TO INNER BADUY AND BACK (Part 1) ~ The Fellowship of PALAPA

This is my story .. A story of an ordinary man who has extraordinary world in his hand ..

PALAPA (PencintA aLAm PAramitha) has become my 2nd family since August this year. Well, in fact the reason I join this organization was basically to have some sports activities. You see, I hardly can't find a day in a week to exercise my skinny body .. and that's not good at all .. I'm 40, and I think it's time to strengthen my endurance. So, I chose this school extra curricular instantly, so every Friday I have a chance to sweated my body, testing my smoking lungs and move my old time bones ... wkwkwkwkwk .... 
I was a member of Natural Lovers Club back in the high school and college time, I've been climb in many mountain, swim in the many deep sea, trekking the jungle .. but, that was long time a go .. I have a lot of to catch-up with these guys and girls now .. wkwkwkwkwk 

Many of the Palapa Warriors are my students in class. Students like Ms. Deaziska, Ms. Devina, Mr. Meyer, Mr. Andri, Ms. Saridewi, Ms. Prastiwi, Ms. Qudsiyyah and Mr. Mulianto, have been studying with me since 1st grade one year ago, and the other like Ms. Recklin, Ms. Nugraheni, Ms. Anggraeni, Ms. Annastashia, Mr. Rahmandi, Mr. Virano, Mr. Latuheru and Mr. Rachmansyah, were fresh 1st grade students who have been studying with me about 4 months now .. So, it was not a difficult situation for me to blend nicely in the organization. And, it's important to know that my position in Palapa is strictly as a regular member, a common participant, not as a teacher .. that is why I pay my weekly dues, I pick trash, clean-up our secretariat room together with other members .. just ordinary member I am.

The idea of trekking in the villages of Baduy Tribe in Banten, West Java, was actually came from a short discussion with my students in class, and we've planned to go there in December this year. But, then I thought, why not just drop the idea to the warriors of Palapa and see how it's going? So, I talked to Mr. Herlin, the preceptor teacher whose running this organization so well. As a member of Palapa, I thought this was a great idea to have activities in the wild to testing and training our capabilities, team-work, brotherhood and physic. 
Mr. Herlin agreed and start to prepare the program for Palapa member. So, we trained and trained and trained as our preparation for this event. Until the D-Day has come ...

This is the story of my journey ....

DAY 1 : Friday, 27 September 2013

(School - Buaran Train Station - Tanah Abang Train Station - Duri Train Station - Rangkasbitung - Ciboleger Outer Baduy)

So, we start Friday, 27 September 2013 from school. I was an advance team who must prepare all the departure process in Tanah Abang Station. So, I picked my fellow Palapa warriors Ms. Saridewi & Mr. Rahmandi to assisted me for the preparation. We left school about 15.30 WIB using a city transport to get to Buaran Station. Ms. Saridewi was a bit ill that time, but she kept going and show the strong spirit in this activities. 

From Buaran Station, we took a commuter line train to get to Tanah Abang Station, means that we had to change train in Manggarai Station and get to the other commuter line train toward Tanah Abang.

After arrived at Tanah Abang  Station, three of us had a light meal first (considering the condition of Ms. Saridewi), a plate of Lontong Sayur taste delicious for our hungry stomach.  
Minutes later, we assembled a meeting point in the lobby of the train station. Our dinner box planned to be delivered about 18.00 WIB. So, we waited. 

One by one the member of Palapa showed up. Ms. Nugraheni, Ms. Anggraeni, Ms. Recklin, Ms. Annasthasia, Mr. Latuheru and Mr. Mulyanto, so total there were 9 of us who assembled in Tanah Abang Station, while the others departed from school with Mr. Herlin. 
While we were preparing for the departure, I just found out that our train to Rangkasbitung wouldn't depart from Tanah Abang  Station but from Duri Station!! Ouuch shuuut!!! It means that we had to move to Duri Station right away! I quickly called Mr. Herlin and told him to bring the group directly to Duri Station instead of Tanah Abang Station. 
After our dinner box arrived, we soon got to the commuter line and headed to Duri Station. Once we hit the Duri's deck, we rest and waited for others to come. Second group then came about 19.15 WIB. 

Here's the complete list of the group :

Palapa Warriors ~ Baduy Trekking Adventure

1.        Mr. Herlin

2.        Ms. Almira Devina

3.        Ms. Dita (Mr. Herlin’s friend)

4.        Mr. Aldo Rachmansyah

5.        Mr. Surya

6.        Ms. Annasthasia

7.        Ms. Diba

8.        Mr. Dwi

9.        Ms. Revi

10.    Mr. Kevin Mulianto

11.    Mr. Anthony

12.    Ms. Nabilah Ayu Saridewi

13.    Ms. Laras Deaziska

Duri Station - Waiting for departure

14.    Ms. Maria Ave

15.    Mr. Albertus Rengga

16.    Ms. H. Qudisyyah

17.    Mr. Rendo Rahmandi

18.    Ms. Recklin

19.    Mr. Dipo Latuheru

20.    Ms. Ruth Gita Anggraeni 

21.    Ms. Angela Nugraheni

22.    Ms. Sandra Prastiwi

23.    Mr. Michael Virano

24.    Mr. Laurentius Meyer

25.    Me

Exactly at 20.24 WIB, our train came and we embarked. The adventure begun.
It was a local economy train, only Rp.2.000,- / person, so we expected the worst. Last time I use this train, I remember it was a very packed train with people, animals, asongan seller, hardly couldn't have a seat!

But this time it turned to a big surprise! The train was empty, full air-conditioned and clean .. A very big benefit for a Rp.2.000,- transportation rate!! And so .. we enjoyed our trip in the night heading to Rangkas Bitung. 

Duri - Rangkasbitung Local Economy Train - the unexpected value 

We passed this route to get to Rangkasbitung :
Duri - Tanah Abang - Palmerah - Kebayoran Lama - Pondok Ranji - Jurang Mangu - Sudimara - Rawa Buntu - Serpong - Cisauk - Cicayur - Parungpanjang - Cilejit - Daru - Tenjo - Tiga Raksa - Cikoya - Maja - Citeras - Rangkasbitung 

Dinner box served not long after we depart. And the rest of it was free time in the train. We enjoyed several street musician who sell their voices on the train (we even requested some songs ... lol). 

Around 2 hours next, we arrived at Rangkasbitung Train Station. This train station was built in 1901, while the train track was built in the era of 1889 - 1899.

Rangkas Bitung Train Station

Rangkasbitung is a district and also a capital city of Lebak Residence, in Banten Province. Located around 96 kilometers South West of Jakarta. 
History of Rangkasbitung can be traced back to the Dutch Colonial era. It was a quiet important satellite city to support Batavia as the center of the Dutch East Indies government. This city administratively formed in 29 September 1828 which is stated in the East Indies Staatsblad 288 year 1828 as a District under the Residence of Lebak. Back then, this city famous for the coal and oil mining. Like many other cities in Indonesia, the Rangkasbitung city site-plan also made based on the Kingdom site-plan (in this case The Sultanate of Banten), where Royal Square, Royal Mosque and Royal Pavilion were the center of the city. 

There is an interesting history that make Rangkasbitung famous in the international world. It was the "Max Havelaar" book written by a man name Multatuli that made this city known by people of the world. Who is Multatuli? Multatuli is an alias name, a journalistic name. The real name is Eduard Douwes Dekker, a Dutch born asistant residence of Lebak who lived and worked in Rangkasbitung in 1856. Although he was a representative of Dutch Government in Lebak Residence, he was very upset for the condition of people of Lebak who exploited by the Dutch. "Kerja Paksa" or "Rodi Work" was a common view in the Dutch era. And that didn't please Mr. Dekker at all. He then stood for people of Lebak and sent his protest letter to the Governor General of Dutch in Batavia, Mr. A. J. Duymaer van Twist. The official in Batavia didn't like him and didn't like the way he defend the "bumiputera" (native Indonesian), and so, they sent a hard warning letter to him.

Eduard Dowes Dekker / Multatuli

Mr. Dekker was very upset and finally put his resignation of being the assistant residence of Lebak. Soon after that he moved back to Holland and next to Brussel, Belgium and started to write a book which internationally famous "MAX HAVELAAR". The book told about the atrocity and the injustice of the Dutch administrative in East Indies especially in Lebak, Banten. To cover his identity he then used Multatuli as his literature name. The name Multatuli came from a Latin word, and have meaning "I have suffered enough". With the published of this book, finally the world knew about the truth in East Indies. 
Now, we can find a street named after him in city of Rangkasbitung as the appreciation of his struggle against the injustice of Dutch colonial in Lebak, Banten

Oh yeah, before I forgot, do you know that Eduard Douwes Dekker was also a grandfather of Ernest Douwes Dekker, our national independence hero who also known as Danudirja Setiabudi? ... Now you know .. (uuuh I love history!!)

Okay .. let's get back to the adventure trip ....

So, we arrived at the Rangkasbitung Train Station about 23.00 WIB. Upon arrival, my fellow buddy from Baduy, Kang Sukma had already wait for us with two Elfs Mini Van that ready to take us to the next trip to Ciboleger. Kang Sukma is my old time friend, an outer Baduy Tribe who usually helps me to arrange the trekking trip into the inner Baduy Tribe Villages. He lives in Ciboleger. And as our plan, we will spent the first night of our journey in his home. 

We then split into 2 groups, each embarked to one Elf, and continue our journey. It takes about 2 hours drive to get to Ciboleger, the official gate to Baduy Tribe Villages. So, when we arrived in Ciboleger, the clock had stroke an hour after midnight. 

.... To Be Continued ....