#carvedium

THIS.

We continued walking. Since we only had one flashlight on our hand, we decided to give it to Hana, who walked rearmost, so that she can shine the path. And since Iin walked quite slowly, we decided to hold each other's hand, so we wouldn't be separated and we can control our walking pace easily. 

While rain was still pouring, we kept walking, and after a while to kill the silence we sang in the rain. We did. We sang a lot of song. I didn't remember what were the songs we sang, yet I am sure that there were Sherina's song (you know, "Langit biru... Awan putih..." dst.), patriotic songs, Indonesian song, broken Beatles, and so on (I even hummed Rule, Britannia quite loudly :P).

We walked and finally reached a crossroad. We confused on which way we should take, since the signpost was broken, and the way it showed was quite vague. We tried to fixed it on the pole, just to find out where it could be pointing at. After we fixed it, we walked again, and suddenly we realized that we were just walking back to our previous route. So, to avoid getting lost, we decided to go back.

Down at the camping ground, we enjoyed warm meal, food and drink, while chatted happily.

Last Saturday, Hana, Iin, Tile and I was going to Cidahu, Bogor for catching up the rest of my friends who have been on the mountain since Wednesday. I initially planned that we, Hana, Iin, Tile and I, will just camp at the camp site. But most of us, except me, were willing to go up through the climbing route, catching the rest of my friends up. 

And finally, we were going up for catching them up.

But before, we come to the national park post to have the climbing permit letter. At first, when we reach Cidahu, we thought that it will be hard for us to climb for catching them bureaucratically, so we might be camping on the camp site instead. We were worried about that. But fortunately, we can catch them up by having the climbing permit, from the national park post. So, after we manage to have the permit, we have a late lunch (it was almost 5 pm, tee hee), and catching them up.

It had to be admitted that the route start was still quite far from the post. We were quite annoyed with the idea that we have to walk as far as approximately 1 kilometer to reach the route start. Fortunately there was a truck passing by, and then we hitchhiked on the truck. We were very glad, because we were able to got a lift by hitchhiking from a truck, and also because it showed that most people in our country is still generous enough. After a while, we got down from the truck, thanking the truck driver, and continue our way to the route start.

Halfway to the route start, it was raining. We took our raincoat and jacket out of our backpack. And we continued walking to the route start. When we reached route start, we saw a lock hanging on the gate, and we were worried that the gate is actually locked. Fortunately it wasn't locked, so we came in and started the climbing.

Water were flowing on the path, as we continued ascending to where our friends were. After we walked (and stopped for several time), we saw a man. Tile shouted "Hello Genk", but there was no respond. Of course there was no respond at all, he was not a Carve member, he was a foreigner. Furthermore, he was Russian.

He was shirtless, he had curly brown hair, and he carried a backpack. When we approach him, we talked about several things.

Russian man #1 : Hello.

Us : Hello...

Russian man #1 : Permisi, apa ini jalan ke information center? (Excuse me, is this the way to the information center?)

Iin : Iya, terus aja ke bawah. (Yes, just go down through this route)

Hana : Jalan aja terus, nanti di bawah ada. (Just keep going, there is a information post down there)

Russian man #1 : How far is the information center?

Tile : Kira-kira 1 kilo. (It is approximately 1 kilometer)

Me : It is about 1 kilometer from this place, just go down through this route.

Russian man #1 : Oh, terima kasih. (oh, thank you)

Hana, Iin : Be careful.

Me : Mister, where are you from?

Russian man #1 : I am from Russia.

Me : I see. Be careful then.

Russian man #1 : There is my friend who is still up there.

Me : Oh, I see.

Russian man #1 : Thank you for the info.

Us : Hati-hati (be careful), Be careful...

Me : Spasibo... (russian: thank you)

He spoke a few English and a few Indonesian. Afterwards, we continued climbing to the rest of our friends' place. We were talking about the man while walking.

Me : Gue ga nyangka bakal ketemu orang kayak gitu di sini! (I don't think I'll meet someone like that here!)

Tile : Yah, itulah asiknya jalan-jalan, ketemu banyak orang, kalo lagi naik gunung di sini pasti ada aja orang yang lewat. Rame. (Yeah, that's the joy of traveling, meet many people, when we are climbing the mountain here there must be one or several people passing by. It's quite frequent.)

Me : Ini keduakalinya gue ketemu bule Rusia. Pertama gue ketemu bule Rusia pas gue di Dieng. Oh iya, gue jadi inget, waktu itu pas gue jalan ke Gunung Gede gue ketemu bule dari Perancis. (This is the second time I met a Russian. I met the first one at Dieng. That reminds me, when I went climbing at Mount Gede, I met a Frenchman.)

Hana : Ada aja ya orang yang jalan ke sini. (There's always someone going here.) 

Iin : Iya, ada juga bule yang mau ke sini. (Yeah, there's a foreigner who wants to go here.)

After a while, the rain became heavier, and we saw another man. He was wearing blue shirt, carrying a backpack, and a little bald. He had a beard, too. We also had a conversation with this man.

Russian man #2 : Hello.

Us : Hello...

Me : Are you Russian?

Russian man #2 : Yes, and there is two people up there

Russian man #2 : Ini jalan ke tourist center? (Is this the way to the tourist center?)

Hana : Iya, jalan aja terus ke bawah. (Yes, just go through down this route)

Tile : Ada kok di bawah, sekitar 1 kilo lagi. (There is one down there, just about 1 kilo to go)

Me : Yes, just go through this route.

Russian man #2 : Terima kasih! (Thank you)

Us : Sama-sama, you welcome. Hati-hati di jalan, be careful!

And then, we continued climbing up again. It was sunset time, so the light from the sun wasn't sufficient for us to see the path. And the rain was quite heavy, too. However, it was still enough for us. On the path, while walking, we were talking about the two Russians we have just met.

Me : Berani juga yah mereka, bahasa Inggris pas-pasan, bahasa Indonesia pas-pasan, tapi masih tetep pergi ke sini juga! (They are quite daring, poor English, poor Indonesian, yet they still go to here!)

Tile : Iya yah, mereka nekat juga. (Yeah, come to think about it, they are quite daring)

Hana : Udah gitu jalannya ke sini lagi, naik Gunung Salak. Emang ga ada gunung apa di Rusia? (And they go to here, climbing Mount Salak. Aren't there any mountains in Russia?)

Me : Ada sih, tapi adanya juga yang bersalju, Gunung Elbrus... (There are, but there are the snowy one, like Mount Elbrus...)

Iin : Dikiranya jalan di sini kayak jalan-jalan biasa aja kali ya... (Maybe they assume that it's like walk in the park...)

Me : Beneran deh, gue ga kepikiran sama 2 orang lagi yang ada di atas. (Seriously, I can't think about the 2 people up there.)

Tile : Lagi kenapa juga sih, jalannya jauh-jauhan. (Besides, why did they walk so far to each other?)

Me : Iya ya. (Yeah.)

Tile: Jangan-jangan, 2 orang ditinggal di atas terus 1 orang nyari bantuan ke bawah, tapi terus ada 1 orang turun, terus ada 1 orang turun lagi... (Maybe 2 people were left up there, then 1 person looked down for help, yet there was 1 person went down, and another 1 person followed...)

Me : Eh beneran deh gue gak kebayang sama orang Rusia yang ada di atas... (Seriously I can't imagine the Russians who is up there...)

We continued walking. After a while, when we arrived at a turn, there was the third Russian. He was bald, he had a beard, and if I wasn't wrong, he wore eyeglasses. He asked something to us.

Russian man #3 : Permisi, pergi, pergi...(go, go...) Stone, stone...

Iin : Yes, yes.

Tile : Just go through the stone road.

Me : Just follow this stone road down, and you'll get to the information post.

Russian man #3 : How far is it?

Me : About one kilo.

Russian man #3 : Terima kasih (Thank you).

This third man spoke fewer English, and even fewer Indonesian than the previous 2. I can even sure that he had broken English and Indonesian. Afterwards, we talked about that man. The night started to be darker than before, so we started to turn our flashlights on.

Iin : Eh, orang yang tadi jangan dibiarin jalan sendiri aja kali ya, kita suruh aja dia ikut kita. (Don't let the person walks alone, let's take him with us)

Tile : Kenapa? (Why?)

Iin : Ya biar dia ga sendirian, kasian dia jalan turun ke bawah, malem-malem lagi. (Just not to let him alone, it's a pity for him walking down alone, in the dark of the night.)

Tile : Jadi dia kita ajak naik lagi gitu? (So we take him up?)

Me : Entar bolak-balik dong dia, dari atas turun ke bawah terus ke atas lagi... (Then he'll go around, from up going down, and then going up again...)

Tile : Udah, biarin aja dia... (Just let him...)

Me : Kali aja dia mau cepet-cepet turun ke bawah, kalo gitu kita ga bisa ngehambat dia juga kan? (Maybe he is rushing for going down, if that's the case we can't hold him with us, no?)

And we continued walking up the route. Several minutes after, we saw the fourth, the last Russian man. The night was dark already, and we have turned our flashlights already. There were two flashlights, one was mine, and one was Iin's. Hana brought one, yet the battery ran out of power, and Tile brought none at all. Like the previous three men, we talked to this man too.

Russian man #4 : Is it still far away to the post?

Me : No, just walk down, it isn't so far, it is about 1 kilometer to go...

Russian man #4 : Terima kasih (Thank you). *Looking at Iin's flashlight* Can I borrow the flashlight? Boleh pinjam? (can I borrow?)

Hana : Pinjemin aja. (Just lend him.)

Tile : Iya in, pinjemin aja, kasian dia jalan sendirian, gelap-gelap. (Yes, just lend him, it's a pity to see him walks alone in the dark.)

Iin : Iya, tapi entar dibalikinnya gimana? (Yes, but how will it be returned?)

Russian man #4 : I'll put it at security.

Hana : In gapapa in, kasihin aja... (In, it's okay, just lend him)

Iin : *Gives the flashlight*

Russian man #4 : Terima kasih (Thank you), I'll put it at security.

Afterwards, we continue walking up to our friends' location. On the way up, we talked about Iin's borrowed flashlight.

Iin : Itu gimana entar senter gue kagak dibalikin? Kebawa ke Rusia entar... (That flashlight, what if it isn't returned? It might be brought to Russia...)

Tile : Udah kita periksa aja entar ke bawah di satpam... (Let's just check it later down at the security post...)

Hana : Ada kok entar. (It will be there

Iin : Entar senter gue kebawa ke Rusia, orangnya enggak... (My flashlight might be brought to Russia, but not with the owner...)

Me : Haha... 

Jadi, begini ceritanya.

gue : Ke ITB

I : Jurusan apa?

g : Ga tau, masih bingung...

I : Geodesi aja kak, kalo gitu. Kan kerjaannya keluar-masuk hutan, kayak Carve...

Well, as far as I remember, I have experienced 4 times heart thumping moment in my brief high school life.

First, when I was in LD (yeah, sound exaggerated, but that was the fact XD).

Second, when I had entrance exam for NTU.

Third, when I came a bit too early for Francophonie soiree.

Fourth, when I saw my twitter timeline earlier tonight.

First heart thumping moment was quite... chilling? Besides our wet clothes, we were also thrilled and terrified by alumni who came to trained us (hehehe). Like I say, this is quite exaggerated, since when we found out about alumni's LD stories, ours were certainly nothing, especially when compared in alumni's "cruelty", hehe.

Second heart thumping moment was also chilling, not physically, mentally. The problems were indeed tough, and I can't help myself but keep guessing for answering it. I failed, eventually, but I, in one side, didn't really mind (really, I didn't really mind :D).

Third heart thumping, well, just caused by my jittery. Just nervous because I found out I haven't been so well in French conversation. 'nuff said.