Gunung Ciremai - the first real train mission

An interesting phenomenon about living in Asia, where people jump on planes like Canadians jump into pick-ups, is that you get jet burn-out. For sure, flying around the planet is kind of fun, especially at first. But, like almost everything, after the umpteenth time, it gets old, tedious, and just plain stressful.

It’s not the actual “flying” per se obviously. It’s everything that goes along with flying: getting to the airport, the stress of not missing your flight, packing properly so you get through check-in and security, deciding what goes in the carry-on versus checked, are we going with checked bags?, carry-on only?, where’s my passport?, oh no…do we need a visa for this country?, where are we staying, is there a stopover, how long?…..endless logistics. I long for the days of just throwing things in a duffle, which is then tossed in the back of a truck, and off we go…we’ll get there when we get there. That’s just a blurr now. In Indo, you don’t really drive anywhere, especially if you don’t own a vehicle (which we don’t).

So, when yet another long weekend reared its head recently, Amy and I decided to seek out a non-flying mission – indeed a challenge in this jet-setting place. Is it even possible? Hmmm, let’s see: no planes, and really, no cars. That leaves trains! And so it was, our first proper Indo train mission.

Truth be told, Indo has a very good train system – known as “Kereta Api Indonesia”. Kereta api means “train”, but literally means “car/wagon of fire”. Yikes! J Infinitely faster than driving, and with a good network of rails, good schedules, cheap prices, and very civilized seating arrangements, the train is an amazingly good option….provided you actually want to stay in Indonesia, which, may not be what you want J

OK, so what exactly was the mission? We set our sights on climbing a volcano about 3 hours, by train, from Jakarta known as Gunung Ciremai – the biggest gunung in West Java at 3078 m. By all accounts, a pretty stinking big hill! Our goal was a one-day, up-down mission, meaning starting the climb in the early pre-dawn hours, making it to the top by midday, then back down to the bottom before dark. To do that, we needed a travel day on either side, plus somewhere to stay. Not by coincidence, a perfect long-weekend schedule J

The main city closest to the bottom of the gunung, is a city called Cirebon. Ok, phase one: train from Jakarta to Cirebon, 3 hrs, executive class (of course), 30 bucks one-way, check. Amy’s internet sleuthing skills found us yet again a fabulous resort-style hotel outside Cirebon, on the way to the gunung, for the 2 nights. Accom, check. OK, nothing left but executing the plan….which in Indo, could go anywhere, including completely sideways.

Day 1: It could have something to do with us actually starting to figure out what makes Indo tick, but things pretty much went off without a hitch. A GRAB ride (Indo’s version of UBER) to the Jakarta train station, followed by a very civilized air-con 3-hour train ride brought us to the Cirebon station, where upon, to our delight and amazement, our driver arranged by the hotel was there to greet us, complete with a “Mrs Amy Robillard” sign. By early afternoon we were poolside, enjoying a cold Bintang. Gotta love that. Score one for the home team!

Day 2: crux day. Up at 3:30 am, and into the awaiting car with driver we had arranged the night before. Just before stepping out of our room, a guy with 2 breakfasts-to-go shows up. What the? OK, another round of full points for the home team! Off to a good start.

It was a couple hours through the kampongs (Indo rural villages) to get to the bottom of the gunung. We weren’t entirely sure what the drill was to get to the trailhead. We had our driver ask a few people, et voila, the car stopped, and the driver blurts out: “this is where you get ojek” . An ojek is an Indonesian motorcycle taxi – basically a guy with a motorbike who will take you somewhere for a bit of cash. And that they did! 3 bucks each to the trailhead. OK, giddy up!

The trailhead, AKA Beskamp (you guessed it: basecamp), was a gong show of every teenager within West Java seemingly having picked this long weekend to climb Ciremai. All part of the fun! Took us the better part of an hour to figure out that we needed to register at one place, pay our 5 bucks entrance fee at another, get a somewhat hilarious “safety briefing” by a guy all of about 17 years old at another place, then finally, yet another place to actually give a guy our ticket and walk onto the trail. Ahhh Indo….where else can you get this kind of service! J

So the trail and gunung itself is quite beautiful. At over 3000 m, the top is alpine (rock) with great views of West Java, and an impressively circular crater. Top of the world, as the saying goes. It also definitely reminded us that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, at 3000 m, things are chilly! Funny being in a place where it’s 32+ degrees, 100% humidity, and oh ya, we forgot the down jackets! Amy was freezing J

Beautiful, yes. But: on this particular day, sharing a trail with literally thousands of chain-smoking, noodle-eating teenagers was, well, less than enjoyable. The worst part was the dust. It’s peak dry season in Indo, and hasn’t rained in months…imagine stomping along a sidewalk that is ankle deep in icing sugar (brown icing sugar). Now imagine thousands of people doing it all around you in every direction . It was insane. It was literally a challenge to breath, and even see. Less than enjoyable. Hot tip: do not climb Gunung Ciremai on a long weekend!

Ah well, we survived: made it back to beskamp, threw our water bottles on the pile (it is truly a disgrace how many plastic water bottles are discarded every day in Indonesia), and jumped into the back of a truck heading back down to the kampongs. Oh, first we had to receive our summit certificate, and complimentary plate of nasi goring (fried rice) – must have been what the 5 bucks entrance fee was about.

Day 3 was really what Amy came for. Coffee and a nice slow breakfast, followed by a morning by the pool. The train ride back, including our complimentary drive back to the train station, was equally seamless as our ride in, and got us home to Bogor just in time for G&Ts on the front patio.

All in all, two thumbs up on our first Indo train mission!

Back to Lombok - Selong Belanak

As promised, Amy gets some beach time. Arriving out of the jungles of Papua (see last post), we spent a well-deserved organization day in Wamena (ground-zero base for hiking in the Baliem Valley) to dry out our gear, drink coffee, and relax – although, because liquor is banned in Papua, what we really could have used was a cold beer (no such luck). Anyway, as they say, no rest for the wicked. Next day, off to the beaches of southern Lombok!

The loyal followers among you will recall that we have visited Lombok in the past, specifically to climb Gunung Rinjani (Indo’s most famous volcano) followed by a trip to the “Gilis”, Lombok’s famous beach getaway islands. This time though, we had our sights set on the less-known beaches of southern Lombok, mostly just because we haven’t been there yet. Ah, so much to see, so little time J

Lombok is Bali’s little nephew. An up-and-comer shall we say. Sitting side by side in the string of islands that make up Indonesia, they are just a 1-hr fast-boat ride apart (Lombok is the next one over from Bali). But, Bali still, and probably always will, reigns supreme by a bazillion miles in the tourist race. If you are scratching your head wondering what a Lombok is, that’s the point. Conversely, you have probably heard of Bali J But hey, you never know, one day Lombok just might be all growed up, and swarming with tourists….but that’s a long way off. For now, it’s our little secret. Don’t tell anyone. J

So ya, Lombok. Could be our new focus. Amazing beaches (better than anything we experienced in Bali), about 1/100^th of the people, and only 10 minutes more in the air from Jakarta. What’s not to like? Well, there are a few glitches. First, it’s Muslim (Bali is not), which makes drinking, especially wine, challenging. Ya ya ya, I know, you don’t need alcohol to have a good time…blah blah blah…who said that anyway? Obviously not true. Splitting a good bottle of red wine on a beach at sunset is one of this world’s great pleasures (at least ours). So that is a factor. Then there’s the mosque issue, i.e., the 4:30 am wake up call. Also, fewer tourists means less competition, meaning higher prices and less infrastructure. In general, just less going on. In a word, way more chill.

OK, let’s lay this out in real terms. If you’re looking for a yoga retreat, hot-rock massages, and caramel lattes amongst the rice paddies, or alternatively partying like a rock star on the beach till the sun comes up, that’s Bali. If you can live with nasi goreng (fried rice, AKA “nasty” goreng), chilling on a beach, and drinking Bintang (Indo’s national somewhat nasty beer) in a bamboo warung (food stall), then Lombok is for you! The single biggest overriding plus: way way way less people, and probably better beaches. We’re definitely in for more Lombok I think (we’ll just bring our own wine – domestic flight = no customs – done!).

Our target was a place called “Selong Belanak”, a beach on the south coast of Lombok recommended to us by a friend (thanks Lindsay!), and could be one of the nicest beaches we have seen yet. Indo is full of beautiful beaches, but finding one that is not vying for the Guinness world record “most humans (and garbage) on a single beach” award, is the problem. The challenge is finding that sweet spot where this is just enough stuff going on that you can buy lunch, read a book, maybe grab a beer, and rent a surf board (although, I don’t seem to be getting any better J), without feeling like you are at the mall on a Saturday afternoon. Selong Belanak delivers just that (but don’t tell anyone).

Yep. The world of concrete, beach clubs, 2-for-1 cocktails, and infinity pools has not yet discovered Selong Belanak. In fact, once past the 5 or 6 bamboo warungs/surf board rental places, the beach is basically untouched as far as you can see. And, it’s a quick 30-mins taxi ride from the airport. OK, wait a minute, why am I telling you this?! (don’t tell anyone!) J

Ironically however, due to the lack of development, accom is a bit of an issue (recall the “less going on” discussion previously). Nothing beachside. All feasible accom choices are in the back forty, meaning a 10-mins walk to the beach. We weren’t sure about that, but you know, given the choice of an over-developed beach layered in 5-star hotels (i.e., Bali), we’re OK with the walk!

Our accom, Tiki Lodge, found yet again by Amy’s internet prowess, turned out to be fantastico (a little Spanish still invades my thought patterns now and then). Tucked away amongst the fields of rural Lombok, the place is a small oasis of comfort, outdoor garden showers, relaxing breakfasts, poolside drinks, and amazing food. In fact, after trying out the various local options (all 3 of them…again recall the “just enough stuff going on” discussion), we all agreed that Tiki has the best food – no small feat in this world of seemingly endless gastronomic endeavours. 

When I say “we”, interesting “small-world” twist here, is that our dear friend Grant Burns (Nelson connection), who is currently living in Sydney, met us for the week. It just lined up, and we spent the week talking about the good ole’ Nelson days, and of course, the good ones to come! Small world indeed.

 Alrightly then, enough of this frivolity, we need to get back to reality. What am I saying?! No we don’t. Let’s just stay here! J (note: in the end, we reluctantly got on our flight and flew back to Jakarta, but, I think we’ll be back….)

yes, me standing...finally. (look at the size of those waves!)

Papua - hiking the Baliem Valley

For a detailed trip description, map, tips , and advice for trekking in the Baliem Valley, go here: https://trekkinginthebaliemvalley.blogspot.com/

Papua is to Indonesia, what the Arctic is to Canada. It’s out there. Mostly uninhabited, mostly indigenous, mostly without electricity or modern infrastructure – it’s their last frontier. Obviously a place we needed to check out! (well, truth be told, Amy required a bit of a bribe in the form of some post-hike beach time J – see next post).

A bit of history/geography here, cuz it’s an important part of the story, and can be a tad confusing. “Papua”, to an Indonesian, is the western half of the island of New Guinea – the world’s second-largest island (second only to Greenland), located a canoe-paddle off the northern tip of Australia. This western half is part of Indonesia, and is therefore the Indonesian province of Papua. The eastern half of the island is the sovereign nation of Papua New Guinea. Er, ya, they could have avoided the wording overlaps a bit better, but hey, that’s the current labelling we’re stuck with.

So, for clarity, what we’re discussing here is the western half of New Guinea that belongs to Indonesia, and is called “Papua”. Papua has had a rough time politically, having been kicked around by the Dutch and the Indonesians over who gets what, and the de facto uprisings and calls for independence followed by the obligatory knee-jerk government crack-downs. It’s one of those “politically unstable” places where blood in the streets could break out tomorrow. In fact, the Canadian government currently has a blanket “avoid non-essential travel” advisory for Papua. We ignored that J

OK, so why go? The draw for us is a place called the Baliem Valley – a true story right out of Indiana Jones. In 1938, an American by the name of Richard Archbold flew over central New Guinea while doing zoological surveys. Archbold was shocked to see obvious and widespread agricultural landscape patterns below him, thereby indicating human civilization. But you see, until that moment, no one in the outside world had any idea of their existence. It was a true “first-contact” with a stone-age civilization. Hmmm. Cool. 

Since then, the Dani – as they are referred to – have inched somewhat into the modern world, but hey, not that much! While the days of naked cannibals with bones in their noses killing you instantly if encountered on a trail (which was the situation in 1938) are over, things are still remarkably prehistoric (and you still see the odd naked guy dressed only in a penis gourd). The only feasible way into the valley is by air, to the town of Wamena. Once there, the pavement ends quickly and abruptly, giving way to walking paths that have been burned into the hillsides since time began.

So that’s the setting: a lost valley deep in the mountains of central New Guinea, cut off from the outside world until recently, and home to a stone-age culture of people living in scattered villages connected by walking paths. No electricity, no phones, no cars, no nothing other than the odd house made from wood, and the odd pair of flip flops and package of cigarettes.

The missionaries who took on the challenge of “civilizing the savages” have done a shockingly thorough job of converting everyone to Christianity, and in so doing, insisting they wear clothes, for example. And, of course, the ubiquitous village church prominently constructed as the focal point amongst the grass huts. However, given the remoteness and cost of flying anything in, modern commercial goods are pretty much absent, and the Dani live almost as they did 1000 years ago (with the exception of flip flops and cigarettes of course).

Daily life for the average villager consists of working the hillside crops of sweet potatoes, which constitutes 90% of their diet. Everything is done by hand, with no use of animals, plows, or power tools. The standard dwelling, AKA a “honai”, is a water-tight grass hut that serves as kitchen, sleeping quarters, and center of the universe for a Dani family. Shockingly though, the key fixture of a honai is a central fire pit used for cooking and warmth – not so shocking in itself, except for the complete lack of ventilation. No chimney, no hole in the roof, no windows. The only way in or out of a honai is a miniature opening at ground level that provides crawling access. Basically it’s an igloo, with a smouldering fire in the middle of it. Seemingly oblivious to the carcinogenic effects of smoke inhalation, they happily spend upwards of 12 hours a day/night inside. We lasted all of 5 minutes, and had to make an excuse to leave to clear our lungs and eyes. (I actually thought it was a smoke house for smoking meat upon first inspection).

So what was the mission? The Baliem Valley could be one of the last relatively untouched, traditional areas accessible only by foot paths. If you have hiked in Nepal, it is what Nepal must have been 100 years ago, before it exploded. Our mission was a 6-day, village-to-village trek taking us as far into the Baliem as we dared – the major challenge being where to go, and which trail takes you to the next village. Given our hatred of guided tours, we were on our own to blindly go where the trails took us. The biggest vacuum was getting information and trail beta. There is none. We pretty much relied on people pointing us in the right direction. We only got lost once, when we didn’t see another human for the better part of 36 hours, resulting in an emergency overnight bivi in the middle of a rain storm (as they say, life is an adventure…or nothing at all J).

As a village to village hike, we stayed with the locals, and ate lots of sweet potatoes (AKA “ubi”). Luckily, every village we targeted for the night, had at least one wooden house, and we therefore avoided having to sleep in a honai. I honestly don’t think we would have been able to. I have no idea how they tolerate the smoke.

What I think surprised us most, and what we enjoyed most, was the remoteness, cleanliness, and insanely rugged terrain. The area is still relatively pristine, and reminded us of some of our best mountain trips in the interior of British Columbia. We brought water purification tablets, and didn’t use them. We drank the water they drank, which is the water flowing off the mountains.  Crisp, clean, and cool like water should be. And, at elevations of 1500 to 2500 m, the cool mountain air was a breath of fresh air for us. Nice.

Unlike Nepal, which can seem like Disney Land in places, the Baliem remains relatively undiscovered by us white folk. We didn’t see another tourist in 6 days, other than a fleeting glimpse of one guy. It was surreal to be hiking up and down mountains again, drinking water out of creeks again, then sleeping and eating with the locals in their grass huts. All in all, an amazing experience, if not an adventurous one.

Also, a humbling experience. The Dani are lovely friendly people, and were happy to help despite only having the shirts on their backs. Our biggest regret was that we had little to give them. We gave them our coffee packages, salty snacks, and candies we brought for the kids. But, the single most-sought-after item they wanted, we didn’t have: cigarettes! Sad but true. The one thing they really want from modern civilization, is something that will kill them.

Alas, after six very full days, our feet and backs were ready for a rest and a return to base. As promised though, Amy first gets her beach time. Off to the beaches of Lombok! 

Lost in Papua -- staying dry for the night