Lewolaga: a lonely solo ride

I'd rather hurt than to feel nothing at all

After quite sometimes, I'm about to redo what I started months ago, a motorcycle ride. My friends all scatter away but I'm about to do this own my own anyway, one more journey to find my long lost soul.

My company start up already running, my study about to finish, money is concern but not a problem, mountains have been climbed, sea has been swam, books.... a lot of great books have been read.

What else?
The numbness ui this soul?
The urge to really feel something in this life?
Even if it's just pains?

With the devil on my left shoulder
wind in my face
engine on my two wheels
and road beneath me

The 3600km arduous journey have been begun.

I ride alone, solo, may god have mercy.

First rest: Ujung Galuh, Dec 7th
This ancient city port is the estuary of the great river road that connect the hinterland to the sea. It was the main port of the Hindu-Buddha once great empire in the middle age which dwell deep inland and still also be used by the succeeding Moslem Empire who ruled way in hinterland.
Still today act as the second largest city in this Republic, it's a gate for east archipelago trader and traveller. So why don't I start here?

Second rest: Blambangan, Dec 8th
Known by the old rulers as the hardest region to subdue. By old rulers I mean the two great empire that were mentioned above. This area in the corner of this island were protected by the mountains around it and only easily accessible from the sea. During the middle age, the conquest of this area marked the highwater in that old middle age empire. It pacify their stronghold in this island and enabled them to expand their influence to other island.
In the era of second empire, the history repeat itself, same old story. This lead to the two old folk stories that antagonize this whole area. First story is Minakjinggo and Damarwulan, The second story is Prabu Dewata Cengkar and Ajisaka. Both stories potrayed this area as land of evil giants and need to be conquer by the "good" warrior. This folk stories were written and told by the winners, obviously.

Crossing the stormy weather

Third rest: island of warrior n beauty december 10th
This place was known for its fierce warrior since 15th century. One of the famous slave from this island even started a rebellion against the second empire. Resembled the story of spartacus. Its also one of the last island that was subdue by the colonial power just in turn of 20th century.
Somehow the society can blend beauty and dead gracefully. A handsome candidate to seek death.

Fourth rest: weed and water island, december 12th.
Long and swelling sea were crossed. Landed on midnite on an abandoned seaside bungalow. Heavenly perfect for the loneliness that is bear. Next morning little people came bringing down their dried seaweed and palm flower water. We just drank n smoke for seems like eternity. Losing my track of time. When i woke up, i was at the beach with billie holiday and haruki murakami.

semeru: smaller soul journey

Ling deva mpu Kameswara tirthayatra

a holy man named Kameswara was doing a holy pilgrim

That inscription is written in a stone by Lake Kumbolo, it was made to commemorate the pilgrim of a holy man somewhere in between 10-15th century Kediri-Majapahit era.

Collaborators for this trip

Alejandro Gunawan

Alberto Damar Jono Triaji

Dionisio Agung Bloko Wardhianto

Francisco Nugroho

Our journey to Semeru National Park was not holy whatsoever, it was a fun trip that contain our personal journey. We departed from Jogjakarta by Malioboro Express train at October 3rd 2013 at 22.15. In the train we met a group of 5 friends who share the same destination with us. So we traveled as group to Semeru, because it's cheaper to share transportation cost. Once arrived in Malang at October 4th 2013 05.30 then went on chartered angkot to Tumpang, a small town east of Malang. Here we took truck to Ranu Pane the closest village to Semeru. Unfortunately at that time there were ongoing road repair construction work, so our truck couldn't reach Ranu Pane, we were dropped at Jemplang, a T-junction to Bromo or Semeru, we walked for about 2km passed the construction until we reached Bantengan an area overlooking Tengger sand crater. From Bantengan we took ojek to Ranu Pane, this whole debacle cost us half day.

At Ranu Pane,we registered our self to park ranger office and started our hike around 14.00, our destination was Ranu Kumbolo (ranu means lake) 9.81 km hike, vegetation was particularly thick in this track, with fallen logs, bush tunnels, and branches sticking out to the track. This was a long and winding track curvaceous at hillsides. Around 3pm until sunset, we hiked under hill shadows, the temperature drop, we expected hiking during day will be burning hot. By 7pm we reached Lake Kumbolo, it was located at a valley and the wind was strong, I was chilled, my friends built tent and cooked meal, once the tent ready I sleep right away in my sleeping bag without even bother to eat, sorry guys. 

I woke up early in the morning at October 5th 2013 and the scenery at Lake Kumbolo was breath taking, I have to admit it was not as overwhelming as the view at Segara Anakan Rinjani National Park but after a long walk and exhausted body, this view really was something. Bloko our mountain guide+chef made our spaghetti breakfast. At 09.00 we packed our camp and departed to Kalimati the 2nd closest camp before summit, 5km away from Lake Kumbolo. At 10.00 we crossed area which is called Oro-oro Ombo it was an ancient dried marshland with human-tall dried grass, fascinating, but the heat was unbearable. We crossed for about an hour and reached pines area called Cemara Kandang, here we rested exhausted from the heat. we continued our walk to the Jambangan hill, we reached there at 12.30 and consumed our natadecocogasm. Then descended toward Kalimati camp and reached there by 15.00. Alejandro and Bloko went to Sumber Mani, a spring to replenish our water, me and Jono built tent and collected firewood for the night.

That night Bloko went out with group of friends from Solo toward summit, they departed at midnight, around 03.00 at October 6th 2013 Bloko returned to the camp after reaching Arcopodo, the last camp before summit, due to cold weather. He waited for second night to summit again with Alejandro hoping the weather would be better. Me and Jono decided we didn't go to summit and took care the camp. Four of us just joke around, took photograph, cooked meal, and rolled our tobacco all day. At night I started our campfire with Jono while Bloko and Alejandro rested for the summit hike. Around 23.00 I rested, the east wind was getting stronger, I was shivering in my sleeping bag. In fact all of us shivered from the cold, for your information I'm the skinniest without many fat to warm my body, if the fattest and biggest in our group shiver from the cold, it means it was really cold. Bloko and Alejandro cancelled the plan for summit.

On October 7th 2013, we decided it was enough, packed our camp then we went back to Ranu Kumbolo, at noon we reached Kumbolo, it was picnic day, ate all day, photographing, set up campfire, cooked pork, drank our capirinha cocktail, and smoked our cigar. For short, we emptied our 2 doors fridge.

October 8th 2013, descended into Ranu Pane then by afternoon we have reached Tumpang, we spent the night at Tumpang basecamp which was Pak Rusdi house the truck owner, then in the morning we went to Malang train station again with Malioboro Express 08.15 to 15.15. In Jogja Angga was kind enough to pick us all in station then we ended our trip at Bu Komang Balinese Resto. NUMPAK NOGO

jogja train station

alejandro

francisco

alberto

dionisio

chartered angkot to tumpang

50cm, a 5cm film critic

bantengan overlooking Tengger sand crater

welcome gate at Ranu Pane

sunrise at Ranu Kumbolo

Ranu Kumbolo campsite

Ranu Kumbolo YAAAAAAAAY

Tanjakan Cinta

fuck it

Oro-oro Ombo

Oro-oro Ombo track

Cemoro Kandang

Jambangan hill

Kalimati camp 2

spaghetti

SD Inpres

milestone

Kalimati camp 3

Kalimati

up to Jambangan

Jambangan

Oro-oro Ombo view from Cemoro Kandang

so cute

crossing Oro-oro Ombo

up to Tanjakan Cinta

tanjakan SINGO by Bloko

stone inscription mentioned above

another sunrise at Ranu Kumbolo

serendipity

dreaming tree

Ranu Kumbolo camp 4

pack up

up to post 4

post 4 overlooking Ranu Kumbolo

new breed of ojeker

gorengan and local palm wine

on truck back to Tumpang

Malang train station

after 5 days without world news

Kalimati

Ranu Kumbolo

View Semeru in a larger map

nglanggeran: part two, philosopher night, a drunk one

Saturday night, we did small hike to a 600m hill east of Jogjakarta, part of Gunung Kidul Regency. Not much to say, it was a drunk wasted philosophical night. We woke up the next day and our campsite already empty, everyone left early in the morning. So next thing we did was strolling on the hill. And remember, bring down your freakin garbage!!!

night of drunkard philosopher

stupid big ass tent

caffeine and nicotine, what else could be better

mono sodium glutamat noodle

morning sun bath

viewing post

walk to summit

ancient volcanic rocks south face

north face

ow wow

hut at north summit

chillin

lit cigarette against the wind 

summit of nicotine part 1

summit of nicotine part 2

down the rope

127 minutes later

post 2

the slit

the stairs

slit stone

View nglanggeran part deux in a larger map