Sebuah Doa Penghiburan bagi Pemenang yang Dipaksa Kalah [Untuk Kendeng]

“Kita telah melawan, Nak, Nyo, sebaik-baiknya, sehormat-hormatnya.” Nyai Ontosoroh, Bumi Manusia.

Lima tahun lalu saya pertama kali berkenalan dengan Pram. Yang tadinya hanya tugas mata kuliah Hukum Antar Tata Hukum kemudian meresap ke dalam hati. Cara yang unik dari dosen saya membentuk kami. Roman, yang bercerita dan bicara pada rasa; bergandengan dengan buku teks, yang memberikan kami pengetahuan: tentang hukum, tentang logika dan analisis, tentang apa yang dikatakan di undang-undang dan diputuskan di pengadilan. Seakan-akan saya bisa mendengar dosen saya berpesan, “Di balik setiap kasus, ada cerita. Bersama setiap norma, ada rasa – ialah keadilan itu.”

Kemarin saya merasa sedikit patah hati. Alkisah petani pegunungan di suatu tempat bernama Kendeng – melawan. Penguasa menginginkan tanah mereka – pegunungan karst Kendeng yang telah turun temurun didiami mereka – menjadi pabrik semen. Mereka melawan; sebaik-baiknya, sehormat-hormatnya. Seperti Nyai Ontosoroh yang menghadap ke muka pengadilan, mereka lalui semua proses itu. Mereka ajukan gugatan ke pengadilan. Mereka berdialog, mereka berjalan kaki ratusan kilo, mereka lakukan aksi damai mengecor kaki di depan Istana Negara, mereka berkemah berhari-hari lagi di kantor Gubernur, mereka bergeming ketika tenda mereka dirusak paksa, dan mereka berdoa. Ketika akhirnya Mahkamah Agung memenangkan gugatan TUN mereka dalam Peninjauan Kembali, beberapa dari mereka sedang menjalani proses hukum pidana – seperti biasa, dalam konflik, korban yang melawan akan dikriminalisasi.

Terakhir hati saya terpaut perjuangan seajeg dan setulus ini adalah ketika saya membaca sejarah konflik warga Porsea dengan PT Indorayon Inti Utama pada era 80an akhir hingga 90an awal. Akhir cerita PT IIU pernah indah – setelah perjuangan panjang dengan menempuh jalur hukum, lobi, demonstrasi – Pemerintah Pusat dan DPR RI pernah memutuskan kegiatan ini tidak dilanjutkan. Namun, di era Megawati, pemerintah memutuskan melanjutkan proyek ini, memberikan izin baru dan menjamin “paradigma baru” dalam operasinya. Kini, Porsea menjadi mantan pemenang yang tak ingin bicara – yang membiarkan camatnya menolak siapapun yang ingin bicara “lingkungan” untuk masuk ke kampung. Yang kuli-kuli pabriknya menghapus sejarah perjuangan mereka di masa lalu, enggan bercerita karena takut terdengar atasannya. Yang mantan aktivis terberaninya bisa berkata, “Kalau kamu tanya saya tentang TPL, saya tidak akan jawab.” 

Warga Kendeng menang di pengadilan. Tapi kemenangan itu sementara – penguasa mematuhi putusan MA dan mencabut Izin Lingkungan yang menjadi pokok permasalahan. Namun, ada ranah di mana suara mereka, dan suara kami, kurang bertenaga. Warga Kendeng tidak memiliki kemewahan ahli-ahli yang turun ke jalan sebagaimana warga Porsea dulu. Dan dalam sekali sidang addendum AMDAL, dokumen yang dipermasalahkan bertahun-tahun dalam gugatan TUN itu kembali dinyatakan layak – sekalipun ada beberapa perubahan yang disyaratkan. Saya tak ingin menuduh siapapun menjual ilmu pengetahuan, tapi bisakah saya tak mempertanyakan – tak adakah suara yang mewakili karst pegunungan Kendeng, dan bercerita pada yang mulia para anggota komisi sidang AMDAL mengapa ia begitu signifikan bagi lingkungan? Tak adakah yang memastikan penilaian holistik dalam Bab 4 AMDAL benar-benar dinilai secara holistik? Tak adakah yang mempertanyakan jika sidang sehari cukup untuk melihat kembali ekosistem karst Kendeng secara utuh? Dan mengapa hanya ada satu alterantif bagi warga Kendeng – relokasi, pindah paksa?

Annelies juga kalah, tapi Nyai Ontosoroh dan Minke yang hidup dari pena Pram memenangkan hati orang-orang seperti kami. Ada yang pernah berkata, kami harus tabah untuk selalu kalah. Sekalipun kami menang di pengadilan, penguasa pasti punya cara memaksakan keinginannya – dan ilmu pengetahuan tak selalu jujur. Kendeng belum berakhir – dan semoga sisa-sisa tenaga mereka untuk melawan tetap ada. Saya ingin mendongengkan Bumi Manusia kepada ibu-ibu yang lelah, dan memberitahu mereka bahwa mereka adalah bagian dari cerita.

Saya ingin memaksa lembaga saya untuk bersikap dan bersiap - memaksa mata dan jari saya mengeksplorasi di mana celah hukum yang cukup strategis untuk melawan.

Kami akan melawan, Nyai. Sebaik-baiknya, sehormat-hormatnya.

Kisah kita adalah Bumi Manusia yang sesungguhnya.

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!

Quick Update: Leuser & Togian!

How surprising it was to see that my last post was from this February - some 6 months ago. Yet I was still unsure whether or not I'll be able to complete this post amidst the busy schedule of my crazier and crazier workpack.

But hey, here's a starter about what had happened, and what I MUST write before I forget these big things that had happened within the last 6 months:

I hiked Leuser. Alone. No, not so alone, I was accompanied by Mr. Jaly and Mr. Ucin, both are my guide and my mentor during the 12 days trek. Apparently I injured my knees. I hit so many branches, fell down couple of times and bruised my knees badly one or two times -- and kept walking for 6-10 hours per day. I spent much money -- I did not budget, and the fact that the amount of money (and energy) I spent to buy and carry the food of my guides were significant did not bother me anymore. And my satisfaction for this 50km, 3,404 masl tropical mountain was way higher than my 1 day 5,500 masl hike in the Atacama desert. Maybe because this was the first long hike I ever did. Or maybe just because... those two people, of Indonesian typical simplicity, who shared their thoughts with me, their life values, dedication, their simple yet delicious meals and the dangdut music during the days and nights. The kind of simplicity that made me going back again and again to mountains. The kind of pleasure you cannot get in fancy arranged tour, not in dive resort, not in group holiday with your friends.

So that's your another checklist, Quina. Write Leuser. You promised your friends. Here's the sneak peek:

I dived Togian. You are a tropical heaven, eastern Indonesia. I said above: I can't fully enjoy diving. The degree of satisfaction is different. I was surrounded by crazy, lovely, funny people with enough silly things happened to them to keep us laughing. And the underwater scenery made me ecstatic, especially I dived a proper water for the first time (after the previous dives were only in Jakarta's Thousand Islands). It was just the right pack: I got a perfect instructor who similarly excited to show us funny creatures, holiday peers with similar excitement about the underwater world (and getting the right buoyancy), perfect room and perfect spot to chill, great healthy food, flawless stargazing every night, and on and on and on.  And we incidentally made a perfect arrangement: we snorkeled the jellyfish lake, hiked the volcano, discovered all the awesome dive spots, met countless fishes and wrote down their names, read enough good books, played enough games, drank enough beers. But still it's a different kind of pleasure.

Maybe it's like you get a perfect handsome fiancee with awesome attitude and excelling career but you still prefer the hipster dude next door who jump one job to another for his living. Life's weird.

PS: Remind me to write 'em both!!!

#NeverStopLearning: DIVE

So this will be my review for my dive class with RAID & certification process, merged with my own thoughts about diving.

"Why do you dive?" some people asked me, whether in my class or during the trip. The honest answer is "I just want to learn how to dive," - maybe that's all. And as to why I'm curious to learn how to dive is another matter. I love watching living beings, and get to know underwater living beings requires technological support. For me, learn to dive is basically learning to take advantage of those technological support. It's a method to facilitate my meetings with those underwater beings.

So I took a dive class: Open Water 20. That means I can do recreational diving for up to 20 meters. That does not mean I can dive into wreck, underwater installations, cave or do any night diving as those activities require additional training. I was with RAID, Rebreather Association of International Divers, a Stockholm-based diving organization which have authority to issue diving certification. I registered in December and got a discount - the training cost me IDR 3,900K in total, including 3x confined water sessions, a 2D1N trip (with 4 dives) and a pair of fins. And the best: I got a competent instructor who also happen to be PADI instructor, totally knowledgeable and willing to openly share his knowledge if you ask. I also got a small class during the confined water sessions (around 4 people max) and flexibility to learn by myself.

For the theory, basically what I did is studying multiple modules by myself, which I can access in RAID website. There are 9 modules that covers diving in general, environment, equipment, physics, physiology, rescue, management, confined water training, and open water training. Each modules consisted of around 20-30 pages, written in a nice way that made it easy to read, and contain important information for us to know before getting into the water. Ideally, you read all the modules first and do all the quizzes before you go into your confined water trainings. There are some important information for you to pay attention to, especially related to your body and the effects of the pressure, nitrogen, etc to your lungs, sinuses and other body organs during your dives. Anyway, I love the layout of the modules! They are simple and super handy -- you can read it literally anywhere (as in your tabs, cellphone, printed!) as long as you're not doing dangerous activity (i.e. reading while driving).

However I was given flexibility to be lazy in working with the theory. I did all my quizzes last minute, and I did my final exam right before my open water session! Yes, as in midnight! Even worse, a friend of mine did not do the theory as well as the exam, and still permitted to continue the open water session and the skill test. It's really up to you as long as you have enough information in your head from other sources, but if you don't -- I won't suggest you to do this. You might want to get as much information as possible from your manual and clarify unclear things your instructor just because you paid! If you did not consult the manual and ask directly, there's always possibility that the answers you got are merely practical, but you'll never learn how it should be ideally. One example is when I asked about diving with cold / flu / cough, and everyone (both instructor and more experienced student) answered it's alright. What I got in the modul is quite different:

Okay dude, this is Indonesia. That's enough to remember: our level of danger is totally out of the common sense. So, maybe assuming them to bother is a logical fallacy in itself?

The confined water sessions are fun themselves. It took place in Senayan Pool, which is nor bad neither good, errr... not really fine, too. There are some skills you should study during the confined water training. My instructor particularly put emphasis in buoyancy - as it is the basic of all, and it requires much practice to master your buoyancy. Some blogs warned me to demand the session covers all important skills: cleaning and putting on your mask, no air & alternate air source operations, putting in and putting off your equipment underwater, and it should include CESA. In some of the courses, not all skills are taught. So, in picking your course, you should ask in advance and demand the lesson yourself. Always remember: those might be important, and you have a right to know.

The open water session were a 2D1N trip to Sepa Island of DKI Jakarta's Thousand Islands. It consisted of four dives: first dive was to test the skills (Day 1) and the rest were for fun. Nothing much to tell in here, maybe will write a separate article about that. We were taken to this resort island, get to know other divers in our group (which totalling to 9 people), had a nice chat, nice meals, and nice dives.

And that's what particularly unfulfilling for me: the (social) environment that surrounding dive trips. The dive itself were fulfilling: you see underwater creatures, looking at their behavior, wandering around alien environment, getting excited when you see some stuffs of interest, going here and there with your buoyancy (like in outer space!), and ocassionally get your heart pinched when you're passing by bleached corals.

I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't tired and fully spoiled. I hate it. It's not the type of travel I like. I like getting tired after a full day walk, I love getting my skin burned and all my muscles sore, even swelling! I love being out of breath and testing my physical limit. But in diving, I don't even have to swim. I buoyed. I was supported by equipment. I was in a nicely organized trip. I slept in a really nice room, I did not have to bother cooking, I can take coffee break right after every dive, I can shower anytime I like. It's just... I don't like it.

The other thing that annoy me is how diving is a very exclusive recreation. It excludes less financially viable people (which sometimes are the most exciting to talk to!) from the trip, automatically by the price itself. I did not say I don't meet interesting people: I did, but as a wholly different experience - they're all middle class and beyond, and I already encounter middle class almost everyday. I heard my frieds talking about buying stuffs almost in every catch up (while no one really have a plan on what to do with their old stuff, which often still in good conditions!), and that's also the convo I almost always heard during the dive trip. Of course I learned many perspectives, and many interesting reasons why they dive, as well as many interesting dive plans that they prepared. I like many of them, I made new friends and I heard their stories. But, do you know what I'm talking about?

It might sound completely abnormal to y'all, but my most precious conversation were actually with bus drivers, kenek, captains of boats, fishermen, farmers, local children, porters, all those chaotic webs of local people and their fights, people who worked any job while travel, or less financially viable people who worked multiple jobs so hard to spare their money for the backpacker trips. And in dive trips, where you're placed in an island solely built for recreational purposes, no hipster cafe to meet hipster travelers, no library, you don't hear those sounds. Instead, you hear the sounds, stories from your class. It's beautiful, but just... less exciting. I don't know, maybe now I sound like objectifying people to add sugar and spices in my trip.

The other thing is about the conversation that I missed so bad after the Lewis & Clark days. I thought divers might have it: the excitement for marine environment. I know Portland are weird and maybe I should not expect conversations about ecology, behavior of the animals down there, the local people around these islands, some dirty little secret of the developers, hypotheses of where the grey water and black water and all the trashes go, etc. Goddamn crazy hipster environmentalists, here is Indonesia and I should get rid of my thoughts about it. But really, in mountains of this land, at least in my peers, I have some nice conversation about how much the porters actually made, health concern they raised, how to make the waste management, bringing people back to nature, mental trainings, and so many other things. In backpacking I've got so much knowledge from the other travelers who really keen to understand the socio-political context of the places they visited, talk about encounters to local people, raising issues about people's economy and sanitation, etc.

So that's the beginning note about the dive! It was exciting in a way (the fact of learning itself is sooo exciting!) and not really exciting in another way. Anyway, I still LOVE it! :))