Introduction
Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Lorient train to Paris where I arrived just to catch my plane, and yes, the anti-pension reform into place and block the Parisian transport. Some movies and delicious meals later, I arrived in Surabaya.
Hospitality is already more than good, escorted by a woman of Garuda Airlines, I rush to withdraw money to pay my visa and then Indonesia. I take a taxi with him and began a long but fruitful search of a hotel.
time deposit my bag and I hop in the street and I like to walk the streets again in Indonesia where "Hello mister" are legion. I stop at a small lolo, eats some chicken and rice, talks with restaurateur and'm looking for a cyber cafe. I meet many people who greet me, I am escorted by a young scooter to cyber cafe, then, despite the interminable slowness of the network, I hasten to share my first impressions to Eve and friend Nico.
Genteng
A bejak, waiting at the station, an Indonesian with a fifties who advises me on the bus rather than train a woman and daughter with me to proper bus and I am en route to Genteng! East Java. During the journey of four hundred miles, I met a family man who lives just Genteng. It comes down to the hotel where I intend to spend the night. I actually did not want to land with my friends in full evening. The room is OK, my friend greets me and tells me he will pick me up tomorrow morning and will accompany me to hunting buddies. Thanks mate!
I go to bed later that night, not because of jet lag but more because it is full of football world cup and that France is playing its second game of chicken. A good laugh later shared with Indonesian insomniacs and I am lying. Knock-knock, knock on my door, I am ready and I share breakfast with my friend yesterday. We climbed on his motorcycle and we're en route to a treasure hunt. I thought it better to remember places but now I realize that one year after sharing four days in their company have completely lost my bearings from my memory. And yes, June 17, 2009, a year to the day, Nick and I took the bus to Probolinggo and left our band of merry men. We are approaching, nay, we burn, the sacred place without I do not tilt, we print the address in a cybercafe and neighbors show photos of our friends carefully imported from France. It tells us a direction and path, bang!
I remember the road and as I approached the house Yayak, who do I see on his bicycle? Yayak! Yes-yes! I get off the bike, we run toward each other and take in the arms as brothers who have not seen in years. It is good to see him again! The others arrive in their turn, Iga, Yanto ... Varied on Bali and is expected to arrive soon, meanwhile Assa Surabaya is on for the job. We take tea with the man with the bike, I thank him warmly for having accompanied me thus far and go for two weeks in Indonesia!
The days start early here on Java, the neighbors come out the speakers on the terrace from 5-6am, the alarm clock for the entire village. The first few days we'll essentially meet new friends, friends of friends, including those encountered in English by Mr Fouad, Faiz, Yusuf, Umi and Debhir, not forgetting the little Dino who speaks excellent English his young age. I am entitled my first swim a river, an exchange of soap in the wilderness, what a great time ... and my first freshly cut coconut with a machete.
Then I go from house to house, I am invited to several ceremonies ranging from the religious character in honor of a child's neighborhood and that the election of a politician.
We take the time to also play football jerseys French have their good pleasure, even if Yanto laughed yellow light that I offered him that of France, France's great Domenech !
And yes, it's the World Cup and it is good to watch surrounded by his friends in Indonesia, it defuses the situation easily, so-called catastrophic through their smiles and their joy of living.
Yaya's family has kindly hosted for fifteen days. Yaya gave me her room, where we finished almost all of our evenings watching the football games on its TV mini full of snow. We eat in almost all houses, invitations rained down, the opportunity to gain strength before THE expedition.
After a few days to visit the corner of Genteng, playing football, fishing the eel and rice paddies to visit the local crafts (making Peci, percussion) ...
... we begin the discussion of the expedition for the Ijen Plateau .
The famous Javanese volcano has a large reserve suffers some brave make their livelihood. This volcano also contains the largest acid lake in the world by its size and the second for its acidity.
We all developed in terms of transportation, accommodation once there then the number of persons constituting the shipment. The driver is found, the negotiated price for accommodation on site so we'll see. We will get up at 6am tomorrow morning, the appointment is set at 7 am for everyone's house Yayak. We will be 6 total share of adventure: Irwan, Iga, Yusuf, Faiz, and the indefatigable Yanto, The Comedian, and me. Yaya is still stuck at home for health problems.
We have two hours to reach the city of Djenten, where we embark towards the volcano. But no matter how careful, the Indonesian course on the back of a truck loaded with lumber, the roots whereof cons few rupiah.
We spend an hour and a half to make us shake in all directions, impossible to bite a nap, and the road is so rutted that the driver crawls. We arrive at the foot of the crater and will spend the night in the base camp. We sat in the room and go out the pole up there because the temperature drops quickly and the early evening is cool. Pals take a few minutes to pray.
We drink some Bintang (yes I know, for muslims is not good ...) and eat delicious mid-goreng. After a contest of who will remain as long as bare-chested to withstand the cold, we go to bed. He is 20h. We get up at 2am and start climbing at night. We put two hours to overcome the three long miles.
We met many workers carrying their wicker basket filled to the brim with suffering. We reach the crest of the volcano, waiting for the sunrise and seeing a wonderful show. The sun rises over the acid lake and its emerald green color blends with the yellow fumes of sulfur.
We circle the crater and descend to meet the workers. They extract the minerals sulfur then back to the top of the crater. Imagine you wear on the shoulders of 70kg blocks of suffering and climb along the crater. We normally we put three quarters of an hour to go up, so with this load without security and a path very narrow and steep in places ... It must recognize the merit and the courage of these men.
After talking with some workers and breathed the toxic vapor we retrace our steps. Yanto and I try on the way back to lift the famous basketball suffers on our shoulders. Mission Impossible, even Rambo can not.
I give great respect to those workers of darkness that can turn our small Christmas candles with the suffering of our matches. At 100 rupiah per kg, or 8 cents, many of us would soon be discouraged.
University
Yusuf aunt, Zidner, who teaches English at the University of Genteng. In a shared meal with her and her husband, she asked me if I was interested to come and talk about my journey, my life in France and my work to his students. Without hesitation I accepted his proposal and am happy to come talk about it in the company of Yusuf and Yanto. It was an opportunity for the latter to get to know a few girls but his timidity got the better momentum of the first night. Actually when you go to college, he feigned an inability to explain that his uncle needed her scooter. Family First!
The episode University went wonderfully, with the exchange students was very interesting. I even managed to get some addresses of people living in the vicinity of G-land, not bad? Students speak English well, are really interested in Western culture and their curiosity is impressive.
Thirty people who travel specifically to the university and remain one hour in a chair listening to a Breton speaking and what is not everywhere that you would see this. A group photo in the middle class and a handful of hand with the director of the university will close this great day rewarding and dynamic.
Red Island
Island red.
Here Varied works occasionally as a salesman in a surf shop close to the waves.
So before taking the road towards the waves, we embark on the boards and then scoot ride two to three hours. Arrived on site we have our picnic and then we nous mettons à l’eau, Varied, Dino et moi. Les vagues sont puissantes, quelques-unes déroulent correctement et le top est que nous sommes seuls à l’eau. La plage et les vagues pour nous tous seuls ! Enfin presque…
Entre deux séries nous apercevons trois hélicoptères longeant la côte, l’un d’eux se pose sur la plage pendant que les deux autres survolent le bord de mer et crachent quelques soldats directement dans les vagues. On se croirait en pleine guerre du Vietnam. Les GI américains s’amusent un peu dans les vagues puis remontent sur la plage. C’est la grande attraction pour des dizaines d’indonésiens. Ils se rush to the helicopters and begin the discussion with the soldiers.
The halt will last three hours, then the soldiers depart to the east.
Yusuf Yanto and want to learn to surf. I give them tips so they can begin to learn slowly. The waves are very powerful and I feel Yanto is not really confident. I asked him to lie on the surf and I push him when the wave arrives, he only trying to get up. It breaks but drains very quickly.
It's good to be in the shoes of a teacher surf on a deserted beach of East Java, which is more in Indonesia with his buddies. This good day was physically exhausting, we return to the dark.
G-land
is where it all began and where, this time , everything ends. It's always challenging for an expedition reach the famous art of Java. Unlike 95% of surfers who go there, we, we do not take the boat from Bali (about 200 € round trip per person) or an air-conditioned taxi. For our band is scooter for five hours, two above, with the shoulder boards. Then off the bike Yayak crashes, one hour of repair at a garage, it will restart but will shut down from time to time along the route.
We are full of mid-goreng and water for two days at G-land. The road that leads to the Alas Purwo National Park is opened. The rain the previous days makes the task almost impossible. We arrive somehow at Triangulassi where we ask our business, eat among the monkeys on the lookout for any waste can share a game of football. Nothing like a little bodysurfing in the waves of a very powerful meter to unclog them.
We go to the dark towards the Pancura Resort. We sit in the mosque where we spend the night. A fire, a good flat feet, a little story Yanto and we sleep peacefully, at the same ground with the body bag as a pillow ...
The next morning we were awakened by the sun, I even believe that this is the best day of your stay. A 4X4 picks us up after drinking tea and transports us to the spot.
We stopped midway at a spot called "Twenty-one, but the swell is too big to walk the wave. So we'll go surfing G-land.
The place is always so beautiful, the boys took the opportunity to improve their English, deal with tourists and begin the conversation.
I put my lycra and throw myself into the water before the tide is too low and not too discovered the reef. The session is memorable, a good meter Hawaiian smoothly. The perfection of the wave reminds me of a video game but, unfortunately, it runs a bit too quickly.
Exiting water dinner is ready, at home, and we enjoy one of our latest offers all gathered under the trees, shaded from the sun that hits hard.
few pictures later, we start walking instead of an appointment with the 4x4.
We collect scooters Pancura Resort. The return on a scooter was anathema to Yayak and his partner as well as for both loyal and courageous friends who trailed with a stick. And yes his mob will not boot and the only possible solution. Result: they will arrive one to two hours later than us, exhausted and plagued by fatigue and hunger. G-land is really the roots at each blow!
conclusio n
After a farewell restaurant style meal at the friendly Asterix and Obelix They all accompanied me to the station, except Umi Debhir and who did not have the permission of their parents.
It's tough leaving this sacred band, I can not wait to see them as these two weeks were intense and emotional. Smile Yanto to remain forever etched in my memory.
We decided to continue with Nico feed this blog and tell this great adventure of the trip and what meetings. So I let the pen friend, you who at this moment, are lost between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand ...
Oh by the way, meanwhile the kiki Junior was born, he has a short tail and is called Alan (Fire or Bobby Francis).
To my son, Alan
