An Airport Contemplation (Day 1: KL-Kathmandu)

I slept at the airport. 

A 10 hours layover is not an easy task when you have a freshly numbed heart. That moment when you have a long bruise that has hardened you know it's there but you no longer feel it. And I had all the time myself to cheat all my transitioning rules: expecting him to say take care, to check me in between flights, to at least leave some marks of his presence online so I know his whereabout. But he didn't - as he never were. It was always the other people - my dad, my sister, my friends - but not him. And I swallowed a hard truth I painted on my transition diary last night: I wanted to quit, I've been wanting to, I need to, I have to. And as a Capricorn, I will get what I want. 

I was waiting for a pre-travel thrill to trump this empty numbness, but the thrill never really came. I should've been panicked from my badly calculated decision not to exchange my currency outside the airport, doubled with a hesitant trade of only US$ 100 at the Jakarta airport. Wrong move, since currency exchanges in KLIA has neither a better rate nor a direct IDR-USD conversion. But I was calm, open to possibilities. I left my toothbrush, knee support, and a proper pants home, but I have no concern, thinking I might bring a cute Nepalese pants home. I have mixed feelings about my running shoes - not sure if it'll be of use given the infamous  polluted air of Kathmandu, but feeling incomplete still without it. All of these just reminded me that my calmness in having no plan has evolved overtime, and so the gradual decrease of the pre-travel excitement and nervousness. After all, we have all these technology. 

I had a 10 dollars worth of beer and a much cheaper bowl of noodle at KLIA, the former I bought for the ambience of the selling place; the latter for hunger. But anywhere I roam the airport is dead, with all of its life supporting equipments alive. No people, no conversation. I finally managed to sneak into my sleeping bag by 3am, occasionally interrupted with the noise that people or cleaning machine made, but never fully awake. I like staying in the airport during the long intervals in between flights, and I have this vision to keep it that way. It use to disturb me that as people's wealth and status rise up, they stop doing things they did when they are young - things that usually correlated with lack of money, but not always so in fact. I always thought a transit hotel as an unnecessary comfort. And what's a comfort when you're locking yourself down in an empty room, surrounded by TV and empty walls? Only to rise really early in the morning and fly again? Let travel be travel, I like it that way. Sleeping at airports have drawn me some memories of my youth - backpacking solo for the first time, chatting with taxi drivers; catch some 3 flights to a remote location for a campus thing right after my grandmother's burial ceremony; and other occurrence I lost track of those memories. But I never felt ashame for sleeping at the airport. 

The long 10 hours finally ended and the gate showing Kathmandu sign and my flight number opens. As unfortunate luck can be, I sat in the window seat that has no window, and to my alley side was a couple of obesed Australians who ordered soda as their first drink in the morning. But even before flying, their warmth melted my fragile heart already. "What gets you to Kathmandu?" the male Aussie asked. Such a simple question to make me feel welcome - a greeting I rarely encountered in my increasing frequent flights. Question that has reminded me of my first days of travels, curiously greeting everyone, big smile here and there, though occasionally bury myself in books after get bored of chit chats. And sometimes you get a genuinely interesting conversation as well. I put down my books, started a quick chat with this couple, who turned out came over to Nepal from Brisbane to attend a close friend's wedding. 

Some hours in the sky, when the food has been served and I'm enjoying a rice cake with a cup of (a storage-tasted) coffee, head tilted, drowned in Nguyen's Sympathizer, the person in front of me suddenly moved his chair, causing the coffee to jump and my head almost knocked by the sudden force. I was almost mad, screaming "Holy smoke!!" as a reflect. This couple ensure if I was okay, then I heard this Aussie dude saying, with a grin, "You're lucky that your coffee did not spill!" It was a very quick ride down. If you can recall that moment when you're about to throw a tantrum but a simple thing suddenly soothe down your angry meter, that was it. I smiled, almost cry. It's such a simple thing: I was lucky. No matter how bad it was and how my anger was ready to blow, I forgot the fact that the coffee did not spill, or even topped over completely, has made it much, much better. 

So here I am now, somewhere in the sky between India and Nepal, still flying, heart still aching with the kind of ache you cannot really feel. I don't know what Kathmandu has to offer, or the mountains back there. It won't heal in the same way as other travels I had before. I am changing as a traveler, as a mountaineer, as a child of mother nature. I am changing in embracing and accepting life's tasty flavors and its bitter pills. Not to mention I was, and I am, lucky in many ways. And my page is freshly opened, seeking ways to refill it again. 

Pendakian Gn. Loser, TN Gunung Leuser via Kedah (3.404 mdpl) -- PART 1

Akhirnya saya menuliskan Leuser -- terima kasih kepada beberapa teman yang mengingatkan janji saya sebelum tahun berakhir: menulis Leuser. Bulan April lalu, tepatnya Senin, 25 April 2016 s.d. Jum'at, 6 Mei 2016, saya mendaki salah satu wishlist gunung impian saya: Gunung Leuser. Terima kasih untuk Dodo yang menikah di Medan, yang memberikan saya alasan untuk terbang ke Medan dan melanjutkan perjalanan ke TN Gunung Leuser. Di sini, saya hanya akan memberikan highlights dari pendakian ini.

Gunung Loser, Leuser atau Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser?

Mendaki Leuser memang cukup membingungkan dimulai dari nama gunungnya. Perlu teman-teman ketahui bahwa "Leuser" sebetulnya merujuk pada Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (TNGL), yang merupakan kompleks taman nasional yang jauh lebih besar daripada jalur pendakian. Luas TNGL secara total mencakup 1.094.692 Ha, dan secara administrasi terletak di Provinsi Aceh dan Sumatera Utara. Di TNGL, aktivitas petualangan yang bisa dilakukan tidak hanya mendaki. Mengunjungi habitat asli satwa liar (orangutan, badak Sumatera dan harimau Sumatera), mengunjungi lembaga yang mendedikasikan diri dalam konservasi orangutan (ini yang dilakukan Leonardo Di Caprio saat dia berkunjung ke Indonesia), bahkan berkunjung ke kebun-kebun ganja di belantara adalah beberapa aktivitas yang bisa kita lakukan tanpa harus melakukan pendakian ke Gunung Loser / Leuser.

Di sisi lain, Gunung Loser dan Gunung Leuser merupakan bagian dari TNGL, dengan sebagian jalur pendakiannya  termasuk wilayah TNGL. Ingat, Gunung Loser dan Gunung Leuser merupakan gunung yang berbeda, jadi pastikanlah kesepakatan dengan guide jelas menyatakan sampai titik mana kamu akan mendaki. Puncak Loser (3.404 mdpl) sendiri lebih tinggi dari Puncak Leuser (3.119 mdpl). Namun, dari arah Desa Kedah, kamu akan terlebih dulu sampai ke Puncak Loser, dan titik terakhir pendakian justru di Puncak Leuser. Total jarak tempuh pendakian ke Puncak Loser dari Desa Kedah adalah 47 km, sementara ke puncak Leuser kira-kira 50 km.

Jalur Pendakian Gn. Leuser (sumber: TN Gunung Leuser)

Menurut guide saya, dari puncak Loser ke Puncak Leuser membutuhkan waktu 3-5 jam (satu kali jalan) dengan jalur yang cukup terjal. Jadi, jika kamu ingin ke puncak Leuser, pastikan kamu berangkat pagi, membawa peralatan yang cukup (mis: webbing, carabiner) dan logistik yang cukup dari camp terakhir di Lapangan Bola. Pendakian saya hanya sampai ke Puncak Loser (3.404 mdpl), dan kami tidak melanjutkan turun ke Puncak Leuser karena pertimbangan waktu, peralatan, cuaca dan tentu saja mood. Apa yang saya maksud dengan mood? Guide saya, Mister Jaly, berhasil meyakinkan saya bahwa saya harus kembali ke Leuser dan mendaki dari jalur selatan.

Berapa lamakah total pendakian?

Total hari yang saya habiskan di gunung adalah 12 (dua belas) hari, dihitung dari pendakian hari pertama dari Pos Pendakian di Desa Kedah (dimulai "pagi" jam 10.20) hingga saya kembali ke Pintu Rimba di siang hari (jam 14.00). Rata-rata orang menghabiskan 14 (empat belas) hari sejak masuk hutan hingga kembali ke desa. Untuk perempuan, disarankan mengantisipasi perjalanan 16 (enam belas) hari.

Ingat, total waktu pendakian yang dihabiskan di gunung bergantung pada kesiapan fisik kita, jumlah orang dalam rombongan kita (makin banyak orang, perlu mengantisipasi pergerakan yang lebih lama), cuaca dan ketepatan jalur yang kita pilih.

Singkatnya, saya sampai di Puncak Loser pada hari kedelapan (tengah hari) dan langsung turun. Rata-rata kami menghabiskan waktu 6-9 jam per (semenjak meninggalkan pos tempat kami bermalam hingga sampai ke pos bermalam selanjutnya). Terdapat beberapa intermezzo (salah satunya mendapatkan kijang) dalam perjalanan yang membuat kami menghabiskan waktu lebih lama di satu tempat/lainnya. Di beberapa hari, kami berjalan lebih singkat (mis: sudah berkemah jam 3 sore) dengan pertimbangan jarak ke pos selanjutnya terlalu jauh dan ada kemungkinan kami akan berjalan malam jika melanjutkan perjalanan.

Secara umum, bagaimanakah medan pendakian? Apa pos-pos yang ditempuh?

Pos-pos pendakian dapat dilihat di peta Leuser di atas. Secara umum, pendakian ini lebih tepat disebut mendaki "ke Gunung Leuser," karena jalur pendakian Leuser adalah perbukitan yang harus ditempuh sebelum dapat mencapai Gunung Loser dan Leuser. Tidak banyak perbedaan antara pendakian pra dan pasca puncak, karena kontur jalur yang merupakan perbukitan, sehingga "naik dan turun gunung" sebenarnya dilakukan setiap harinya. Pada saat "turun gunung" kembali ke Desa Kedah pun, kita akan menemui bukit-bukit tanjakan yang sangat curam. Saya menghabiskan waktu 5 (lima) hari dan menciderai lutut saya justru ketika kami dalam perjalanan pulang.

Sebagian jalur pendakian Leuser dilihat dari atas pesawat

 Anyway, secara ringkas, beginilah gambaran pos-pos pendakian dan waktu tempuhnya:

Hari 1	10.20 – 12.45 12.45 – 14.15 16.00 – 18.30	Tropical Rainforest Lodge – Tobacco Hut Tobacco Hut – Pintu Rimba Pintu Rimba – Simpang Air [CAMP]
Hari 2	09.00 – 10.00 10.30 – 11.45 13.00 – 15.00 15.15 – 17.30	Simpang Air – Bivak 1 Bivak 1 – Pemandian Burung* Pemandian Burung* – Puncak Angkasan Puncak Angkasan – Kulit Manis I [CAMP]
Hari 3	09.00 – 10.10 11.00 – 12.00 12.40 – 14.30	Kulit Manis I – Kulit Manis II Kulit Manis II – Kulit Manis III Kulit Manis III – Lintasan Badak [CAMP]
Hari 4	08.30 – 10.00 10.30 – 12.15 13.00 – 15.00 15.15 – 15.45 16.30 – 18.00	Pepanji Singamata* Pintu Rimba Padang Rumput* Padang Rumput / Blang Beke Camp Sungai Alas [CAMP]
Hari 5	09.00 – 10.00 10.15 – 12.15 13.10 – 16.30	Camp Sungai Alas – Rantau Panjang Rantau Panjang – Kolam Badak Kolam Badan – Bivak III [CAMP]
Hari 6	09.00 – 10.55 11.45 – 13.50 15.00 – 17.30	Bivak III – Camp Putri Camp Putri – Bivak Kaleng Bivak Kaleng – Bivak Batu [CAMP]
Hari 7	09.00 – 10.30 11.00 – 11.15 11.15 – 12.15 13.00 – 15.00	Bivak Batu – Sungai Krueng Kluet* Sungai Krueng Kluet* – Camp Krueng Kluet Krueng Kluet – Simpang Tanpa Nama Simpang Tanpa Nama – Lapangan Bola [CAMP]
Hari 8	09.00 – 10.00 10.00 – 11.00	Lapangan Bola – Gerbang Puncak Loser Gerbang Puncak Loser – Puncak Loser (Perjalanan kembali s.d. Krueng Kluet) [CAMP]

*) Merupakan shelter interim, bukan camp besar sehingga mungkin tidak tampak di peta

 

 Yang unik, jika kamu sering mendaki di Jawa / gunung-gunung "rekreasi," tentu kamu akan terkejut dengan liarnya Leuser. Di hampir setiap pos hampir tidak ada penanda maupun fasilitas. Informasi mengenai jarak tempuh antar pos juga sangat minim di internet, dan tentunya tidak ada secara fisik di jalur.

Guide saya sangat membantu dalam menentukan titik perhentian kami selanjutnya (dan waktu perhentiannya juga). Rata-rata, dalam sehari kami melewati 3 (tiga) pos. Saya selalu mendapatkan waktu istirahat yang cukup di antara perjalanan dari pos satu ke pos selanjutnya, thanks to cigarette break yang selalu dimanfaatkan guide dan porter saya. Istirahat pendek biasanya dilakukan setelah berjalan 30 menit - 1 jam, saya usahakan maksimum 15 menit. Istirahat panjang berlangsung antara 30 menit - 1 jam, biasanya di pos pendakian atau di shelter interim.

Sekian dulu pengantar singkat pendakian Leuser ini! Selanjutnya, saya akan buatkan tulisan yang lebih detail untuk menceritakan guide dan porter saya, satwa dan tumbuhan yang kami jumpai, hiburan kami di belantara, percakapan-percakapan menarik, manajemen logistik, dan lain-lain! Jika kamu ingin rikues, silakan tinggalkan komentar!

Mt. Lascar, Afontogasta, Chile (5,592 masl/18,346 feet)

Even if you hike a lot, never, NEVER underestimate altitude. Mt. Lascar (5,592 masl/18,346 feet) is one of the popular volcano around San Pedro de Atacama, not the highest one, but big and easy enough to attract altitude seeker to hike it. So if you consider to hike it, here some basic info that might help.

View from the top of Mt. Lascar

How long? The tour starts at 5.30 AM and ends at 4.00 PM (normally) - we went back by 5.00 PM. Those 11 hours including 2.5 - 3 hrs (one way) travel by car and 2.5 hrs - 4 hrs climbing up, and 1 - 2 hrs going down, depends on your pace. The worst record is 6 hours for going up (one way), so unless you're really really not fit, you can expect faster than that. We began slowly, and there's a stubborn girl with plenty of health problems but an amazing mentality in our group, so we had frequent stops and waits. For us it took 3 hrs to reach the crater, 30 minutes (or more) of rest at the crater, another 30 - 45 minutes from the crater to the summit, and 30 minutes of rest at the peak. Going down was pretty easy, it took about 1.5 hrs.

Our guide, Freddy, functioned as leader and sweeper

Price & Agency: I booked with Mistica Atacama for 80,000 CLP (approximately US$133), and the tour includes nice breakfast (more than sandwich, coca tea / coffee / juice - that you can actually save for lunch), snacks (fruits and some energy bars), ONE supposedly English speaking guide (not so much in my experience, but it could work if you're so demanding), transfer to and from your hostel by car, basic medical equipment (altitude pills, motion sickness, oxygen - but bring your own tiger balm), mountaineering equipment (they lend me sunglasses, trekking pole, and even provide gloves etc if you request - for free!). My team was 4 people - and here's the trap: since they only have 1 guide, if someone is sick, the whole team has to go down. Someone in my group eventually went down, and upon ensuring our guide that she's okay, and considering we're not that far from the basecamp, she made her way down herself.

The lagoon at our breakfast, Lejia Lagoon?

If you're there, you'll feel smaller than this

The crater before summit

The trail: It's actually doable without guide. The trail is not dangerous and clear enough. You might need to walk slowly at the beginning and not rushing uphill since you need to adjust your breath. The ground are not really solid, the materials are gravel with occassional small-sized rocks, makes it quite difficult to make your next steps uphill. For Indonesian travelers, if you ever hike Mt. Rinjani / Mt. Kerinci, it's probably feels quite similar. It is not really steep until you reach the crater - elevation varies from 25-45 degree, and a bit steeper from the crater to the top. No vegetation at all, so be prepared with the strong wind and hot exposure of the desert's sun.

See how huge it is?

Getting along with the altitude? Yes, it should be an easy hike. Yes, it's less than a day. Yes, it's amazing view. But does the altitude really matter? The answer is YES. First, DON'T try to climb directly if you just came from the sea level, or have not acclimatized to at least 4,000 masl. Spend some days biking around the town (you can try to go to Laguna Cejar, Valle de la Muerte or Valle de la Luna) or take a tour to Laguna Altiplanca or Geyser del Tatio (and make sure you do some physical excercise right there). Second, don't feel weak if you don't go as fast as you use to be. It is perfectly normal. Altitude makes your heart beats faster, makes your lungs do extra effort to get oxygen, and impact your mood and spirit. You can google the normal symtomps so you don't feel bad about yourself. The ability to get along with the altitude varies between people - nausea, faster heart beat, and mild headache are normal. If you're vomiting violently, or having a terrible headache, it might be bad. Mine was perfectly normal until I completed the whole trail (I was even at a pretty nice pace), but upon reaching the car I could feel a strong urge to throw up and my head started to ache a lot. It might be a combination of altitude and sun heat. I pushed myself to get into the car and put tiger balm around my artery, and tried so hard to sleep. After 1 hr of really bad road (yes, the road condition was horrible for the first 1 hr, no wonder, you're in the middle of the desert!), I finally said to my guide that it'd be nice if he allow me to make an effort to puke on the side road. I thrown up the stuffs in my stomach until the very last drop, and I could feel it was filled with the gastric acid. My teammates suffer from a terrible headache as well, but did not throw up so bad. Since I have a bad gastritis, probably that contributes to how my stomach got along with the altitude (it affects everything - from anxiety to madness, so I presume it didn't get along well with the altitude as well, LOL)

You can see the trail clearly!

A gang of vicuna we met on our way back

The view: AMAZING!!! The breakfast took place in a really beautiful lake, with a perfect reflection of the mountains surrounding it. The trail itself expose you to a never ending desert - sea of sands, dunes, and dry mountain - a view like no ordinary places. A good contemplation to reflect on how small you are. Enjoy yourself through these photographs!

Travel SOS: Trapped in Remote Island

Trouble loves me so, so much; and it seems to entail me anywhere I go - some of them can be totally hilarious if you have the right attitude, but knowing objective facts on the practical solutions are always helpful no matter how low your EQ is. Please be aware that some things are written in local perspective and might be different in one place and another.

I always love Flores. I love its scenery, I love the way people smile at me, I love the drunk grandmothers, I love their spirituality, and so on. But traveling in Indonesia, you have to be aware that this is the land of surprise. And now, it's Flores turn to remind me that anything can happen in this land. Yes, I mean, something like THIS.

I stole the image from Daily Mail, by the way. Hint: volcano eruption (SURE!)

It was a long holiday in May 2014, where we had too many national holidays in a row (sometimes Indonesian holidays are completely nonsense) that I only need to take a three days leave from my office to obtain a total 10 days vacation. And I was alone, a lucky soloist with no itinerary and ended up alone in Ende, waiting for my flight back to Kupang for a night transit to Jakarta.

Everything went so smooth, there was a nice carnival at the town and I arrived on time at the airport, checked in, dropped my baggage, and sat nicely waiting for my boarding call.

By then, I already got a message from my friend in Labuan Bajo that they couldn't flew due to a volcano eruption, Mt. Sangeang, an island near Bima, which just happened to erupt that day. But hey, the airport and everyone in there was so chill that I worry nothing will actually happen. I even asked some airport officials whether the flight will be cancelled, and they confidently answered that no, it is on schedule. And there the announcement speaker bring the jinx... It says something like this (of course in polite version)

"Dude, your flight is cancelled due to the volcano eruption. If you dropped your baggage, take it back from the baggage counter. You can clarify what's going on and what's next in our office" and the office further clarified, "Dude, we're screwed. There's no way we can fly today and I have no idea when we can resume. We have two solutions for your tickets, we'll reimburse it completely, including your connecting flights; or, you can stay in our waitlist to keep flying with us, which the fastest is about 4 days from now, and we have no idea what the worst scenario can be"

Okay. So, if it's ever happen to you, DON'T PANIC. Even if you're completely remote and geographically impossible to get out by anything other than plane, don't panic. Even if you have no idea when you can get a seat, don't panic! Here are some tips:

ONE: Find people who are suffering the same fate with you.

Unless you're traveling to super off-the beaten path places, there's a huge possibility that you're not the only one who wants to go home soon. I ended up meet 13 new amazing friends in Flores and I found people are really valuable resources in solving your case. Why are people useful? (1) You're looking for solution of the same problem. In my Flores case, we shared information about available flights, price comparison, possible alternative route, other possible means of transportation, etc; (2) You'll probably stay overnight for an unknown period, means you'll need cheapest (but humane) accommodation; (3) Companion! You'll need cool people to stay with and keep you sane. And usually, random travelers are the best sources!

Here's the gang:

TWO: Don't be in the waitlist.

Being in waitlist during disaster is a BIG bet. It's tricky and risky, and you don't have active control on your own fate. The best you can do is asking the airline about your waitlist progress. DON'T.

THREE: Just take your reimbursement, and know the trick!

Small cities like Ende won't have much ready cash in their office. There's a huge possibility that they will offer you wire transfer - which will come within 2 weeks at maximum (if it's not stuck somewhere). It can be a problem if you don't have money left to buy another ticket. You can try to demand cash reimbursement, but it can be tricky too. Right after the flight cancellation, the small office will be really crowded. By this time, the officer will definitely say that they have limited cash and they will try to reimburse everyone by wire transfer. They even can say that their cash is dried already. Negotiating anything at this point will less likely success. So, you can wait until everyone is done with their business - but don't wait to be the last person! When it's 4-5 people left, check if the officer still actually have cash. If they do (I bet!), you can take your cash reimbursement when everyone else get wire transfer. In my Flores case, I didn't get in the line (not for the reimbursement reason, I had no idea of this by then) and among the last persons to get reimbursed. People who get their reimbursement before me just got envious with the result.

FOUR: Search for another flight (or, another route - if possible)

This is the most difficult part, and totally case by case. I can only suggest: (1) Know the other available airlines in that city and in cities nearby; (2) Know the stuck point of the cancelled airlines and understand the causation (where do your flight comes from? why is it stuck? is there any other routes?); (3) Get updates from another accessible cities (which one have normal air traffic, etc); (4) Survey the alternative airlines! Ask them when is the next available flight, and how many seats left. Take a note of it. Make a comparison.

This process takes a long time - we spent the whole evening just figuring out our situation and surveying the alternatives.

*** Just so you understand the travel complication in my case, I'll give you a map. Flores is quite a remote area in the eastern part of Indonesia, and only three airlines fly to and from Ende (Garuda, Lion / Wings Air, Trans Nusa), and the flight route of each airlines are different. Each airlines basically fly once a day. My airline, Lion, had to fly from Denpasar, Bali (green route); which means passing by the thick dust of Sangeang madness and stop by Labuan Bajo, Ende, and Maumere before departing to Kupang. So when the plane stuck in Bali, there's no way subsequent flights can happen. All flights from Ende had similar problem. So we looked to other big cities, and the closest one is Maumere, three hours away. After surveying some time, we found out that Sriwijaya Air were operating normally because of the route and the flight altitude, so we decided to leave Ende and took our flight from Maumere.

Green line: my cancelled flight route. Yellow line: the 'solution' flight route.

FIVE: Be patient, don't buy your ticket replacement during the 'panic time'

So you got the itinerary that you want, and the only thing that you want to do is securing it. Normal people will possibly book it really quick, and pay it right away. But from my Flores experience, waiting and gambling a bit can give you way cheaper price. I booked and paid my ticket about three hours after the cancellation happened. That was the 'panic time' - the time when everyone book the ticket, but haven't really paid it yet. By that time (about 1-12 hours after the cancellation, presumably), the seats are very competitive, causing the price getting so high. And people actually can book more than one flight, but certainly ended up buying only one. After several hours, the unpaid tickets will be available again - this is the cool down period. Best bet: wake up at 3am in the morning and keep checking. Some seats will magically available, with a much, much lower price! (My friends who didn't get the ticket during the day woke up at three and bought their tickets half price of mine)

SIX: You're set!

Okay, ready for some disaster? :)

 

Mt. Hood Spoiler (Quick Glance, never mind)



Seen from one of the viewpoint, a fun long walk!

Life's been exciting in here and I owe so many updates, to say some: (1) the Bogota - Leticia update from Human Rights & Environmental Justice Workshop held by a cool latino organization calling themselves Dejusticia; (2) my awesome Portland experience and the cool non-academic experience in this weird city; (3) my awesome (and awful) academic experience in one of the most advance environmental law program in the State (and that's why it's awful - the deeper you know, the more you understand that your prior assumptions, which are mostly positive, are proven wrong); (4) some drama including my Atlanta baggage-4-days-delay, my hurry travel signature, my 5-hours-ago-my-roommate-got-a-job-in-Wyoming-and-moving-there - and surely another tips on facing trouble! I'm becoming more and more expert in troubleshooting.

Well, I'll try to find some time to write all those demanding stories, hopefully in Bahasa and maybe some politically correct article in English, but don't worry, you can start warming up your hatred on me from...

NOW!



Mt. Hood wilderness area, Paradise Trail



I'll save the detail for later! Anyway, if you ever come to Portland, GO TO MT. HOOD! Trust me it's easy, just go there and bring some trail mix, and you're good. Okay, I promise to save it for later, so keep your eye on my posts (or you'll miss my trail mix update!!)

Say dinosaaaaauuur!!!

The Silence of the Victims

“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.”
― Leonardo da Vinci 

When everyone who has studied environmental conflicts or victimology might describe this situation I’m trying to explain as ‘common’ – I take the liberty to tell this story from the point of view of mid-class city people who normally can speak boldly to anyone they think annoying their basic rights. It's fine for me to criticize my scholarship, my university, my parents, my employers, when I am equipped with proper argument on my side. And for me, speak what I think is common. Speaking the truth is common. And this is my common sense – as well as everyone else as you can see on people’s blog or opinion or social media.

But some days ago, I recognize that our common sense is not always common. Particularly, not to this people who have been fighting for their homeland; and their clean water and their clean air for decades.

Asahan River at Siruar Village, Toba Samosir

I visited Siruar, a village right at Toba Pulp Lestari’s liquid waste outfall (dumping point) at Asahan River – the place where fight against the gigantic industry has been recorded since early 80s. My goal is to get 50 respondents for my questionnaire, for a research purpose. But it is not only the power of the company that scares me. It is the silence of the people, that they are unwilling to tell their stories and keep it behind their own walls.

“Some month ago, one of the securities of TPL got interviewed by a researcher. Another TPL labor recorded it and gave the video to TPL management. That security who got interviewed was fired some days after,” one of my responded expressed his fears while he’s filling my questionnaire. With fake smile, I comforted him that this is merely for academic purpose and his identity will remain undisclosed. I condemn the company conduct in my head.

Dead fishes were strange. Now, people no longer question it.

The people in Siruar and Porsea have been in the heart of the Toba Pulp Lestari conflict in its prior operation, when the company is still known as Indorayon Inti Utama. The protest begun in 1988, when the persistent victims, who were very strong and solid within the Batak Toba identity, continued to struggled over 2 decades from the soft diplomacy backed by academics and politicians, to the mass and bleeding chaos that takes innocent souls. In this conflict, Professors and Doctors from universities come back to the street, to the indigenous people who lack academic back-ups compared to the huge company. Even mothers and children took part, and one of the most controversial nude protests in Indonesia held by Batak mothers occurred in the late 90s, hottest period of this enduring fight. Even when the legal efforts failed, it has left a strong legacy – the first recognized NGO legal standing in Indonesia was made during the IIU lawsuit conducted by WALHI. Sweet taste of temporary success only lasted a while when IIU operation is closed for by the central government. In Megawati era, the mill began operating again under new paradigm, with the name that those people recognize today with the same power of “you know who” – TPL.

“No one in this village will be willing to speak if you ask them question about TPL. Because we already know what the public officials in the sub-district will do. I will not speak either,” a former activist told me.

After more than 20 years, people at the closest proximity to the mill have finally silenced.

And this silence is scarier for me than the elaboration of the silence of nature that Rachel Carson documented in her monumental Silent Spring. This is the silence of the most distinguished creature on earth who has been gifted with reason, free will, intelligence and conscience. This is the silence of the long-lasting fight who have eventually been forced to give up. This is the silence for money, of the scary trade between sacrificing basic rights and the capitalistic point of necessary growth. This is the silence within the trauma from the entity that should’ve been protecting those individuals, but abusing their power.

And like the sub-disctrict secretary mentioned to us with confidence, “We can’t let just anyone in, even for academic purpose. I don’t dare to let those who wants to take the data regarding environment, or pollution, or anything that can annoy the company. The higher authority will scold. No, it will never be allowed,”

By writing this, I am fully aware that I am exposing myself to libel lawsuit that the company might threatening me with. And that’s the price that I have to pay, in this so-called free and democratic country, to speak of some truth. I’m just hoping this writing will reach out to you, but not to the company, so the people at the village will stay safe. Beware, this is not the authoritarian regime anymore. This is the regime of the capital.

Further readings:

Abdul Wahib Situmorang. 2005. The Toba Batak Fighting for Environmental Justice, 1988 to 2003: Environmental Movement in Indonesia. (Jakarta: WALHI)

PS. Too bad I can't upload more photos of people for safety reason.

Over-Improvised Trip: Kupang, Rote dan (Mendadak) Flores

DISCLAIMER: Anda dipersilakan segera menutup halaman ini jika pencarian Anda ditujukan untuk mendapatkan informasi jalan-jalan ‘murah-meriah’ dengan itinerary rapih. Trip ini sangat overpriced, tidak terorganisir, penuh bencana, namun sangat menyenangkan karena kejutan yang tak habis-habis ditawarkannya. Seperti tulisan saya mengenai Labuan Bajo, tulisan ini dibuat dalam bahasa Indonesia karena hanya segelintir pejalan Indonesia yang saya temui. Info yang lebih berguna akan saya lanjutkan dalam rangkaian blogpost berkala sesempatnya.

24 Mei 2014 – 2 Juni 2014

Rute Perjalanan

Kupang – Rote – Kupang – Maumere – Moni – Ende – Ruteng – Wae Rebo – Ruteng – Ende – Moni – Maumere (Cat: Moni & Maumere di bagian akhir perjalanan merupakan perjalanan ‘terpaksa’ karena letusan Gn. Sangiang yang menyebabkan tidak terbangnya pesawat dari Ende)

Major Expenses (approximately)

IDR 1,200k Tiket Jakarta – Kupang

IDR 400k Tiket Kupang – Maumere   

IDR 2,300k Tiket Maumere – Denpasar – Jakarta      

IDR 150k Ferry Kupang – Rote (one way) 

IDR 50k Akomodasi/hari (rata-rata kamar 75k – 150k)

IDR 500k – 600k Sewa mobil/hari & supir (exl’ bensin)

IDR 150k Bensin/hari (bergantung jarak)

IDR 30k – 60k Makan dan jajan/hari 

IDR 6,813.5k* TOTAL personal expenses (hedon & happy)

*) Tidak termasuk oleh-oleh

Highlight

Perjalanan ini menghabiskan 10 hari, jutaan rupiah, dan tim ‘ketemu di jalan’ yang senantiasa berganti-ganti dan menyebabkan saya berinteraksi dengan begitu banyak orang-orang yang tak terduga. Setelah niatan saya, Nisa, dan Aso untuk melakukan perjalanan Timor Barat dan Timor Timur kandas lantaran seorang copet apes mengambil dompet saya yang berisi dua ribu rupiah, passport, KTP dan ATM, kami memutuskan tetap berangkat dengan bermodalkan tekad menyelundupkan saya ke Timtim. Sayangnya Tuhan YME mencegah niat buruk itu dengan mempertemukan kami dengan pejalan lain yang memiliki itinerary lebih mumpuni yang mengiming-imingi kami dengan efisiensi ongkos jika kami bergabung. Dengan segala kengileran, maka berubahlah trip Timor kami menjadi trip Timor – Flores.

Ladang padi gogo di pinggiran jalan P. Rote, Kab. Rote-Ndao, NTT

Kupang dan Rote, yang merupakan tujuan awal saat niat kami masih teguh untuk jalan-jalan kere di Timor, kami tempuh dengan sangat efisien pada hari-hari pertama. Kami mendarat siang hari dan menghabiskan hari mengunjungi Pantai Lesiana yang sepi, terpukau dengan babi dan sapi di perkampungan penduduk di sekitarnya, menengok pembuatan tuak menjadi gula aren, dan makan dengan rakus di Pasar Malam dekat pantai Timor setelah kalap melihat ikan kerapu besar seharga IDR 35k. Hari kedua dan ketiga kami habiskan di Rote, lagi-lagi termangu-mangu melihat pantai-pantai dan bukit-bukit yang kosong dengan hanya kuda, sapi, babi, kerbau, kambing, hingga anomali-anomali lain sebagai penguasa jalan. 

Pantai Nemberala, P. Rote (photo by: Untung Sihombing)

Selanjutnya, kekhilafan dimulai semenjak tiket ke Maumere kami beli dengan impulsif melalui koneksi travel, dengan Nisa dan Aso berniat mencapai Kelimutu dan saya berambisi sampai Wae Rebo. Hari keempat kami habiskan di jalan diwarnai obrolan dengan supir kami tersayang, Kak Herman, yang begitu mencapai Moni mengizinkan kami melanjutkan obrolan bersama para supir, orang lokal, dan penjaga villa yang semuanya teman-temannya. Hingga hari kelima kami masih di Moni dan gagal total mendapatkan pemandangan Kelimutu barang sejengkalpun karena kabut yang membuat kami melihat jelas hanya pada jarak pandang 5 meter. 

Pelabuhan Maumere, Kab. Sikka, NTT (photo by: Untung Sihombing)

 

Danau Tiga Warna Kelimutu, Moni, Kab. Ende, NTT

Malam hari kami sampai di Ruteng dan di hari keenam terbengong-bengong lagi dengan sawah berbentuk jarring laba-laba di Cancar dan jalanan panjang dengan ojek ke Denge, desa terakhir yang menjadi titik awal perjalanan ke Wae Rebo. Di hari itu juga, kami mendaki dan menetap di sana hingga hari ketujuh. Begitu turun dan berpisah dengan rombongan, saya langsung diharapkan pada perjalanan dengan drama kejar-kejaran tunggu-tungguan bus Ruteng – Ende hingga saya dan tukang ojek berkomplot membuat skenario demi merayu supir bus agar menunggu saya yang masih di jalan dari Denge. Namun drama tetap berlanjut sampai hari kedelapan, dimana pesawat Ende – Kupang yang sudah hampir boarding memutuskan tidak terbang di detik-detik terakhir karena letusan Gunung Sangiang di P. Sangiang, dekat Sumbawa. Sekalipun demikian, sangat kebetulan bahwa hari itu adalah hari Kesaktian Pancasila yang diperingati sangat meriah di Ende. Hari kesembilan, setelah mengantongi tiket Maumere – Denpasar – Jakarta keesokannya, saya kembali bergerak menuju Maumere dan memutuskan mampir di Ende, mendulang peruntungan saya dengan Kelimutu. Akhirnya, setelah puas dengan Kelimutu jilid II dan dengan ketidaksengajaan ke Maumere, saya bisa bertemu keluarga saya waktu KKN di Palu’e, Kab. Sikka, yang kebetulan menetap di Maumere. Serta tentu, belanja tenun ikat di pasar!

Sawah jaring laba-laba, Cancar, Kab. Manggarai, NTT

Wae Rebo, Kab. Manggarai, NTT

Pantai Batu Hijau, Ende, Kab. Ende, NTT

Kelas menengah memiliki kemewahan untuk dapat bervakansi ke tempat yang jauh seperti Indonesia Timur, serta (selayaknya) kemampuan berpikir untuk mengolah apa yang ditemukan, dirasakan, dilihat untuk kembali menjadi modal dalam perbuatan dan visi kedepannya. Maka pergilah ke Indonesia Timur, lengkapi khazanah kebangsaan Anda dengan pesona timur yang selalu tak terduga. Pulang, dan sadarilah apa yang menjadi pekerjaan rumah kita.