Monday, April 13, 2015

Journey of Finding Myself (Gede Mt.)

Di saat koneksi internet lagi oke kayak sekarang nih, enaknya posting sesuatu yang juga oke.
Aku punya "things to do list" sebelum meninggal. Ga tau kapan juga akan meninggal, kan? Yaah...setidaknya untuk hal-hal yang bisa dikira-kira dan direncanakan. Apa tuh yang ga bisa? Pikir sendiri aja ya, hahaha.

Salah satu hal yang sebenarnya ingin banget dilakukan sejak saya berusia lebih muda (uhuk!) adalah naik gunung. Naik gunung beneran maksudnya, bukan gunung pemancar yang ada di komplek rumah dulu. Itu mah jaman bocah juga udah sering banget. Ga butuh usaha yang keras juga sampai di puncaknya dan turun dengan selamat hanya dalam hitungan 2 jam kali ya, but anyway, it was wonderful also. 

Nah, sebagai alumni fakultas kehutanan yang waktu kuliah dulu kerjaannya keluar masuk beberapa jenis hutan mulai dari hutan pantai dan dataran rendah di Sancang, hutan dataran tinggi di Kamojang dan Taman Nasional Gunung Gede-Pangrango, rasa-rasanya aneh jika nggak pernah naik gunung beneran. Beneran disini maksudnya, naik gunung dengan sensasi tidur di tenda, masak pake kompor portable (halah! Kayak bisa masak aja, hehe), dan jalan berjam-jam bersama ransel gede di punggung. 

Awal tahun 2015 ini saya bersama tim 12 naik Gunung Ijen dan menyaksikan betapa indahnya kawah Ijen, nah di bulan Maret kemarin ada teman yang menawarkan naik Gunung Gede bersama komunitas One Day One Juz (ODOJ) Tangerang. Wah, mau dong pastinya! Ga pake mikir lagi, langsung mengiyakan aja, dengan pertimbangan kalau naik dengan komunitas pasti udah tau beresnya aja. Mengingat mengurus surat ijin mendaki (SIMAKSI) kesana itu kayaknya agak ribet. Well, sempet terancam batal dan pindah haluan karena satu dan lain hal, alhamdulillah akhirnya berangkat juga.

Kamis, 2 April 2015
Janjian di Masjid Al Azhom Tangerang dengan teman-teman ODOJ Tangerang. Janjian jam 17.00 tapi baru berangkat dari Cilegon jam 16.30 karena biasa deh kalo janjian suka ada aja yang telat. Skip! Saya berangkat berdua dari Cilegon.
Rute kendaraan umumnya, dari Cilegon naik bis jurusan Kalideres tarifnya Rp. 25.000, bilang sama asisten pengemudinya minta diturunin di TangCity. Tadinya saya kira TangCity ini wilayah semacam BSD, ternyata depan mall TangCity. Dari situ naik angkot 01, bilang aja ke Masjid Al Azhom, tarifnya Rp. 5.000. Ternyata jalannya lumayan juga. Okelah, hitung-hitung pemanasan. Padahal laper euy! Itu sekitar jam 20.00. Sampai di Al Azhom, kamilah peserta yang datang paling akhir. Jangan dicontoh ya, meskipun jauh tetep bukan alasan untuk datang telat. Ga profesional namanya! Setelah shalat Maghrib dijamak qashar dengan Isya, lalu berangkat deh! Naik tronton Polisi yang tempat duduknya memanjang di sisi tronton gitu, hahaha. Biasa aja sih, ini masih mending dibandingin pas kuliah dulu, naik tronton juga tapi bedanya tanpa tempat duduk. Jadi semua orang tumpah ruah di baknya. Kalau ngerem ya alamat, tumpah ke depan semua, haha! Setelah semua duduk manis di bak tronton, eh ga semua ding, para pria ada yang berdiri. Tronton melaju dan saya makan bekal nasi bungkus dari ibu (Ibu memang tidak ada duanya *jempol*). Lumayan lah, perut terisi, sekarang waktunya tidur. 

Jumat, 3 April 2015
Tak sadarkan diri entah berapa lama, begitu bangun udara sudah terasa lebih rendah daripada waktu saya belum tidur tadi. Ya iyalah, udah mau sampai Cibodas. Ya, kami mendaki dari Cibodas dan turun nanti via Gunung Putri. Waktu menunjukkan sekitar pukul satu dini hari. Turun truk, simpan ransel, cari toilet lalu ngobrol-ngobrol dengan teman-teman baru di pendakian kali ini. Kenalan, berbagi cerita gunung mana saja yang pernah didaki dan ternyata, we are all newbie! Jadi, saya cerita aja tentang pengalaman saya mendaki gunung-gunung bersama si mbah favorit, google, wakaka...

Sekitar jam dua, kami putuskan untuk mulai mendaki. Sebelumnya berdoa dulu, memohon pertolongan Allah dalam pendakian kami. Berdoa selesai, lalu foto!
siap nanjak!
Jalan sekitar 10 menit terus berhenti di pos ranger untuk mengurus SIMAKSI dan cek kelengkapan. Sabun, odol, shampo yang dibawa harus dikumpulkan karena tidak boleh dipakai selama pendakian. Dengan berat hati -karena baru beli, hihihi- teman-teman mengumpulkan perlengkapan mandi mereka. Saya sih ga bawa alat mandi sama sekali, karena sudah cari tahu info pendakian ini sebelumnya. Selain itu, saya juga ga yakin akan bisa mandi di gunung.
Oh ya, kami yang pakai sandal gunung juga harus membuat surat pernyataan bahwa jika terjadi apa-apa karena penggunaan sandal akan menanggung akibatnya sendiri. Bayar Rp. 15.000 untuk materai. Mahal yak! So, kalau memang ada dana, belilah sepatu!

Perjalanan selanjutnya, masih nanjak dengan jalanan berbatu. Ga sempat foto-foto, karena gelap juga sih bahkan saya sempat hampir salah jalan. Alhamdulillah ada teman yang ngasih tau.

Dalam pendakian ini, ada delapan orang perempuan, mbak-mbak ini dari hasil obrolan kami sih, mereka masih muda-muda. Early or middle twenty lah tapi stamina saya nggak memalukan dibanding mereka. Masih keliatan lah anak Fahutannya, hehe.

Pas nanjak, lihat pal hm, rasanya ingat waktu praktik Ekologi Hutan, masuk ke hutan itu lalu sibuk mengidentifikasi semai, tiang, pancang, pohon. Kangeeen!
*move on**sigh*

Terus berjalan, melewati jembatan yang sering difoto orang-orang di blognya. Sayang kami lewat sana waktu masih gelap, jadi ga nafsu foto-foto. Surprise juga buat saya, karena saya pikir jembatan itu pendek, ternyata lumayan panjang dengan suara derasnya air di kanan kiri dan bawah jembatan. Cukup mencekam sih karena gelap sekali, hanya mengandalkan cahaya headlamp. Setelah berjalan hampir satu jam, sampai di depan plang ini,

kami putuskan untuk berhenti sejenak menunggu waktu Shubuh. Lumayan sih nunggunya lebih dari 30 menit. Setelah shalat Shubuh berjamaah tiga giliran, perjalanan dilanjutkan. Medan yang selanjutnya sungguh lebih menantang, ehem!





Kata teman-teman yang sebelumnya sudah pernah kesini, jalan ini baru diperbaiki dari yang sebelumnya tanah. Menurut teman-teman saya lagi, sekarang jadi lebih nanjak, hahaha. Olah raga lutut kalo nanjak jadinya.

Setelah nanjak, terengah-engah, lalu kami disuguhi sumber air panas. Berasa kayak di sauna deh. Boleh foto disini tapi jangan lama-lama ya, bisa macet.
This is my favorite spot! Airnya panas beneran emang. Sempat kena kaki saya yang berkaos kaki juga dan hangat! Sedari mulai trekking kedinginan, ini kena air panas dan rasanya hangat, it felt good anyway!

Jalan lagi, then another surprise was there! Air terjun indah di depan mata, sumber air jernih yang bisa diminum. Langsung tampung!



Jalan lagi. Ngos-ngosan lagi, sampailah di Kandang Badak sekitar jam 10 pagi. Leyeh-leyeh, makan cemilan, ngobrol-ngobrol. Dari 31 orang dalam rombongan, kami berlima sampai di rombongan kedua setelah 4 orang yang sampai lebih dulu. Sekitar 30 menit istirahat, kami bersembilan memutuskan melanjutkan perjalanan karena kelihatannya akan hujan. Berbalut jas hujan masing-masing, kami melanjutkan perjalanan dengan target puncak Gede!

Benar saja, tidak lama berjalan, hujan rintik mengiringi, tak lama kemudian hujan deras! Jalanan menanjak dan dialiri air membuat kami hanya bisa terus berjalan tanpa bersuara. Ngeri juga sebenernya, kuatir ada air yang lebih deras. Empat teman kami yang sampai di tanah yang lebih datar membuat shelter darurat. Berteduh sebentar, setelah reda, kami pun melanjutkan perjalanan ke puncak. Jalanan sungguh menguras energi. Sungguh terjal. Alhamdulillah, sekitar jam 12.30, kami sampai di Puncak Gede. Here are the view! Amazing, GREAT!




Gagahnya Pangrango

Really, once again I felt nothing compare to His existence!

Sungguh, perjalanan ini bukan menaklukkan Gunung Gede dengan kegedeannya, tapi sejatinya menaklukkan ego dalam diri, kemalasan, rasa mudah menyerah, dan memahami bahwa Allah itu sungguh akan selalu bersama kita. Masya Allah!

Terbayar semua kelelahan, kedinginan, rasa lapar, haus, dan kesal karena banyak hal. Sungguh, pergilah ke gunung untuk menikmati udara segar dan menjadi diri sendiri.


Well, that's all! Kami berkemah di Surya Kencana dan turun lewat Gunung Putri. Perjalanan turun memakan waktu 4 jam. Ditemani hujan dan tanah becek. Jatuh berkali-kali pula, hahaha. Saya banget sih sebenernya kalau bagian jatuh sih.






Saturday, February 28, 2015

Mystical Alas Purwo

Last but not least. It would be our last day in the city of sunrise of Java, Banyuwangi. The feeling was can't be described. I was happy that everything ran well but in other side, I felt uncomfortable to recognize that it would be the end of the trip.

We spent the night in a home stay in Red Island Beach. As I told before, the beach and the island were wonderful. After eating our sego pecel then it's time for us to packed our stuff for the last time in the trip. It's all done before eight but we left after eight.

Alas Purwo is another National Park we would visit in this trip. It took about 3 hours to go there from Red Island Beach. On the way to Alas Purwo, we visited one of many dragon fruit farm. The lady who owned the farm was so nice. She didn't let us to pay. So, the dragon fruit was free. Huge thanks for her. Another lesson of sincere for me from the trip. Let Allah pay her back with much kindness.


Picking the dragon fruit
Us with the kind lady


Okay, we continue our journey to Alas Purwo. I didn't really conscious to pay attention to the road. I fell a sleep. Then I woke up and see this.


dried off forest 
 There were tiny drops of rain on our way to Alas Purwo and we still drop off the minibus and took some photos, hehe. Around twelve o'clock, we arrived in Alas Purwo, go to the rest room, wudhu, and pray. Then we go to the beach by special car. Through the primary forest of Alas Purwo and the amazing thing is, there were thousand of one-color butterflies with us as if they were taking us to the beach. What an unforgettable moment we had. Lucky us!



Alas Purwo is well known as its mystical. In the forest, there are places for Hindu people to pray or pura. I felt there's something different in it. Hard to describe, let me just share the breath taking view here.
Alas Purwo Beach

View from Raymond's camp

It's us in the wood
So, this is goodbye?
After this, we left Banyuwangi at night with deep feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Thank you fellas. See you all in the next trip :).



Saturday, February 7, 2015

Second Day In The Sunrise of Java

Eventhough we have to delay our bath time, the first day was excellent. The policemen stop us to uncertain reason, but excelent is excellent.

So, the second day was like, something we couldn't wait to do. As we had in itinerary Mas Aner sent us, we would go to Green Bay or Teluk Hijau on second day. Before, we have surfed the internet and found some wonderful views of it. Okay, now let's explore another part of Negeri Blambangan.

On the way to Green Bay, still in the city, we met Maulud Carnaval, which known as Kembang Endhog. Banyuwangi is one of cultural city in Indonesia so they consider almost every occasion as a special time and have to be celebrated. Also for this one. The carnaval itself is about remembering the birth of our prophet, Muhammad SAW. Actually, there's no guidance in Islam about this, but as long as it's good and the aim is to remind us about the perfect man ever and his good role model, so it's fine I think. The trip to Green Bay took more than two hours because there were traffic jam as the effect of the carnaval though.
Kembang endhog carnaval
Green Bay
We saw beautiful scenery on the way to Green Bay. So different with what I usually see daily. It was mountain, dragon fruit farm, sea, smooth road. It was so refreshing.

To meet The Green Bay, we had to walk for about an hour with slippery up and down track. On the side of the track, there is big rope as a safety equipment but then it became scary too because of a man held it - I didn't know how - and he was swung around to the edge of the track. *breath taking moment*

As a compliment after walking like years, we met Pantai Batu or Rocky Beach. It was a beach covered with rocks. Based on our guide's story, before the beach was just like other beach with sand but after the 1994 tsunami until now, it covers by rocks. People believe, the rocks came from under the sea. Astonishing, Masya Allah.


Pantai Batu

Don't try this at home :D
We knew that it's not the end of the journey, the Green Bay was still hiding behind the big coral about 400 meters from the beach. Okay, let's move! The track wasn't too hard anymore and finally, here we are in Green Bay! Two big coral, face to face with green water between them.  


Green Bay
The water was cool and fresh. Can't hardly wait to be wet. Not so long here, because we have another place to go to. We were heading to Red Island or Pulau Merah to enjoy sunset there. But before, we need to go back to the start point. We could go back on foot, like we did before or by small boat and we choose the boat. A decision we would never regret so we have both experience.


and these were our happy expressions :D
Red Island
Actually, the perfect name to it is Red Island Beach. It's called Red Island because of the icon of small island nearby the beach which will be seen red if the sunshine perfectly to the island. The beach is unique. It's like an open curve. With beach woods surround it. Unfortunately, at the time we were there, we found so many garbage. So sad to see it. People still need to be encouraged to love the nature.

I'm so amazed with the cheap ticket to the beach, compare to beaches in Anyer.


Red Island in cloudy day
Eventhough it's cloudy and the island didn't turn red, but it's still beautiful indeed.

Hey, beautiful scene here is still in Indonesia!


Monday, February 2, 2015

It Started

All my bags were packed.
It was the last day of 2014. I tried to sleep early so I could wake early. Oops, before, I texted the tour provider confirming the payment already done using internet banking. It's all done. Alhamdulillah. 

Full of worry because tomorrow I had to leave early in the morning. New year firecrackers didn't let me to sleep. I thought it just me that too excited of facing the trip but then "Trip Banyuwangi" rang many times. My new friends had the same excitement or worry. Hahaha, worry of being late for the trip. Our plane would be at 9.10 in the morning. It meant I, Bulek, and Bu Uroh had to went away at least at 5 a.m and must be ready before it.

Journey isn’t always about finding adventurous beautiful places to go to or unfamiliar faces we’ll see. Sometimes it’s all about finding me and my limitations in life. Unlike the previous trips, this one is different. I find who I am in this trip. Not all of me of course. I know some of me before and always. The trip starts in the beginning of the year, but actually the journey starts long before. It’s a simple manifestation of our (I and Mba Puji’s) yearn for walking through the woods and mountains.
Sure, journey usually is about simple thought we have in mind. So, beware. *wink*
So, this is our journey to know ourselves better. We choose Sunrise of Java, Banyuwangi. The reasons are it’s far enough to go to! Of course not! We will pick somewhere nearer if there is any. The true reasons are, Banyuwangi has three national parks which for us, it’s fantastic! Indonesia has fifty national parks and we’ve been to three of them, hehe. It’s quite excited for ex forestry students like us who don’t do any forestry jobs formally. She told me that people will find themselves in a journey with strangers.

So, the journey started...

Ijen Crater
It’s a sensational place to hike. It has blue fire, one from two in the world only. Here, in Ijen Crater and another in Iceland.
The journey to meet the crater isn’t easy. I have to admit that. I walked through the night in about 3 hours. In slow pace.
I met myself in the mist, in the aroma of sulphur, and surely do in the journey to the peak of the mountain also it’s so very amazing to pray there. The mountain itself only 2.386 meters height or about 3 kilometers to walk through, but for fake hiker like us it feels like forever. I found how small I am and how beautiful Allah created everything in the almighty. We didn’t see sunrise or the blue fire there, but it’s always relieving to realize that we can always get what we want as long as we try little harder, pray more often, and also save more money, haha.
Tosca green crater

In the end, it’s not only about, “Hey, I’m strong enough to be here!”
It’s all about, “Ya Allah, I’m nothing to what You have. Please forgive my arrogance.” *glassy eyes*

People were so tiny

Mount Raung far beyond

On the way to Baluran, we had lunch with local culinary, Pecel Pitik at Watu Dodol Beach. Free of charge.

Watu Dodol Beach

Baluran National Park
This is the first national park in this trip (and in my life) we’ll visit. The national park is an icon of Africa of Java. It’s because of the savanna. In the hot season, the savanna will be in perfect light brown, but that day, it’s nice. In a glance, I was thinking that I don’t need perfect savanna, nice is better. We saw some primates there, lonely tree in Bekol Savanna. The weather was fine, no rain but it's not hot either. The green browny grass still charming. They welcome us with impression that lasts forever.

One of the smart primates
Welcome to Baluran National Park!


Jump to the sky!
Hello, this is us in the charming Bekol!

The national park has a beach called, Bama Beach. It has mangrove forest. It’s nice and perfect. I felt like the time reversed by the time I saw mangrove spread along another beach beautifully long ago. The feeling still the same. Love them!

Hidden beach in Bama
Hey, it's in Indonesia! There are still so many beautiful places here.




Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Beware of What You Dream Of

It's always nice to plan a vacation for me. Wherever it is. I have a dream to travel as many as I can. As long as I am strong, healthy, and wealthy enough to do so. It doesn't mean that I have to be rich with a lot of money to travel to some places. The only rich thing I have is will. My head full of plans to beautiful places. Well, at these times, who doesn't? Just because of things we call, budget, time, and job then people can only imagine the travel.
My friend told me this, "If travelling was free, you wouldn't see me." lol

Sometimes, the consideration of going to places isn't only about the beauty. It also about the memory we want to reignite. Just like me and my friend, Mba Puji. We started over with simple conversation of how we miss the nuance of our college hood. We always miss walking in the wood, hearing the voices of birds, insects, or wind blows. I live in a small city that sometimes sleeps so it's a rare situation to face here. Well there are another insane ambition to visit some national parks. How come we are the alumni of forestry faculty but we've never go to any of those fifty tremendous national park? lol.

No clue at all at the first time. It's just a simple light chat between us. But then, okay, based on our tremendous (lol) survey we both do then we decided that we planned to go to Banyuwangi, East Java because there are three national parks nearby to each other.  We both are searching in the net to find the easiest and cheapest way to visit all three national parks. Meanwhile, we also persuade some of our friends to go with. Some friends are interested and agree to join but then one of them resigned. From 5 to 8 personnel then it only left 3 of us. Me, Mba Puji and Bulek. What a heart broken. But the dream must go real, I said to myself.  I already contacted some tour agents who most of them consider me as "Mas" :D. Based on the responses and itinerary they gave us then we decided to go with Kemunir. 

I believe that there are always beautiful blue sky after dark clouds and thunder. Bulek told me that her friend, Mba Anay would like to join us also. Nice beginning. Another day, Bulek texted me and said that her friend is interested to join, her name is Mba Ibeth but she needs to tell her husband first. What a lovely wife. Not so long after, we had the good news. Her husband let her go with us (yeay!). After that, her husband joined too and Mba Rini, Bang Zul, Mba Doly, Bu Uroh in a last minute. We also suggested Kemunir to make an open trip. They made it two members. It's done! Twelve persons in a row!

After that, our days become so nice, surrounded with happy conversation in a chat room "Trip Banyuwangi". We couldn't wait the time to come, 1 January 2015. We didn't care about new year like I usually did hehe.

Banyuwangi must have been wonderful. Our thoughts. Will we regret?