indonesi@drenaline

1# Finding Bubung

I

I need three night before deciding to climb Semeru mountain. It hard decision I think. Because I want to climb the highest peak in Java island. Other reason, I never been hiking in there. So its the first time for me. The third reason, I must climb alone to there.
Technically it could be done. Because actually there's no hard way that I must pass to the peak. Its a modest typical hiking in fourth days. Unless the trek to the peak, after last shelter called Arcopodo. I must walk and hike with the sand around me. Semeru is a volcanic mountain. So its normal if there's a sea of sand before meet the caldera.
The second trouble was I never been hike in there. Its like a blind man to the first place he didn't know. Everything will be like dark shadow. We just can predict. Nothing I can do with it, unless hope for the best and prepared for the worst.
The third matter are my hidden agenda to there. That I want finding the ghost of Bubung. I will tell you a little story about Bubung. He is my senior in high school. When he climb Semeru mountain a few years before me, he tragically lost in the forest. Two years after that, nobody can't found his body. Nobody know, he is still alive or die. But his mother still believing, that Bubung was still alive.
Three years after that tragedy, a climber come to my school. He want to know our climbing club. Because the climber told us that he think had meet Bubung when he climb Semeru mountain, a month before. He just want to make it sure. So the climber come to our climbing club.
The climber told us, when he stayed in Arcopodo before summit attack, someone came to his tent. In the middle of the night, and he just alone. That man told his name was Budi, or people always called him as Bubung.
Bubung decided to the peak in the middle of that night. Bubung also told to the climber to go together. But the climber decided not to go with him. Because its still in the middle of the night. The climber prefer go to summit attack in 3-4 am in the morning. After that the climber told us, Bubung was gone to the peak alone.
After 4 am o'clock in the morning, the climber go to the peak. He targeted in the peak 10 am before noon. But when the climber pass the Arcopodo area, he saw many of stone graves in front of him. One of that stone graves named Budi as Bubung, as one of the lost people in that forest.
Because of his confusioness, the climber then decided to go to our school a month after. To see many of our documentation photo about Bubung. To make it sure, that the man he meet in Arcopodo was really Bubung.
After the climber go away, me with my friend planning to climb Semeru mountain. We had to make it sure, if Bubung will life again. Or anything possible situation could happen in there.
But shamely, my friend decided to cancel his journey to the Semeru mountain. So now, I must go alone to that mountain. Alone and had probability to meet the ghost of Bubung.

II

Now I already on Malang city. About 861 kilometre far away in the east of capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta. Its cold city in east of Java, with many mountain around it.
Station of Malang, still full of passenger when my legs was stepping it floor. I had spent one night from Jakarta to see this city. The train were went from Jakarta on 2 pm, and came to Malang on 10 am one day after.
I decided to wash my body first, before go to Tumpang. Its a last transportation area before I go to last village in mount Semeru. But when I finding station toilet, somebody come to me. He was a hiker, I guess. I can predict it from his performance. His suit that he use, and his behaviour too.
Then he said that he's name was Sam. He came from Bandung, in west Java. He, with his friend want to climb Semeru mountain too. But he was not sure about transportation to go to last village called Ranupane. When he look at me, he think I was someone who had hiking experienced. Its because I was alone, he said.
"You must go to Arjosari bus terminal. Then find small car to Tumpang. In Tumpang you must find a jeep to go to Ranupane", I explained my knowledge to him.
Sam write all my explanation to his small book. He write so fast. His hand looks so though, and so brown. After he write all my explanation, then he keep his small book to his small bag. After say thanks, he go again to meet his friend.
Its funny. Three hours after that I meet Sam again in Tumpang. He still waiting other hiker, to full the quota of jeep passenger before go away to Ranupane. But until 5 pm o'clock just three of us, and no other hiker again wanna go to Ranupane.
The jeep driver then ask us, to spent this night at his home. Before he go Ranupane tomorrow. Because no other choice that we had, we agreed with that driver suggestion.
It was not a big house, when we came to jeep driver home. A house with wooden wall, and red roof from soft stone. The driver then gave us their small room. A room with one door, one window, one bed, one chair, and one table for three of us.
I put my carriel on the side of chair. Took out my jacket, because the temperature was so cold. We were in Gubug Klakah village right now. I remembering from my internet literature this village was the last village, before go hike to mount Semeru in years of 1964. It was 33 years ago, before I come here now in 1997.
"What you wanna do?", Sam asked me when I go out from our room.
I looked Sam again. Then his friend who had name Alex. Alex was not type of people who had much conversation. He was to shy to talk.
"Kitchen. I want to cook some meal for our dinner", I said.
"We go with you. We can prepared together our dinner", he suggest.
"Ok", I agreed, cause it can make more simple.
The kitchen were no big too. Its a small kitchen with not many stuff inside. Luckily it more warm in kitchen, than in the room. So we prepared our dinner fastly. Its not a hard meal. Just fried rice with boiling egg. Then we finished our dinner with a cup of black coffe.
"So you come to Semeru to find your senior ghost?", Sam told me with unbelieveable face.
"I guess like that", I answered it.
"Who is name? Bubung?", Sam asked again.
I move my head, to gave a right code for him. Sam then just looked me with his sharp eyes. I don't know what he think, but I guess he think that I was just type of crazy guy who looking for sensation.
"You are really crazy you know", Sam said again.
I finished my coffe. Before left them in the kitchen. I don't want to make any argument about my reason to hike mount Semeru this time. I just want to finished my goal. To go to Arcopodo and hopely can meet with Bubung, whether he is a ghost now.