I didn’t think too much that day, so didn’t friends also walk along. It was only 55-liter bag hold more loyal supplies than a friend who left discourse about traveling, but God was blessing where my feet went to after linking the vows to graduation college on time. All the rules of the lecture finally freed me including a thesis that seemed impossible which brought on the trip. I am blessed!
Parents knew going to the culinary end was not without reason other than fulfilling demand that is, if the I graduated on time, so they lemme to travel alone. Being a solo traveler has been a matter of pride besides to training a courage, I could enjoy what was in the universe freely.
Pool Budiman Rajapolah was very noisy with passengers went to various cities such as Jakarta and its surroundings. I was still waiting for the bus to Sukabumi, the main destination where I wanna saw Pelabuhan Ratu beach which my mother often told me before going to bed. I wanted to finish jealousy in the youthful years that my mother spent exploring many beaches throughout the province of Banten.
“Where were you going? “Asked a middle-aged woman as soon as she sat next to me.
“I was going to Sukabumi, ma’am,” I replied simply, the bus drove quickly.
It was something different going alone, no friends or family were being travel companion, even thought being alone didn’t worry because 2013 was my first trip to Yogyakarta and I was familiar with the hustle.
It was a normal when a fearing suddenly came in the middle of the city because afraid of being kidnapped or of the other crimes took away the things I brought. I was frightened by the villain ability to hypnotize, such an incidents have been experienced by some of my friends. I believed in God that the criminal wouldn’t happen to me because both my heart and mind were bound each other. I believe God was with good things, what was in our minds been reflection of reality, I also believed in what mom said, be kind so everythings else will come better.
Finally, I arrived in Cianjur through toll Padalarang after 8 hours of spending time on the way then the bus followed Padalarang-Cianjur route. I was a bit unlucky of running out of buses to Sukabumi when the driver took me around and I had to transit in several cities including Cianjur. It’s okay, this trip was hilarious besides being able to quality time by myself I also found many good people on the bus which was offering the food and asking for directions. : D I was not silent managing fear, I asked a lot of questions to some people who passed by what bus could take a trip to Sukabumi. It was getting late in the afternoon on the road while some buses were very limited to the city I was going to. I dunno what should I do right now, I was just praying.
source picture from: pojokcianjur.com
Pasir Hayam terminal was on Lingkar Selatan street, Cianjur, West Java. This terminal was quite large to accommodate many public vehicles also close to the Cianjur pride market. People back and forth getting off the bus and the otherwise. I observed the city court while praying for good person who was willing to accompany the trip night to Sukabumi.
The miracle came like a wink, a young woman talked to me when she brought the things. Apparently, she was very familiar with the situation of the city including Sukabumi, she knew what bus should I took and a small bus MGI was recommended by her. The cost of its bus was relatively cheap, it was Rp. 8000.00 compared to other buses with the same destination was more expensive, I was stunned and wondered how cheap it was to Sukabumi with a considerable distance traveled.
I got off the bus and took a break at Indomart after three hours driving from Cianjur. There was no fear whatsoever in me than observed the bustling surroundings as well as the warm flow of sweat, a few inches both corners of the lips was drag cos I haven’t took a bath yet all day, I was sad: D one can of Bear brand milk I gulped until it run out and a few cans of milk weave an empty space of a small bag that slung forward. I didn’t know where, what where I went to after this, I talked to myself to the bottom of my heart, it felt really funny when the kitten was trying to be a lion. I looked at me how If my parents knew that I was like this, they would get angry. But take it easy, everything will be fine.gonna be okay.
The road looked jammed but it’s not like Jakarta and other bigger citties. The city was dense but warm, just like Garut. My eyeballs continued to traverse the spaces between the vehicles. It followed the people which passing by, maybe there was someone I knew but it seemed impossible. Ahh I didn’t know, the various wild imaginations began to control sleepiness tonight including how God met me travel mate accidentally. Hhh
After few minutes rest and booking lodging around the beach, I continued the evening trip by riding an ojek which stayed near Indomart base. The older driver with kind manners like my grandfather in Pangandaran and the grandfathers I met on the way, I was hesitant at night because of taking a motorcycle took 2 hours 11 minutes of travel, but if I took public transportation or bus even more confusing looking for a hidden location. It’s okay, I believe in God wherever and whenever he was with me that’s why I loved learning through an older people who thought me wisely. So, I believe the driver was a kind man.
We finally arrived for 2 hours 11 minutes in the part of Southern Sukabumi that was Pelabuhan Ratu. I didn’t only know a shortcuts but also the knowledge of this city that was given by the drivers when he took away all my fears
Ear-splitting waves pounding in the chest. Really, there was no fear at all in me other than happy to have arrived at this beach. Neither because of the courage that led me here nor because it completed the curiosity of what kind of beach I thought beautiful at that time, but it was because of love, I felt in love with God, in his appearance, in light and color. The old man who took me and left, her face will be remembered that she was one of God’s creation.
I immediately went to the hotel and checked in by entrusting my KTP and paying lodging money overnight. The name of the hotel Sukabumi resort visitors only need to pay Rp. 400.000 to be able to sleep overnight. After being given the key, I immediately went to the room and this was really quality time to pamper myself. Alhamdulillah, I was happy and I welcomed the graduation day which will soon arrive.
Look at this beach, just like what I said was very beautiful and exotic even though it was famous for being mystical. The waves were seen more clearly than at night disguising the darkness. I didn’t devote memories with a camera other than shoot by eye and did a contemplation at will. A large waves as well as hundreds of large stones enclosed the ocean being the hallmark of this beach, but there was one thing that characterized this beach which was forgotten. This beach was controlled by Nyi Roro Kidul and Karang Hawu beach as the queen’s magical throne. I did not want to explore too far about it but the current situation allowed me to know many things behind its beauty.
source picture from: merahputih.com
“Where were you from? Why was alone? ” Asked the owner of the stall I visited when I bought popmie.
“I was from Tasik ma’am,” I replied curtly and gave her smiling then sinking into a cool conversation about mysticism.
“Didn’t you know? a lot of incidents like people disappearing unclear at this beach was because of wearing green clothes.”
“And you were alone here, but I just wanna gave you some advises, let your heart be fussed, don’t let it empty. ” I was amazed by what some another traders said when they joined the discussion. The Universe surprised for those who feel lost, the truth was losing someone was only replaced by something new. Some come in the same form, some come in different forms.
I didn’t spend a lot of time, some young people came by riding vespa and offered an optional to me to Sawarna together. After that, I was supported by the owner of stall to join them, so I packed my belongings at the inn and left this beach with them at 10:00 am
We arrived at Bayah 14:00 when took the eastern path that broke into the forest district of Lebak. A forest which was not known by some residents of Banten except the local residents where the forest was still thick with snakes and tiger stealth. Only certain people who had a magic could trace it and we only hitched a small road connecting Cisolok Sukabumi to Lebak Bayah. I forgot to immortalize myself with them, I only knew that they were the final year students who enjoyed traveling before graduation. Their face would not fade in memory which consisted of ten men and women riding the same motorbike, that was vespa. They continued their journey and so did I. The first thing I did was look for lodging because Bayah was very rare for hotel or even dorm. I searched on google and asked the local residents. I only found a small inn called a losment the coast which far from the crowd. This place was very safe and comfortable besides relatively cheap overnight, the price was around Rp. 200,000 and was owned by two middle-aged parents with their cat. The cat was named King, I weaned it and told many things to the grandfather and grandmother.
Many beaches stretching in this area started from Legon Pari, Tanjung Layar and Sawarna, but the people were more familiar called Sawarna. Besides enjoying its beauty, the visitors facilitated to surf or just walked to knew a variety of coral reef by the ocean. The entry ticket was also quite cheap around Rp. 5000 and the visitors could enter a motorbike but it was more efficiently if the bagpacker knew a shortcut through the housing residents around Bayah, so the tickets were free. heheheh
There were many paths that can be accessed to this beach, the first was west path where the journey started from Jakarta to Serang then continued to Pandeglang to Saketi, Malingping, then Bayah village. It could be also the Eastern route like me started from Sukabumi / Pelabuhan Ratu beach then to Cisolok until arrived at Bayah.
The first beach I visited was Karang Taraje and this beach was commonly different because there was rows of storied rocks which also enclosed human views to the sea.
There was two things were commensurate on this cliff, a bigger coral reef was not inferior to the strength of the roar waves that continued to lick it without stopping. How small myself was even if only compared to the ocean, especially with all the contents of the universe. Yaa Mutakabbir
“Don’t get too close, it’s dangerous!”
“Yees” Asked someone behind me and I just said yes. His voice was shocking when his eyes peered at the height of the terrible coral reef.
“You were shocking me,” I said to him again.
I immediately moved away from a height and brimmed to call on him to talk, we exchanged names and told some beautiful beaches in Banten. His name was Zulkarnaen, a native from Sukabumi who lived in his grandmother’s house at Bayah. Many things that I got from him including the philosophy of the ocean that, if we loved the sea means we must be ready to dive, he also acknowledged so many lesson from what I said.
“You have an inner self, I like you”
“No, it was you, Zul”
I knew the word he said “like” has a lexical meaning which was someone like me didn’t mean had feelings or even loving. I dunno why falling in love was easy than believing for making a relationship or who will be accepted to be a mate. Zulkarnaen was a rare man I had ever met unconditionally where I felt in his philosophy. Besides he spoke English, he became a Sawarna’s beach guide along the year.
“I love this beach Zul, it was a first time I saw the reef being a divider between the human view of the sea”
“It’s beautiful, but dangerous. The beach claimed many victims “
“As beautiful as that terrible?”
“Isn’t the beautiful things really dangerous?”
Love came without a plan, It didn’t only guess who it was or where it was formed. It could have fallen into a vast space called life and everything in it. As love moved the heart as if there was someone who will be the last port at the end of southern Banten. Sometimes, my mind gone that far, but I had to believe that that destiny could actually be shaped by human, what looked so close can easily be removed or vice versa. So, when this man became my last port, I could have run through time by continuing to walk. I didn’t know, I didn’t want to change this moment.
Sure, I loved every single word of you and the way you told me when you found a brave girl like me” like the depth of the ocean I dive into his eyes. There was a face of my god in him.
“When I loved someone, love was universal in me Zul, but people often mistakenly interpret it until they was thin-skinned and look at me as a cheap woman when I said it.
There was not negative things I heard on this beach such as mystic or criminal even though it was very much on any beach. Perhaps, because of his presence turned my fear into something fun, it’s so easy for new people came into this life but it’s so hard to open the hearts to them when my heart hasn’t let someone down completely.
“This was a Karang hawu cave, would you like to be captured there?”
I immediately approached the cave and immortalized myself.
We continued to search for a meeting point that connected some of these beaches from Karang Taraje until we arrived at Ciantir.
Source picture from: pantainesia.com
Ciantir Beach was located in the village of Gendol, a village of Sawarna, Bayah District, Banten. One thing that distinguished Ciantir beach from Karang Taraje was the climate made it calmer and soothing. As far as these eyes were looking, The coral reef was rarely found because the beach was not too jutting directly into the sea and it was very friendly to anyone who wanted to surf on this beach. Another distinctive feature of Ciantir beach was the vast expanse of sand, The tourists knew this beach as a white sand beach. Zulkarnaen with his expertise as a surfer and I took pictures but finally had to stop to go along the next beach were how we enjoyed this beach with our way.
It did not take a long for both legs to brought me to the Legon Pari beach. The warm convo about the seas we’ve visited untill heard Zul’s story of being a nomad blend me in this very short time. We also had the same dream, even I didn’t know who would make a dream came true firstly by going overseas. It was the most hilarious for me talked with him, instead of having the same goal of leaving this country, he was even though a typical man deserved to be defended by anyone or he was on the list for those who didn’t have a partner. Hehehe
My bare foots were held by him as if we had known each other before. We also had a lot of breaks on several coasts that we found comfortable to ate some foods and then continued the conversation.
One thing that I remembered from Legon Pari beach was a stretch of coral reef along the shoreline.There was almost no sand other than dead coral reefs that filled the coast, we walked without wearing barefoot to measure how far the end of the reef.
There was also one angle that made me able to understand the meaning of love even it was only in a different form that was An old hut faced the sea under a tree not too close to one another. God, I loved you without a reason, I loved you without hesitation. In Legon Pari, the sea was the hard thing to be leaved in the life when death came. It had become the mother of my self-universe, the sea also fulfilled this love of self about how much He created all the things of His will. Including Zul, accidental meetings that were certainly a lot of wisdom from Him. If Zul was not allowed to stop, this heart will be broadened like the sea by understanding the encounter with it was to impersonate God in different humans.
“Was this the last beach?” Asked me.
“No, so many beaches were here, but there was two more beaches that I wanted to introduce to you.” Zulkarnaen answered and I took a breath.
“Yes, the one was here. You were in Tanjung Layar beach ”He immediately replied with a surprising answer. I didn’t feel that I was finally on the coast of Tanjung Layar, then where was Sawarna? The question still screamed curiously in my heart.
The sea breeze blew hard playing the veil to cover my face to saw Zul stolen natural impression of posing myself.
“Sorry, I took your pic because I didn’t t know when I saw you again” I shouted from a distance to saw him pulling his bag near the sand.
“Nope” He answered simply nope = no problem
But it was okay, I was happy wherever and whenever. Here, we were only resting, then I come near to the waves scratching the name in the sand like a child . Occasionally squatting and then contemplating with myself, I have been broken heart many times not because the men I love has gone, I haven’t serious made a choice. What they said were true, choose one or lose it all.
“So, which beach was Sawarna, Zul?” I asked curiously who had been silent.
“Actually, Sawarna was the name of a village in Banten. there was several beaches in one area such as Karang taraje the beach where we first met, Tanjung Layar beach that we passed, and there was till many beaches like Karang beach bokor, Ciantir beach, and Legon pari. All the beaches were close each other and there was almost no barriers so many people said Sawarna. “
Source picture from: pantainesia.com
Sawarna, how a color was interpreted
He invited me to explore the nearby several beaches besides Sawarna, there was also Karang Hawu and Tanjung Layar where these beaches were well known, such as landscape, crowds and waves and I realized after rounding many beaches that Karang Taraje was dangerous to be approached because of coral reefs and large waves.
At the time when 2017 still counting, I did not leave you but the distance.
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