners shut their hut, I really began to panic. I felt I was left, exposed to the harsh wind. While we moved things, I saw friends looked so calm and I wondered how they did so. Have they been in this situation before?

Oh Lord, what if a tsunami happens?

The hut to which we moved ("salmon hut") was covered only on one side. The wind slapped the plastic spread like crazy. I tried hard to fix it. Hamok came to rescue and we were half wet. It rained, too!

I couldn’t sleep. I felt so tiny, dwarfed by the big storm…. I began to call on God’s names....I felt so exhausted that I fell asleep...

We woke up at 05.00. the sea was particularly calm. what a relief.

I thanked the island. How did i thank it? I said to it, how beautiful your rocks are! 

The island is a huge piece of solid rock. It has a natural "extension" of rock-beach about the size of 2 football fields. The wave will crash on to the rocky surface. That explained why we, despite the strong wind, stayed safe all the night.

Oh Baby!

poor baby sharks, sold at $3 each, Garut

to dive for (again)

 photo by Rosa Widiyarini

Shark sign! it's a yes before the second dive. early dec 2012

weekending with ocha, rian, ricka, cupliz, olive, irene, marcia, fira, harry.

I Smell Sumpin Fishy

Fish Market, Ujung Genteng, Sukabumi, mid Nov 2012
weekending with Vit, Roy, Dania, Adi, Fivi, Dea, Away, Hesty, Maya.

An Itchy Adventure (“Buy 1 Get 1” Trip)

We were so itchy to dive again. Our last dip was last November. That's why we quickly nod to make trip to Ujung Kulon, ironically for….snorkeling. people change. So do budgets!

For whatever reason I till today don’t (want to) know, we almost cancelled this trip. But it’s said, when you say a wish, the universe will speak back to you. We said our wish and it replied. It speaks in language we dont understand, anyway.

We packed things into Sena’s car. Sena, empty navigator’s seat. Rian, moi. Ocha, Ricka. We pick Audy who was still hanging out with her friends, watching Mark Ronson DJ-ing. And then off we went. It was almost 23.30.

Sena drove like pro in the dark of the night. Opa Rian was our occasional navigator (as he often fell asleep). The rest of us slept like babies. We reached Sumur at 06.00.

Sena drove like pro in the daylight, on the bumpy road (most of the road was as ugly as in April 2009, when I went there). Three ungodly hours later, finally, we made it to Andre’s place.

It is situated in a bay. a long long white beach, trimmed with coconut trees. When the first time I passed the area was in April 2009, I thought, it’d be lovely to spend some time here. And now here we were, at the very bay. By the sea. at the foot of a green hill.

We ate fried bananas and dough-with-vegetables (bakwan sayur, sans the bak of course) and drank tea too sweet. It was a good breakfast and little did we know that the real breakfast was served in the kitchen table. Anyway there's always room for the real meal. So we ate a load before going to the beach.

Soon as we reached the snorkeling spot near Pulau (?), we plunged. Only Andre and Rian plunged deeper. They dove. Andre acted as buddy divemaster. Rian was “the traitor” for only he, this time, had more money for diving!

It took less than half a minute to know we—snorkelers—were unwelcomed. We were stung by unknown creatures. All over our bare skin! What is it? Hey, did you get stung?

Visible to eyes were millions of mini jellyfish-like creatures. It is slightly bigger the size of a mung bean, transparent and has butterfly-like wings. We at first tried to ignore the attack as the underwater reefs are beautiful and in good shape. The fishes are big and beautiful and seemingly edible. But we were stung mercilessly. Only Ricka was safe because she wore wetsuit. Oh itchy itchy itchy!

I could have ignored them if they din sting my lips! At last we gave up, waving crazily to the boatmen to pick us up.

Minutes later the divers surfaced. We then ate lunch and some delicacies. The latter were soft, apricot and poppy seeds infused cheese from Australia with biscuit imported from Norway. A good tasty yummy combination. The baked good was labeled Buy 1 Get 1!  Did I happen to mention that there was no expiry date on the biscuit’s packaging? Perhaps it was expired. But, being 10 miles away from the mainland, who cares?

Across, we saw a boat doing a mysterious thing. Its men jumped into the sea, wearing masks and handing hoses in hands. Some others operated an ugly looking machine. They're poisoning reefs to harvest fish, said Andre. We approached the boat and Andre spoke to them softly and they left.

While divers were having their second dip, we dipped to the second spot, hoping it is a sting free spot. it was. Some corals have been broken, supposedly from bombings. Some colonies showed signs of bleaching. It is a sad sight but fortunately, some shows recovery. I spotted a big trevally, swimming alone. I guess it is taking a leave of swimming in school. I chased it until it disappeared in to the dark blue water.

We surfaced, crawling to the white beach of Pulau (?), a tiny island that shows major signs of abrasion. There were only plastic rubbish, a leguminous tree, many trailing plants and some mangrove. Then we swam back to the boat.

We returned to the mainland and ran for shelter because the sun was mercilessly hot. We ate much and being, exhausted, fell asleep quickly only to wake up and eat dinner. Yay! life's good at the beach.

We later had some talk and tea on the front porch, asking silly questions like, what do young people here do on Saturday night? What do they regard as entertainment? How they date? How can they, far from anywhere, manage to live happily? Young people here take 3 hrs motor ride to Sumur to watch (mostly) dangdut concerts and to buy DVDs.

It was a nice weather and we went walking on the beach, asking whether turtles still lay eggs here on the beach. they replied no. after some nice sitting on the sand, we went back because it rained. We then slept well.

In the morning we woke up and took a walk to the beach again, only further. I regretted we din wake up earlier to hike up the hill to see a waterfall. On the beach, we saw these two big trees, standing sturdy and thriving in the water. Those must have been a kind of false mangroves. We then rushed back because we had to--eat breakfast and pack things.

We ate fragrant rice, fried noodle, braised eggs, fried sambal, and kerupuk. We then packed and bid farewell to Andre, the boatmen, and the hosts.

We went to the nearest neighboring village that surprisingly has a very smooth road. We went to a local crafts workshop, managed by WWF, and bought these rhino figurines.

A holiday too short, we sighed. But it was fun. And now we’re already itchy to go back again.

Come what May (June and July and so on)

This is to summarize that May is full of happiness. First, I let myself free of Jl-Antasari-n-Fatmawati traffic jam and then this is the month in which I made trip the most to Kepulauan Seribu.

First I went to Pulau Bidadari (and Pulau Kelor), Pulau Macan (and Macan Gundul and Pulau Kayu Angin Bira), and then Pulau Pramuka (and Pulau Semak Daun and Pulau Bandeng).

That’s what I call island life. I love it. And if gratitude is in the details, here it is:


Pulau Pramuka
The first time I went here was May 2007. It was when only a handful of 120 high school students graduated from Ujian Nasional. One can imagine how grim the air was. It was also dull. It rained the whole weekend.

Now I went back. The sun was smiling and the air was cheerful. This time with The Nature Detectives and Cupliz who co-organized the trip. The Nature Detectives are a group of high school students who has their eyes on environmental issues. They are clever, chatty, and eager to learn. It was wonderful trip: observing the mangroves, the turtles, the sea grass, and the corals. Not to mention the bandengs, the neners, the sharks, and the barramundi. I was so thrilled to spot the latter. They’re big, muscled and look very edible! Also when snorkeling, I spotted a large school of cuttlefish. Very cute creatures. Speaking of the cephalopods, I tried Cupliz’s squid-like fins, and I thought my feet smiled broadly. My legs rejoiced (I must sell my pair of ugly fins immediately!) and I am happy I made acquaintances too!

My Nabire Diary: Day 5

06.00. Pagi ini asrama sepi. anak-anak banyak yg masih tidur. Hari ini libur. Libur apa, aku tanya. "Ini hari Injil Masuk tanah Papua, kaka." kata salah satu yg sudah bangun

Lucunya, pagi itu pas baca The Malay Archipelago sambil minum kopi, aku baca Wallace menulis tentang pelayarannya ke Papua. Dia mendarat dan diundang makan oleh Otto dan Geissler, dua misionaris yg datang ke Papua tahun 1855. wow, it's a coincidence!

Seperti Wallace, hari itu, aku pun berlayar... kali ini island hopping!

Nunggu kapal isi bensin lama bgt... 1 jam lebih! Untuk isi waktu, aku lihat-lihat sekeliling. Ada liveaboard nganggur di pantai. "Punya pemda," kata pemilik kapal. (Suatu hari, aku bakal keliling Papua naik liveaboard!) Teman-teman ada yg lagi asyik kumpulin benda-benda menarik di pantai. wow, ini pemandangan Stones and Sea: In the beginning, i was counting the stones on a seashore, looking for the precious things...

Saul the boxer nunjukin sesuatu yang bikin aku takjub. Dia pecahkan buah ketapang dan di dalamnya ada semacam kacang, seperti pistachio. "Coba makan," katanya. Hmmm...enak! kok bisa ya?

Aku pun coba mecahkan sendiri ketapang dan makan lagi bijinya. aaah enak! serasa pistachio goreng tanpa minyak!

Belum mecah ketapang ketiga, kapal datang. semua naik. aye aye captain!

Perjalanan 1,5 jam. Pulau Ahe di depan mata, tapi kapal belok ke pulau lain. pemandangannya indah. lagi-lagi kulihat pepohonan kelapa menjulang di antara pohon-pohon lainnya. gak kulihat tanda-tanda ada bakau, tapi tak apa.

gugusan kepulauan ini bagus banget. ada beberapa pulau kecil yang tampaknya spt limestone, ditumbuhi semak-semak dan pohon kelapa. apa mungkin ini mirip Raja Ampat? pantai-pantainya pasir putih, kontras dengan pantai di mainland yg warna hitam. 


Kapal menuju pulau yang berpenduduk. Siang itu panas banget, leherku sudah tersengat. terlihat di pantai, penduduknya lagi duduk-duduk di dipan raksasa di pinggir pantai, ngobrol dan tertawa bahagia. laki-laki, perempuan, anak-anak, 20 orang lebih. atap-atap rumahnya seng. Menara gereja terlihat paling menjulang di antara bangunan lainnya.

"Ya, mereka sudah lama tinggal di sini. air tanahnya bagus sekali di sini," sahut Pak Ernest menjelaskan alasan mereka tinggal di pulau, bukan di mainland. "Di samping karena ikan banyak ..."

kapten turun dan bilang, akan ke ketua adat, minta izin masuk Ahe....15 menit kemudian dia balik, bawa kabar: ada bule sewa Ahe. ah well, aku sedikit kecewa.

kapal ke arah utara. "kita ke Pulau Paput saja," kata kak Yoke. Sekitar 20 menit kemudian, di depanku pulau yg berhutan lebat, dipuncaki pepohonan kelapa, tampak tak berpenduduk. pasirnya putih. kapal merapat. di bawah padang lamun, jernih, tapi lantai lautnya tiba-tiba menukik tajam ke kegelapan. berarti jangan jauh-jauh renangnya, Sem, kataku.

pasirnya empuk! jadi tiap melangkah, kakiku terbenam sampai semata kaki...

Semua langsung makan, mengingat ini jam 14.40. Nasi hangat, tumis kacang panjang, dabu-dabu dan ikan goreng. makanan terlezat di pulau itu! ;) emang enak bgt!!!!

Abis makan, istirahat 10 menit, langsung nyemplung. waaaaaa bagus bangett! langsung nemu bintang laut biru. gak lama, angelfish yang gede-gede, teripang, dan....ular laut!!

nemu tiga bintang laut lainnya yang blm pernah kulihat seumur hidup. Seperti gunung, dengan duri-duri tajam di atasnya. yang terakhir malah punya ratusan alat hisap yang menempel kuat di telapak tangan...indah banget!

Ah, maunya sa bawa pulang semua! kataku, berandai-andai.

"Jangan kaka! nanti ko undang hujan besar dan petir!" kata seorang anak kecil.

oh ya? kenapa?

Dia jelaskan kepercayaan orang lokal: kalau ambil biota, laut akan marah, mengirim hujan besar dan petir.

wow.... aku pun menyebutnya kearifan lokal...

15.30, kami pulang...singkat memang, tapi aku senang. lain kali, aku kembali!

Again, To Dive For

(photo by Adrian Nugraha, Ricka Ristianti)

Phie suggested newbies to refresh diving each 6 months. With the exception of Rian and Ocha, none of us had dived since last April. we could not wait to plung. So here we were again. Too bad, Anien, Cupliz, Chokin, and Maria couldn't join the wet fun. 

Island hopping: Belanda, Magaran, Harapan, Kaliage, Kotok.

after the last dip, i climbed to the boat and lied exhausted. thought, ii'm going to die. but when i gazed skyward, saw a sea hawk soaring gracefully above Kotok. beautiful. thought, yesterday when i woke up , in my head was playing that song "my soul soars like an eagle up in the sky"

No more instant noodle during dive trip

I've a hate and love relationship with instant noodle. It is one of tastiest foods. it takes less fuel to prepare it, compared to preparing rice. everybody knows hungry travelers love instant food. yet one day i realized how uncool it is.

The night before, Rian and I were in the state of can't-sleep-without-stuffing-stomach-first. Ocha, Ricka, and Sena had gone to sleep. so we decided to unpack Trangia and cook two pcs of instant noodles. we crushed some chillis to add sting to the boiling noodles. we ate and then had a good night sleep on the island."Heavenly!" I said. "Hellish!" said Rian. "Sem, it's really hellish!" added he. he was referring to the hot broth.

came morning and we rushed to pack everything. we won't be returning to this island, so better hiurry, said Ricka. again Rian and I prepared instant noodle.

in the first dive, i coughed and i could smell the instant seasoning-flavored oxygen. it was hellish. i surfaced, feeling weak. Rian did too. on the second dive, i was completely weak and all i breathed tasted like neoprene.

thus i learned: avoid it during dive trips.

La Mer! Quelle Belle! (pt 2)

After some delay, we changed boat. it rained hard. we forgave the boat for having no plastic roof. it could speed! okay, we were already wet anyway.

landed we on that island with beautiful front whose shape is the its namesake. it belongs to somebody rich of course. we asked for permission and set up tents. Mamet and Echi fried the smaller fish and the rest of us were hungry cats. Now i knew the secret ingredient missing: salt. Tetty poured a pinch and the rest was history (all fish devoured).... Think i've come to know the meaning of "you are the salt of the earth". lol

after that Tetty and Umi decided to swim. some wind blew tetty's safety vest to the sea and she urged me to retrieve it! the sea was being unfriendly and the vest was drifting further. i jumped and grab it. sadly, i couldn't climb up the pier, so i had to swim to the shore, like 30 m from the spot. iws shocked to find everyone was posing and taking pics, ignorant to my suffering! damn! :) there was nothing relieving than airing my anger while joining the posing. it was a lol moment for us.

then we stare westward. the sky was bright with a golden ball. i couldn't say it was not beautiful. it was a mere sunset. i din find it romantic or whatsoever. i found it interesting only when friends began to mount their cams on tripod and meditated on the monitors. the sky changed colors like a lizard would: gold, yellow, pink, orange, dark red, blue. we watched it until it turned completely dark blue. thought, now that's beautiful.

the wind blew stronger and the wooden pier creaking. i chenged clothes and lied on the pier. Hamok and Tetty and i were talking of such and such, gazing at the starry sky.  then joined Bolang. and we talked of Mars, comets, stars--bright objects Ayu Utami termed "God's lamps". then joined Eep. how the topic changed i can't recall. reckon Hamok first brout it up: crossdressers or lady-boys. he talked of Madame X. another lol moment.

meanwhile friends were preparing dinner. my duty was collecting firewood to keep the flame. the smell was so inviting. who could resist grilled fish with soy and chilli sauce. yummy. and the boys played farah quinn. this is it.

i washed the dishes on the beach and was awed by the plankton. they twinkled in the saline water and on the sand. beautiful!

after the happy dinner, everyone busied themselves. Tetty asked for company to the pier. she wanted to shoot the stars. so Akbar and I went along, bringing sleeping bags to the pier. the wind blew strong and the chill pierced the bones, so we rolled into the bag. up there was only one bright star. Akbar left for some jacket. we talked about things including Wallace and stereotypes. a really hard talk. a bit unnecessary. lol. i guess i was carrying the weight of the world to this short holiday. lol

couldnt stand the wind. i farted time and again. so we returned to the campground, heating ourselves with hot tea and laying near campfire. heavenly! rain came, we went into the tents. sleep time.

Morning broke. Umi cooked water and i made coffee. it never fails to "push" some sensation. i relieved myself  on some secluded beach. i must say i love this experience :)

then Umi, Bolang and I plunged to the sea. the owner made many wave breakers that this particular beach was calm, while outside the borders the wave blew strong. under it was not impressive but i love the sight of millions of silvery roast. they're so tiny! then everyone joined the wet fun except for Mamet who slept again. it was a very pleasant dip.

we breakfasted on instant noodles and sandwich (bread + fake cheese + condensed chocolate milk). tasty!

we packed things and left. we bid farewell to the old guards. they were very old and nice, albeit demanding.

with that fast speeding boat we sailed to Pulau Kayu Angin Bira. suddenly i got too emotional. last november 2009, we camped there. from our tents, we had to walk 5 m long to the beach. now the spot was gone. Abrasion is swallowing. A sad scene. Last year we could easily find clams on the beach. now no longer

Kayu Angin Bira is a conservation island but unlike Semak Daun, it is not properly maintained. there's no sign of any attempt to plant mangrove seedlings.

after one hr, we left for P. Harapan. sailed to the mainland.

while we were eating, thought of this: always hard lessons i get while holidaying, especially when i heard someone, why can't you see the sign? it was talk about salt. again. lesson learnt.

all in all it was a pretty nice holiday.

La Mer! Quelle Belle!

did look forward to it although i knew that quick packing would result to  disappointments. At least i leave for the sea, thought. rushed to D'Best where Budi waited. and there was Akbar. off we went to Muara Angke.

The air smelt familiar but had no complain. it was a relief to be here. only there was one sad scene. the ambulance behind my cab was delivering someone to his/her final place. they brought that someone into the boat and off it went possibly to Tidung.

then came Bolang, Eep, Tetty, Umi, Hamok, and Echi. as always, Mamet was struggling with her time management. the air turned a bit cheerful. and we climbed up to the roof. all of a sudden, some men in uniform came and acted uncool. we were forced to climb down. i had no probs with it since it means the boat became rather full. not overpacked. funny that after some minutes, the boat headed back to the smelly port. Mamet somehow was a lucky devil. she jumped three boats to join us.

i slept most of the time. when we arrived something weird happened. "Mister, mister, good morning!" screamed some schoolgirls. I looked around, there wasn't any bule. my, they were calling...moi! i bet it was my hat, hiding my black hair? or was it our distance of a well of 20 m? i din want to make my small audience upset. so i spoke some english and they became more excited. alas, it lasted brief. as i approached they sensed something. i could see it in their eyes :) "not bule!"

Meanwhile we stuffed our stomach with loads of rice and sweet drinks. Umi tried to contact our boatmen. the contact denied our pleasure. he canceled the boat. how rude! so we waited for an hour for the next boat. and to cheer her up, i told my two stories: about a cranky-man-in-taxi-who-forgot-his-wallet-and-forced-to-owe-some-money-to-strangers and a man-who-thought-he-was-oh-so-fashionable-that-he-wore-swimming-trunk-and-did-mall-hopping.

"Take us somewhere nice where there are nice corals," inquired we. so the boatmen took us to the middle of the sea where the corals are dull and the current was strong. "OK, better take us somewhere to buy fish!" said Umi. So we ended up on a floating house. the "keramba" was neat and clean. about the size of a unit in an apartment. it perches on a solid formation of corals with white sands as its floor. it was probably the most comfortable keramba i've ever seen.

the fishes here were expensive so we chose not to buy any but to ...swim with them instead! oh yes! the owner collects some cool looking fish like parrotfish, clonfish, "ikan roa", and a barracuda! everyone jumped into it and made some mess, the white sands flew here and there. it was fun!

After that the shopping continued....there was two boats unloading their catch and we were fortunate enough to buy 7 kg fish. 5 "ikan salem" and 2 "ikan selar". Umi, Bolang, n Mamet fried some on the boat. and i could say it was the tastiest fish i've ever tasted: juicy, fresh, savoury and in a way, sweet....

My Peruvians!

i don't really look forward to go to Taman Safari, Puncak. kinda boring. sure it's fun to take a close look at the animals but i've long realized i aint really excited to see grass munching mammals such as deers, oxen, primates, goats, and the likes. I prefer birds, fish, and reptiles. 

Think been there twice before. first with Cika, Roy, and Vit. The second was with Anast, Cika, Hendra...night safari when the animals' eyes are like Swarovski crystals, twinkling, reflecting light in the dark. we did plan to go there again with oh-yes-let's-buy-these-cheap tickets. the papers' expiry date was yesterday. so off we went . now with boy Nathan and his Grandma and nanny. was hard to wakte up early, but my decision to do so and have a cold shower was paid off. 

I was not excited at all at first. but then, i thought, it's better than staying in my room. so was it. Cika & I kidded, we should see them through different point of view: 
"Look at that llama. it's white! think the fur will make good and warm coat."


"See the zebra? love the pattern. We can ink jet it to an attache." 


"Giraffe! it can make a nice overcoat." 


"See the phyton? lovely! the skin makes good laptop bag!" 


"Blue monitors? ah yes, they're really blue. wonder how long they're gonna grow to reach the adult size. you know, i need some exotic skin for my camera case." 


"Big cats! So cute! Think of a real animal print! Boots, bag, cap, and skirt!" 


"Cenderawasih? Ah, bird of paradise! my hat will look cool with its plumage, yes?" 


"Even now y can make a pair of sneakers using fish skin, I tell you!" 


"Don't we love animals?" yes yes yes. lol 

was superexcited to see the penguins. they were the main reason I went there. they're lovely and clumsy, and funny! Humboldt* they are: 1 foot tall, with highly streamlined body, lively in black and white antiwet feathers. they swam here and there, diving up and down, and walking around in tuxedoes! even saw a pair mating...in the water! wondered how they managed to ....ah well, to mate! 

I counted one two, three...twelve.... "Twenty two we've got here," said the guard. oh really? they successfully breed the Peruvian birds. perhaps to be exact: Japanese-born Peruvians, now naturalized (to be exact in 2006), holding Indonesian citizenship! I aint kidding. see the wings/flipper. they are tagged with some wire as an ID. I wonder what they should be called: a third generation penguins? 

From 10, they multiplied to 22! Heaven bless them! I only heard two eggs hatched! hey, there are 10 more. "And some will hatch soon," said the guard, adding the eggs take 30 days to hatch. 

Anast paid Rp 100,000 to buy some fish so that nephew Nathan could get near to feed them. "Sem, please tape us!" she said, handling her cam. oh, lucky moi! At your service! 


I couldn't hide my excitement.  I felt like a groupie granted wish to meet the stars.

The guard ushered us to the "backtstage". Inside the cage was cold. "We kept the temp at 15 degrees," said the guard who was wearing green coat over his green uniform. one penguin rushed to him, seeing him bringing a tray with 10 fish in it. it's cute! he knew my presence but ignored me. well, some stars have privilege to do that and still get overwhelming adoration! i forgive you!

When we entered the "main stage", other penguins rose and chased the guard. Meal time! oh they look very amazing! i watched them closely and they show no interest in me and thankfully, they were quite friendly as not to use their powerful black beaks to examine people (think of noisy ganders and some cockatoos!). I videoed Anast and Nathan feeding them. Their beaks clasped now and then, like black scissors any tailor has. funny to see they can't jump. they elongated their necks to snap the fish so quick. 

they left for the water as soon as they learnt there was no fish left. Only one left to examine my camera. or was it posing? the only thing i could be sure of was that people by the pool applaud our brief onstage collaboration. 

Peruvians, you made my day! 




* Humboldt penguins are listed as threatened species.

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)! :)

"Menyelami Bali, Menghargai Bumi"

"Menyelami Bali, Menghargai Bumi" by SemSPurba.

I love the title. It wasn't the title I submitted to the editors. it appeared on Sunday 16 June 2010 issue of daily Media Indonesia. Now the article is online at Media Travelista or http://www.mediaindonesia.com/mediatravelista/index.php/read/2010/6/13/875/2/media_travelista_headline

want to deflate and dive deeper! :)