Overnight Hike to Mt. Merapi

after borobodur, we wanted to kill time before the 11 PM pick up from muntilan so we headed to cempaka villa and arranged for massage. since it was arranged via the hotel, the massage was rather expensive for what it is, but the good thing was that we had our own private room for a few hours so we were able to bathe and chill at the bed. in the end it was worth it.

after some difficulty in communicating with the staff, we finally had a taxi deliver us to klenteng hok an kiong. the lady from the villa said it is a chinese temple in town. i asked whether the place is crowded (ergo, if it's safe because there would be people around) and she was not sure how to answer (her english was not good). i told jasmine we need to make sure we are waiting in an open area, a well-lit one. she found that there is a convenience store near the temple. good enough. as we got off the taxi, a few men were inquiring who are we waiting for, where are we going, etc, so luckily we already know that we would have to wait opposite the temple and i sent a mail to the tour company to pick us up from there. perhaps they just wanted to be helpful, but being around a few men in the dark and in a foreign country gets the pinay in me to switch to auto-defense mode :)

it was around 11 when the transport arrived and it seemed we were the last group. probably all the other hikers were staying in yogyakarta. after about an hour and a short bumpy scary ride in the darkness we reached base camp. we were given coffee and tea, had a chance to be acquainted with fellow hikers and at exactly 1 am, we started walking. 

by the way, gunung merapi means mountain of fire. this volcano is the most active in indonesia and therefore dangerous to trek, hence it is advisable to get a guide. the last two major eruptions occurred in 2006 and then in 2010, destroying villages and there were casualties. as such, before any trekking is done, the guides need to check-in with authorities to know until which summit hikers are allowed for the day, as the seismic activities are constantly being monitored for any risks.

that evening there were 11 hikers and 4 guides, and the main guide said that the ratio of 1 guide to 3 hikers is just nice. they anticipated that the groups would split up at some point, depending on people's pace. base camp is in the hilly town of new selo, so at first the path was okay as there were some lights from the houses. but as we reached the end of the neighborhood that was where the fun began. it was pitch black save for our head lamps. we were walking on the edge of the mountain, and the ground was moist and a bit slippery. 

at first we were in the middle of the pack, and a couple of french girls were walking very fast and are ahead of everyone else, including the guides. at some point, they got carried away while walking and talking and took a wrong turn. the main guide shouted for them to turn back, and then he led the way. i was right behind him when the madness started. the path started to become really steep. it was like walking up a staircase, except you're walking on uneven steps with nothing to hold on to. as we traveled without check-in luggage, i did not bring walking sticks. which was a mistake. again. 

jasmine was behind me, so i did not notice how she was faring then. suddenly she called me out, and she was huffing and puffing. i was worried and i immediately thought we are not going to make it at this stage. but then, there is no point pushing someone beyond their limits when you are not exactly in a position to help much. not wanting to hold the entire group, i asked the main guide to let everyone else go ahead, but to assign one guide to stay with us. he stayed, and i was glad, because he seemed to be the leader of the group. 

in a few moments, the entire pack was gone. we never saw them again until we all reconvened at the base camp later on.

it was not safe to stop where we were, so i asked our guide where can we take shelter and wait for the sunrise. he said we have to do it at pos 1. he said it will take another 30 minutes perhaps, and jasmine said that at the rate we're going maybe it will be an hour. 

we took another hour and a half.

to help ease things up, he carried jasmine's backpack, and eventually held on to her and started to pull her up because the ascent was really steep. it was no means easy, and i was struggling as well, but there can only be one princess in a hike :-D not that i mind though as i really wanted to push myself this time. in fact, i did not bring warm pants because i had no intention to stop and anticipated that i will sweat like a pig anyway.

when we finally arrived at pos 1, it was past 3. at that point there was no way we would make it to pos 2 for the sunrise. the guide then arranged to make us comfortable and found a spot behind a big boulder and collected lots of leaves for a make-shift bed and then started to create a bonfire. i knew that my ass would hurt if i lie down on the ground with only the leaves - that are still connected in twigs - to support my back. so i tried to rest at the hut and sipped on my green tea which was quickly becoming cold. when i couldn't take it anymore, i went over to their shelter. "he said you'd come here eventually", jasmine told me. of course he knows this mountain and how cruel it is. the boulder was a good shelter because the winds were too strong.

it was really hard to sleep, but since we were all tired, we managed to snooze a little bit. around 5 i got up and wandered as the first light started to line up the sky. (if i'm being honest though, i got up because i had to pee. and after greenland, i've become an expert at wilderness peeing mwahahaha). after a few minutes i woke them up, as i'm sure they would not have wanted to miss what i was seeing.

the guide then showed me the spot for viewing the sunrise. he said that it's quite cloudy, so it might not be so likely to see it completely. but i think i've already had enough misfortune, so the mountain gods gave me this as a consolation.

it was so perfect. everything was suddenly right in the world. LOL

we sat there in awe for a few more minutes until the sun melted into the clouds and the rainforest came alive. the morning dew has made the ground wet and somewhat muddy, which means very slippery. that made for an exciting descent, if you can call it that. jasmine and i were slipping alternately. if i had a video for every time we slipped it would have been a segment in just for gags. it was all funny until i finally had a serious one. jasmine was being escorted by our guide, who attentively held her hand and made sure she won't slip, while all i had was one walking stick (not a pair, just one) that our guide lent me. i made a wrong step and slipped and dragged my ass for about a meter! 

WITH ESCORT.

WITHOUT ESCORT. that's already after wiping most of the mud on to the grass blades. 

they asked if i was okay, and i said i was, but i was sure there were going to be at least 2 bruises from that fall.

later on i found out i had a total of 5. hahaha!

we continued on and saw amazing views of the neighboring mount merbabu. merbabu is taller than merapi but our guide said it is somewhat easier to get up there. interesting.

when we finally reached new selo base camp, we had to wait for the rest of the pack. i tended to my small scratches/wounds by applying isoprophyl alcohol which i brought from singapore. i poured it onto the wounds and it stung like a hundred bees. but it was an instant relief afterwards. i love it.

the rest of the group arrived after about an hour. they said that they were not allowed to go all the way up to the rim of the crater. we were glad that everybody unanimously agreed not to stop for breakfast anymore and to just go be dropped straight back to their hotels. i really wanted to do the same because i was so sure i'm ready to pass out haha.

so this adventure in merapi did not end up as i expected, which taught me another great lesson: never underestimate the mountains. i should have brought enough warm clothes (pants especially) even though i would have had to remove them later on anyway, because i didn't and i suffered for it. also, to never hike again without walking sticks.

the highest point we reached was pos 1 which was only at 2150m above sea level. apparently a few hundred meters further up, the trees are smaller and less dense and further apart, until you don't see any. when finally you feel that the ground is warmer then you're probably closer to the peak. i guess i won't find out how that feels :(

OR i can. i just need to be prepared to pay again for flights and accommodation. 
>.<

and so, merapi is now an unfinished business.

Temple-Hopping (Sambisari, Prambanan, Borobudur)

if our first day was all about castles, the second one was all about temples.

i have picked this 3-day itinerary from discoveryourindonesia where the first day of tour would be a visit to 3 temples. we were promptly picked up by our driver dodi at 8am and i immediately had a good feeling about him. he's a jolly fella.

the first temple we visited was candi sambisari. it's a tiny 9th century hindu temple that was accidentally discovered by a farmer when he was working the land and his hoe his a carved stone. the temple is buried 5 meters down and was suspected so as a result of mount merapi's volcanic eruption. 

we did not spend a lot of time here because it was so small, and by 9:30am we were already on our way to the next one.

that next temple is prambanan temple complex. most people visit both prambanan and borobodur and there is a package price for it. dodi said that the price in IDR fluctuates because it is pegged at 40USD, and so depending on the exchange rate, the price in local currency can only be determined in the morning of that day. today it was 550.000IDR. "do you want to pay only 500.000IDR?", he asked. it took us a moment and then we agreed. of course, who doesn't want to pay less? :-D it helps when your driver has serious connections!

prambanan is a lot more impressive, being the largest hindu temple in indonesia. it is a UNESCO world heritage site. even with a discounted price, 40USD is still quite a lot to pay for visiting this temple and borobudur. hopefully all that money is funding the restoration and rehabilitation of the temples. the complex is quite clean and orderly, so the people in charge must be doing it right. it is definitely worth visiting even for that much.

we spent quite a considerable amount of time here because there was a lot of temples and each one contains different hindu gods. jasmine and i went different ways to explore so we could both take our time. it was quite sunny then, but as i went up the temples there was a gentle breeze and it was lovely. i didn't even need to put the auntie towel on my back, i wasn't sweating so much! ha!

there is a lot going on in this place. as i exited the temple compound, i've seen that there were a lot of activities available for visitors such as horse-riding, archery and a mini amusement park for kids. there are picnic areas too, and even deer and birds enclosures. there's something for everyone!

we were parched after this visit so we headed for lunch. the next item in the itinerary was borobodur, but that was supposed to be for sunset viewing and it was just past noon. so post lunch we asked dodi if he can squeeze in another destination that is along the way to borobodur. he suggested tebing breksi. jasmine looked it up and the pictures looked good, so we went. haha. 

tebing (cliff) breksi is a relatively new attraction, inaugurated in 2015. there is no entrance fee per se, it is by donation basis. dodi just had to pay 5000 IDR for parking. 

the place itself was not as astonishing as the temples, but it was a nice break from the long drive from prambanan to borobodur and also, the views of jogja city and the temples was quite nice. and then there's the familiar breeze that was totally welcomed on a hot afternoon.

we left after maybe half an hour and headed to our final temple destination: borobodur temple. of course, this needs no introduction. the largest buddhist temple in the world, another UNESCO world heritage site, the pride of yogyakarta. understandably, there were a lot of visitors.

we arrived around 4pm so it was only about an hour until sunset. even though the temple is huge, it is all sitting on one giant platform, unlike in prambanan where the temples were scattered, so navigating around was easier. an hour was more than enough time to take photos and also sit and enjoy the views as the sun was getting ready to set. 

borobodur closed at 5pm, which was just around sunset time, and the guards had to persuade everyone to start walking towards the exit. the funny thing was, as people were leaving, the temptation to stay a little bit was stronger, because there was less likelihood of people photo-bombing. 

like when we put on a timer and took this photo :-D i was giggling because the guard was standing and looking at the camera timer, as if begging for it to snap already haha

  
as it got dark we hopped back into the car, and dodi delivered us to cempaka villa where we arranged for a massage to prepare us for the overnight hike to mount merapi. and that ended up to be quite an adventure.

Yogyakarta: Castle Day!

it's always awesome to not have to work on your birthday, and luckily this year diwali festival falls on october 18th, a wednesday, and perfect to just get 2 days off for a 5-day vacation. jasmine and i decided to head to yogyakarta in a heartbeat, and today after a big goodbye hug and kiss to my beloved boy, we boarded an AirAsia flight.

budget airlines are known for flight delays and today was no exception. we were worried because we had already planned that as we land we would go straight to taman sari as it closes at 3pm. the flight was delayed by 45 minutes, and so when we landed (and luckily without checked in baggage) we did not bother to check for taxi prices and went straight with transport services to take us there for 100.000idr (about 10sgd).

30 minutes later we arrived at taman sari water castle. this place used to be the royal garden of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. it is about 2km from the kraton or the sultanate palace. in the past it was in fact a big complex, but on recent years most areas have become a settlement for locals. only the open baths and tunnels exist and can be accessed by public. 

some modest articles about taman sari would say that princesses bathe here to be hunted by the sultan, but perhaps the more appropriate word for them are concubines. it is no secret that polygamy was widely accepted (did people have a choice?) among royalty back then. it was actually nice to know that the incumbent sultan of yogyakarta is monogamous and has ended a very ugly tradition. most of his princess daughters are also very politically active and advocate for gender equality and education.

i love the architecture of taman sari, especially the gates. the notable lion guards that typically exist in most temples are embedded in the gates surrounding the bath complex. as per wiki though, the architecture has a european touch as the man in charge of the construction of the bath complex project traveled to europe to learn of european architecture. there was also mention of a portuguese man who apparently arrived in java from a shipwreck who was a builder and was tasked to construct a house. he did and it pleased the sultan and he was given a stature as demang or village headman. the claim that he was the architect of taman sari was being disputed by a research though, with evidences that it was all local javanese design. in any case, we will leave that argument to the experts :)

the next thing to explore are the tunnels. back in the day these tunnels used be underwater, as the complex rested on a man-made lake, which made the buildings to be separate islands. they were interconnected and so the royal family would take these underwater passages to get to the pools and other parts of the complex. of course the man-made lake is gone and the islands are now settlements. it's great that the tunnels remain and are now open to public. 

walking between sites, we had a glimpse of the village and the locals. it was awesome that the locals plant a lot of trees, and we saw some fruit-bearing ones. oh i really wanted that rambutan and giant avocado! of course we didn't ask, but if we did, the locals would probably proudly let us have some. they were mostly friendly (except the batik-crafting woman who refused to let jasmine photograph her) and helpful with directions.

clockwise: rambutan, chiku, avocado, kerson

the part of the complex we visited closes at 4pm, so we actually had enough time to see everything. we headed to water castle cafe afterwards as we have not had proper lunch. it was a nice home cafe just across taman sari, behind the plaza. the family-run cafe was very cozy and literally warm - so the lady let me help myself to a fan.

we had javanese dishes of course: special nasi campur and gado-gado. they were very healthy versions. nasi campur - which literally means mixed rice - was served with chicken, snow peas, tomatoes, corn that were stir fried and in a curry sauce, topped with fresh fruits like mango and strawberry and garnished with julienned turnips. wow! who knew that would work? the gado-gado is quite a typical dish, but this one was served with only veggies and a very thick paste than the usual gado-gado i have in singapore. both were delicious.

   
as we left we asked the cafe lady where to get a taxi and she told us to walk past the market to get one. we didn't know it was about a kilometer out! after working out a sweat a taxi magically appeared and we headed to our hotel. after just a bit of rest, we headed out for dinner.. in a castle! 

we have read about this restaurant which has pretty good reviews, amazing structure and the best part was - it's only a 10 minute drive from our hotel. 

we were not disappointed because food was yummy and reasonably priced, service was great and the place is a delight to the eyes. 

but the birthday celebration was not over yet. we saved the best for last. jasmine insisted that we buy proper champagne (yes the expensive cuvee!) to pop at the end of the night. and why not, it's our birthday! so we hit the pool, took those iconic photographs and then had some cake (courtesy of the hotel) and bubbly. 

and that's how we rolled on the first day. it was my birthday, so we did indulge ourselves, but the next day was meant to work a sweat. it was going to be temple day - and then an overnight hike!