It was not the last of traveling, silent made me like a witless buffalo because of being a jobless and so many years trapped of heartbreaking. It was the night at 21:00 a.m Norit and I rode a motorcycle, no one followed us after crossing the junction of the way to Singaparna. The road was crowded when we were have fun of talking many things, the guy, broken heart, and where should we go after then and I felt on the grey circle area. It was caused by indecision of graduated on time.
source pictures from: Fahmi Albartiansyah
When we went to Mount Galunggung after camping in Citiis or as we called Galunggung river bank, I was shocked when two men followed us to this place. They were Ganjar Adi Permana dan Rizky Mahesa, a students University from different faculty but they were like family. I have known them since 2016 had fun friendship with another Historical department’s fellas. We hiked the hundred of trairs together. I have visited Galunggung mount many times and have never been bored, but this time was different where a landslide had occurred a few weeks ago. Norti and I were curious to see the crater that was previously very beautiful as bright as anything. Even though our main goal was not that but to find serenity in the nature. Galunggung mount is an active volcano in West Java, Indonesia. This mountain has an altitude of 2168 mdpl and included in the type of cone stratovolcano.
Road access to Mount Galunggung
There were two paths that can be taken by visitors such as Singaparna and Cisayong, Rajapolah. So, the access to this tourism attraction was a piece of cake to be reached depending on which direction the visitors come from. If they come from the North like Bandung and Jakarta, it was easier to take Rajapolah route. The lower access was no public transportation to this place than bringing self vehicles.
source pictures from: GLOOB Magazine
A hundred of stairs were very crowded when the visitors come during the day, so we choose to an early morning before the people passing by. It was quite like my heart, no one is left behind. Step by steps of those led me and Norit to the top faster and I extended my gaze to the vast world while I was so thin. Look! How beautiful the world, I captured a lot of simple grass reminding to the childhood. A child who became a trader by offering that grass to her friends. HHH I laughed but it was so touched.
Things can be enjoyed
I was thankful at the top an early morning where a fresh air wrapping clouds that were so thick from a height. There was no sound than the chirping of birds and the wind, no gossip brought by people or the sound of children crying when they wanted to go home. Last year when I was fist time to be here, the parking area to a thousand steps of stairs and to the top was crowded by visitors, but today is mine.
Some local residents said that flora and fauna had spread out in this mount after the eruption in 1982 that was widely spread after 31 years recovery.
A total of 80 bird counting points were set within 0.7222 km2 area. This source was only in local residents’s opinion and I had not witnessed such of Cynniris jugularis, Lonchura leucogastroides, etc, but the sounds were almost beautiful and I was sure as beautiful as the names of the birds.
The spreading out of flora was no less sowing along this mount area, I also focus on wild grasses like weeds because it reminded many things to the chilhood memory.
Among them were Cyperus rotundus puzzle, a weed which was absorbing nutrients for plants. This grass found everywhere including house yards. On one side of this grass disturbed the stability of other plants but there was its own beauty for anyone who glances at.
There was not a single plant that I missed to be captured including Bandotan Ageratum conizoides. When I was child, my friends and I played many roles including being a trader, and Bandotan was one of my merchandise being sold. My friends and I called it a “sasa” as cooking spice because this plant has small and smooth puffs like sawdust. How crazy my imagination at that time. 😀
“What did you mean?” Asked one of a man who followed us.
“Wasn’t it crazy?”
“Yeah, but being freak was a must sometimes, to forgot all the suffering” I saw his face, and he walked back.
“I was happy to captured my toes or shoes. I didn’t know why.”
“Lemme see your face here, gimme your camera” I let my camera on his hand. I didn’t think of him as a special man who succesed in stealing hearts, just run of the mill.
Mount Galunggung Facilities
I was not worried about the facilities, in addition, a lot of the rice stall and snacks was neatly lined up near the park so was the facilities at the top was served by the local residence. It was like an extensive dry land for camping, wooden house for selfies and severals photo spots. There was also many places of relaxation around the valley was like waterfall and hot spring bath.
We were engrossed in our different activities, although we were at a height together. Norit was observing the surroundings and getting to know the structure of the soil and plants, while A Ganjar and Rizky were brewing coffee. I wondered what they were talking about. In Indonesia, outdoor activists indicated themselves as coffee addicts, so coffee was required to be drunk when they enjoyed the moment. Every climbers analogized their life with coffee, where the thing that was closest to coffee was bitter, so in life the one who was closer with us were our shadow and It was also a symbol of brotherhood.
“What are you guys talkin’?” I shouted at them
“Nothing girls, just keep it up your time”
I walked forward leaving them, it was getting noon and people were arriving. Two foreign men looked at me as if they were turning the camera when my hand captured the clouds that were getting thicker revealing the blue sky by the sunlight.
They stole a smile even though their gaze were hidden behind the black glasses.
“Hi, where were you from?” He asked me shyly.
“This was my home town” I said to one of them
“Waa you often come here?”
“Not too, My home was too far from here”
History of Galunggung Mount
Galunggung mount had a legend that was not known by many people. One of those were about the Inscription of Geger Hanjuang found in Linggamulya, Leuwisari district by K.F Holle in 1877 as a proof that Galunggung mount was a kingdom in ancient time. There was an ancient Sundanese inscription that read “tra bara I guna apuy na sta gomati sakakala ru mata di susuk (k) ku batari hyang pun “ T (2019) tribunnewswiki.Gununggalunggung.com
If I translated, the text means that (in) 1033 (saka) (capital city) (ruma) n was not strengthened (its defense) by Batari Hyang. There were two things very important in the text of the Geger Hanjuang Inscription, namely Rumantak as the capital of the kingdom and Batari Hyang as the sovereign. At the beginning of the XI century AD, the Sunda kingdom under the command of Sri Jayabupati was very strong but it was then controlled by Resi Guru Sudakarmawisesa. Lots of historical traces on the Galunggung mount including the things that seize the attention of visitors were found many monkeys along the road to the tourist attractions including the monkeys in the crater.
Source picture from: GLOOB MAGAZINE
Galunggung mount erupted violently in 1822 with a fairly high level as many four time eruptions which killed 4011 people and destroyed 114 villages. In 1894, it destroyed 50 villages was followed 1918 and finally the most powerful one in 1982 produced a huge boom that lasted for 9 months. Its history was still gray in the memories of old people including my mother.
My mother said, there were many problems after the eruption like the world would terminate the human life. Many global flights disrupted, so did station Cibatu Garut have paralyzed. In addition, the another impact also changed the map of the region at a radius of 20 km from the crater of Galunggung including Indihiang sub-district, Sukaratu sub-district, and Leuwisari sub-district. Aside many negative impacts of this eruption has become a way to obtained a profit for the society by making the best sand. So, the efforts to use Galunggung sand was growing.
I also watched a landslide that damaged part of the crater. It occurred around Galunggung mount by involving some cities like were Linggajati village , Sukaratu District Tasikmalaya regency. There was two people were declared missing suspected of being victims of landslide on Galunggung mount. As Jabar Province Public Relation Coordinator Joshua Banjarnahor said when contacted by Java Tribune on Saturday 2017, and some of missing resident haven’t been found.
After rounding saw the crater, we drank a coffee together and sunbathing when the sun started to rise. To saw the sun rises was like hope that re-emerges to live in the complicated life. I also once a crowd in the nature, a crowd which saved memories. Yeaah here I wanted to keep my eye on mind.
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