little miss sunshine: baduy trip - an isolated village in rainy days

initial

it was started with conversation how to spend new year holiday during lunch break. after i rejected 3 plans:
1. with relatives, initially it was jogja but it was cancelled due to full booked everywhere, whereas it was h-3 months. so it happened in malang near my grandma's house. Also i can visit trowulan near my uncle's house. but due to transportation, i had to take public transportation round-trip, i don't interested. also i cannot do anything at my grandma's, no leptop, no appropriate tv, nobody to talk, somehow i'll end unproductive.
2. join wanderlust to krakatau. due to rainy season and it'll across sea, hmmm let's avoid it.
3. adlin kept asked me to go to jogja in last minute. i thought it'll not worth it, because the train ticket, the crowded people, and to walk around with public transportation inside jogja is really wasting time.

so i popped a place, baduy. one of my friend, radit was enthusiasm. is it really happen? too many fake-hope (php) happened in my life, makes me think twice. he got info that we can take bus directly to ciboleger from kalideres only. yaiyyy. ciboleger is the last stop station, after that we must continue by foot. i remember one of my college friends ever visit that village, so i asked her about guide person. but she said it's better not in rainy season, slippery path.

should i cancel it again. No. no more cancel plans. too many cancel plans in my life. moreover i got partner and it's man, so i feel safer. so we tried to call a guide from website, while he talked to guide, i keep browsing, and shock reading that guide which was my friend was talked to is a money oriented. but at least we get the maximum fee for our parameter.

we had 5 free days, we browse another fun places near baduy. i wanna go to sawarna beach. after we thought the way back home gonna spend twice longer. it's better next time by driving car. how about strolling across banten city. it sounds good idea, i love that too. but what happen if the city got nothing. like any other city i was visited because of duty call. after all, (especially after trekking 3.5 + 4 hours) we didn't visit those additional fun places.

it really is happen

2pm | in rainy day we met at kalideres, get on bus. no passenger. we kept asking the driver/co-driver, when it'll get going, but the answer was vague.

4pm | 2 hours waiting finally it's moving.
7pm | arrived at rangkas. everyone got off the bus, but the driver told us our journey still a long road, now it's time to take a rest. Hah?! we thought we arrived at ciboleger at 9pm, then find a place to sleep and having dinner. in this 1 hour break we try to find food in a place that a li'l bit traditional marketstreet, public tranportation stopmoment while wait for the passengers, still many people passed by, streetfood stalls and there's a minimarket as a sign of civilization (plus my public toilet during trip).

8pm | rangkas - ciboleger. the bus fully loaded by the passengers.

10pm | in light rain we arrived at ciboleger. around 3 person come to us as 'calo' (middle-man that handle or seek anything that we need, usually there's a fee for them), thanks the co-driver told us earlier to go to syarif husein's place, they have a place to stay and eat. i saw local people gathered with loud music, i can't see clearly because it's already dark and i can't get closer because of the light rain. we told the 'calo' to guide us to syarif husein's place. although it's already closed, they still welcoming us. before we go deeper, settle the price first. no price list. radit asked how much, the mistress didn't give us exact amount, she said it's a freewill. radit suggested for 50k. she said okay.

let's see the place. it's on the second floor. separated building from the main house. nothing there. wooden floor (not fancy parquet), floor mat, pile of pillows, mattress. it's really is a place only for sleep for group around of 5 person or really really more (the personal space of indonesian people is so tiny, look at that numerous people inside public bus). thankfully the place is pretty much clean, the painted wall seemed new, the ceiling was okay. once there was cockroach. but hey what kind of greatness do you expect from freewill fee. ps. the stair is really steep and the footsteps are small.

the bathroom on the ground level. there are around 5 booths that line each other. no ceramic floor, big water's place ('bak mandi'), exposed on floor and wall. welcome to the less-life.
done take a bath. i prefer take a bath in the midnight rather than in the freezing lazy morning. what to do else. with limited internet connection. arrgh radit bought book. i forgot to packed that. plus if i bring that, do i will read it or just simply weighing my bag which have been already heavy. sleep is all i can do. while try to sleep i heard many firecrackers poped out, i guess it's already 2015. quick wake up then sleep again. i need my body to get ready for the tomorrow morning

looking for guide

6.30am | hot tea for a perfect cold weather in the morning. look around ciboleger. there's a shop that sells anything, similar to shop at the traditional market. we thought we can buy salted fish for baduy people as gratitude gift. we go back, radit decided to eat breakfast at the syarif husein's place. i'm not a breakfast person. but seeing radit's sunny side up egg fried seems tasty. okay i grabbed half portion breakfast. radit asked the mistress do you know any guide? we wanna go there today, a moment later the guide coming in. i forgot exactly how, but i think this guide didn't say hello to us first, he just sit far across from us then sipping his coffee. i asked radit, should we asked him, he said he seemed in a rest moment enjoying his coffee. the mistress was our middle-man, she asked how long we're gonna stay. maybe around 2 nights. but we wanna go to baduy dalam directly today. not knowing what time we start the trekking, i just feel let it flow. radit decided to take a bath first. i thought that's good, we can't waste time, while i'm still eating.

7.45am | we met the guide with our backpack on ready to start the trekking. while walking, radit introduced himself and me. the guide name is ubai (always mixed up with abui, some village in alor). radit asked about the price, but his voice was unclear and we got no right answer. we were guided to report to 'lurah' (kind of administration house). no officer we met. we write our name, id number, contact phone, start-end visiting. keep walking. radit asked again about the price. in my nind, we should agree the price first. i don't want to get tricked. he answered for a place to stay it cost for 150k/night. and for the guide fee, he didn't answer clearly. maybe this is how people do freewill.

'are we start walking to baduy now?'

radit asked. abui said yes. what?! i don't have enough water supply. we even didn't buy salted fish for baduy. we plan before the journey we'll visit minimart to buy some snacks. thankfully i had biscuit, 2 slices bread, chocolate bar and still in no appetite moment. plus thankfully i already ate half portion breakfast. thankfully we still met small shop in house.

ray of light | another small river that we across | river means are washing and cooling down my foot

some granaries that i took

photo memory - ing at baduy dalam

11.30 am | ubai told us to wash our foot in the river before across the bamboo bridge. yes we already arrived at the baduy dalam, cibeo.
the fascinating river down the bamboo bridge.
we stop for a while at the terrace with many men. the man besides me is making a basket by waving the bamboo and his cup made of bamboo.
then we go to ayah karmain's house, that's how he wants to be called. my first impression of his house was clean and homey. all the house are houses on stilts (rumah panggung), typically traditional indonesia's house. although it's dark inside due to no electricity. i feel peaceful. we were welcomed by the hot tea. although we didn't bring anything for the host. he is nice offering to use his stock. he said if it for 3 person, it's still enough.

thankfully, there's a lady who sells snacks etc. it's time to fuel our tummy. while watching the people especially the little kid who tries to up and down by herself, playing with the fabric, acted as if she is washing that fabric. i took pop mie, radit took 3 boiled eggs. we also bought salted fish and raw eggs for our dinner.
back to the guesthouse, pak karmain still do something with his furnace (tungku), i guess he cooks rice. and he also make bracelet by waving from bark of 'terep' tree. then he showed us another unique things that he sells. i'm interested in his weaving fabric. but i decide not to buy it, is it necessary for me. radit bought bracelet, even though he's not a kind of bracelet person.
the food was ready. our menu were boiled egg, grilled salted fish, fresh raw long beans, and 'abon' which i bought it and beef 'abon'.

it rains again, though we wanted to explore the village. radit suggested to travel using 'ponco'. it makes us look more stranger person in that isolated village. we looks like yellow and red allien. there's some territory we can't enter, it's 'kepala suku' 's house. nobody can meet him, only some people at the some purpose. i'm lack at orientation and this village seems difficult to be memorized. almost all the houses are same and many intersection each house, because they don't attached each other.

we intend to take a pee on river, but when radit see the the ladies taking bath, he cancelled it. ubai said there's a chamber (bilik). don't expect it with fully closed shelter. this chamber doesn't have any door and roof. this chamber is turned aside from the main pathways, so nobody will across outside the chamber. there's bamboo fountain that falls into a water's place (i forgot from what material it is) that shaped in slim rectangular. and there's trash out of bamboo weaving that shaped like standing torch.

we continue by exploring the village. we found that there are two bamboo bridge and also two rivers. we play water on the river. playing stepping stones that turned out into throwing stones. i bet the water can be crystal clear in sunny weather.

around 5 pm | before we go back to the house, we bought raw eggs for breakfast. doing nothing. then we end up at the terrace just talking. the kids family got home from farming. his kids are active but we didn't get a chance to talk to them. we realize how baduy kids are easily walking running in the slippery stone-soil in barefoot. their foot seems to be designed to evolved in that situation.

it's getting dark. while waiting for the dinner's ready, we play shadow puppets with our hands. i only can make 2 or 3 animals. radit is creative, he can make (maybe around) 7 animals (i forgot).
dinner menu were scrambled egg, (again) grilled salted fish, squash vegetables with coconut, 'abon', and bee cocoon (first time i eat, the shape is looks like tiny egg, it's white, and the taste is sweet, overall it's tasty, not disgusted at all).

i learned that inside pak karmain's house, there's only one room and it was used for personal space of his family member. there's also furnace inside that room. and his family member spent their time inside that personal space. even when we had dinner they don't join us, only pak karmain self and his daughter who likes to clinging around him. that's his way to protect his family from the outsider who will always stay a night at his house.

then we sleep before at 9pm. it really is dark. thankfully i didn't insomniac, can't wonder what will i do in a pitch black without electronic on.

6 am | i'm awake. brushing my teeth with tea. breakfast. then ready to leave this paradise. no showered (too cold in the freezing morning or no private place). there are another 3 person that join us, a daddy, his (around) 7 y.o boy and their guide.

back on the trek

7 am | the path was getting more slippery and gluey. sometimes the light rain accompanied our trekking. thankfully we had 'ponco'. my headband helped my hoodie to stay on my head while i walk. we walked on different route from yesterday.

12 pm | arrived at syarif husein's place. take a rest. whoaa can't believe we did it, especially in a slippery road and we were fine.

hello (many) people and electricity

1 pm | the last elf from ciboleger to rangkas ready hit the road. at first the passengers only us. the driver told no matter how much the passenger, this elf will hit the road at 1 pm. and it's the last elf from ciboleger - rangkas. we sat at the front seat next to driver, because we wanna know what kind of road + view that we took previous night.

2.30 pm | arrived at mandala bus station to change the bus and continue to kalideres.

6 pm | arrived at kalideres bus station and greeted by rain (again).

expenses

little miss sunshine

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

baduy trip - an isolated village in rainy days