*This is the second chapter of the previous article.
Friday, March 26, 2020
19:00 on the way to Putri basecamp
21:00 arrived at basecamp
22:00 sleep well, handsome sleep
Saturday, March 27, 2020
05:00 wake up, wash face, brush teeth, shower if not cold, breakfast
06:00 start trekking
15:00 arrive at Surya Kencana, set up the tent, etc.
16:00 and onwards relax, take photos, lounge around, cook
Sunday, March 28, 2020
05:00 wake up, brush teeth if you want, get ready to look good for photos, etc.
06:00 on the way to the summit of Mt. Gede
08:00 arrive at the summit, take photos, relax
09:00 descend to Surya Kencana
10:30 arrive at Surya Kencana, cook, eat, tidy up before descending
13:00 descend via Putri again
19:00 arrive at Putri basecamp
Although this itinerary may not be definitive, it is hoped that our journey will go smoothly without any issues.
***
The day finally arrived, Friday, March 26, 2021. I had packed since Thursday and couldn’t sleep well that night, like a child eagerly waiting for a school trip. Yes, I was that impatient.
Friday felt like it was dragging on. I had to wait for Aldi to finish work. At around 8:30 PM, Aldi and I finally left the house, even though we were supposed to meet at 10 PM at Bogor station.
The weather was not favorable either. Just before we left, heavy rain started pouring at around eight. While waiting for Aldi to shower and get ready, I was also waiting for the rain to subside.
Fortunately, by the time we were both ready to go, the raindrops had stopped. Aldi and I rode our motorbike through the cool night air from Pamulang to Parung heading to Bogor.
However, before we reached Parung, I felt extremely sleepy on the quiet road with no intersections. I couldn’t avoid dozing off on the motorbike; regardless of the heavy backpack on my lap, my consciousness was drifting.
It turned out Aldi felt the same way. “I swear, I can’t drive to Bogor station anymore. Should we just take a Grab car?”
I felt a bit annoyed because I had already suggested taking an online taxi at home. But Aldi insisted on saving money by riding the motorbike to the station. Now that we were a quarter of the way there, he suddenly changed his mind. Where were we going to park the motorbike?
Luckily, I remembered that I had a friend in Parung. I called Denilla. Even though she didn’t pick up, I asked Aldi to head there, confident that she wouldn’t be asleep at this hour.
Sure enough, when we arrived, Denilla was still awake. There was no sign of sleepiness on her face, and her 2-year-old child was still very active. Her husband was the same. I suspected they might come from a vampire or Dracula family that only sleeps at 4 or 5 AM.
“Thanks, Den. Sorry to bother you at night,” Aldi said as we prepared to leave. He had said that for the hundredth time since we arrived at Denilla’s house, despite being my close, laid-back friend. Repeatedly saying sorry and thank you made me uncomfortable.
***
“Din, where are you???” Kintan’s loud voice nearly deafened me. Before I could even say ‘hello,’ she interrupted with her characteristic squeal.
I explained that Aldi and I were on our way. Although we had just left Denilla’s place, I told her we would arrive soon. In reality, I estimated we still had about an hour to get to Bogor station. Oh well, a little white lie for the greater good.
When we arrived at the station, it was already 11 PM. The group had been waiting for about an hour. I pushed away the uneasy feeling in my mind as far as I could.
Not long after, after meeting Kintan, Ari, Puput, Adi, and Ibun, we got into the angkot that Ari had chartered to the basecamp. The cost was quite cheap: only Rp. 40,000 per person.
Aldi sat in the front because he was the biggest among us, while the rest squeezed into the back with the backpacks. The journey went smoothly, but my sleepiness didn’t go away. I wanted to sleep, but there was no comfortable position. I passed the time chatting with Kintan. About two hours later, we finally arrived at the basecamp.
***
I was surprised to see the basecamp filled with people ready to hike. The simple house, with a fairly large terrace, two bedrooms, one living room, and two bathrooms, had been transformed without furniture, allowing visitors to sit freely and stretch their legs on the carpet.
Our group immediately marked a spot to sleep. After washing my face and brushing my teeth while braving the cold, I lay down on the carpet and started reading a book—a ritual I have before sleeping.
Feeling a bit sleepy, I placed the book beside my head. Just as I was ready to drift off, loud laughter erupted nearby, making my heart race and instantly waking me up.
Aldi, lying next to me, also looked uncomfortable. “It’s so noisy,” he said, covering his ears with his jacket.
I muttered under my breath. I really wanted to yell at that group, but I chose to stay quiet, thinking their conversation would probably end soon. They definitely needed sleep for the hike the next day.
Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed. The group continued their loud conversation and laughter until 2 AM. Some of them even ordered coffee from the basecamp owner. The women kept laughing until dawn. I felt like unleashing a torrent of animal names at them, but I held back to avoid causing a scene. I could only curse in my heart, ‘fu*king stupid as*ho*e!’
***
A bright, cheerful morning finally greeted us. But my group woke up with disheveled faces from lack of sleep. How could we not? That noisy group had been consistently inconsiderate all night. They seemed deserving of the award for “The Most Unheartily Noisy Bastards.” I apologize for the harsh words, but I was really frustrated, angry, and annoyed with them even to this day as I write this story.
After washing my face and brushing my teeth, while preparing for breakfast, I couldn’t just sit idly by. Still harboring my annoyance towards that noisy group, I sought revenge.
***
To be continued…
