Mount Bromo

I had some trouble reaching Cemoro Lawang, the place to stay before visiting Mt. Bromo. While it’s nice from a traveler’s perspective to travel in the offseason when places are less busy, it can also prove difficult in finding transportation. I hoped to take a minibus from Probolinggo to Cemoro Lawang, but the only one I could find was empty and wouldn’t leave until full. After an hour of waiting, I decided that it might be best to hire a motorcycle to make the trip up the mountainside. Unfortunately, I realize in hindsight that I didn’t demonstrate responsible tourism when choosing a bike.

The price was fair for both of us, but I didn’t take the extra step of checking over the vehicle first. When the eager driver went to get his bike, I discovered it was a clunker in sorry shape and missing a dashboard. I admit even the most decrepit machines often seem to get by, but before starting a longer trip the responsible action is to judge that the vehicle is capable of the trip, because if it breaks down it provides problems for both the owner and traveler. Can you guess where this story is going ;)

I think my lack of faith in the bike really showed by my insistence on a helmet for this trip. Finally, after some communication among the group of waiting drivers, they were able to find an extra helmet. Unfortunately, the only available one was several sizes too big, missing a chin strap, and somehow was using metal staples to hold together the visor that had cracked in 3 places. I had to use one hand to hold the helmet down for most of the trip - making its effectiveness very questionable. We start the hour or so trip and everything is going fine and the views from the bike are amazing. However, about ¾ the way up the hill the bike begins to stutter, and to finally stop alongside a steep part of the hill. Another biker pulls over and pokes and prods the bike, but eventually it can’t be helped, or at least to continue uphill. I pay extra since I feel bad about the bike, but this situation wasn’t very good for everybody involved and the driver now had to ride the bike back down. The guy who stopped then takes me up the rest of the way.

While there are several ways to reach Mount Bromo, the most popular is via the town of Cemoro Lawang, which sits on the edge of a vast crater containing 3 volcanic mountains – Bromo, Batok, and Kursi. The crater is filled with a covering of volcanic sand and ash with the smoking mount Bromo sitting between the other two peaks. From the entrance to the park, one can walk, hire a jeep, or rent a horse to reach them.

Before arriving I discovered an excellent 5 page summary of the tourism in this area, “Local Community Initiative in Developing Culture and Nature Tourism in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.” The report talks about some of the good practices used in this park and includes research from Dr. Janet Cochrane, the Leed’s instructor that told me about Kaliandra. In her research she looked at the tourism practices of Cemoro Lawang and the positive and negative impacts that result from tourism. The practices at CL are unique because the locals follow traditional law, which prohibits anyone non-Tenggerese (the local ethnic group) from buying land or renting it for more than a year. In addition, to decrease conflicts between community members hoping to benefit from tourism, local associations were created based on professions, so there is a horse operator’s group, jeep rental group, food stall group, photographers’ group, and an accommodation group. The groups are all self-regulating entities. As Dr. Cochran’s research shows this provides increased positive impacts for the local community at Cemoro Lawang versus the unregulated tourism offered at the other villages, Wonokitri and Ngadas, which also provide tourism services to Bromo.

The best time to reach Bromo is early in the morning. As I’m a rather unprepared traveler at times, my alarm clock broke the second day into my trip, so I’ve been relying on naturally waking up early – which has served me thus far. That night I had a rather uneasy sleep, as I was trying to use an internal alarm clock to wake up by 4a to catch the sunrise in the crater. When I woke up at 3:30a, it seemed like it was best to just stay awake and start getting ready for the trip to Bromo. Since the association provide a flat rate for a jeep rental this didn’t seem like the best option since there is only 1 of me and I couldn’t find anyone else to share the expense of a jeep. As I paid my entrance fee for the park, an older lean gentleman approached asking if I needed a horse – “why yes!” Learning from my mistake with the motorcycle, I checked the horse first – strong looking legs, well fed with no ribs showing, and a sweet disposition. I was helped on, while the man took the reins to lead the horse. It was about 4am as we started across the volcanic sand sea. The people travelling by jeep took a different route that led to a viewing area of the whole crater first, so we were alone as we crossed. The horse slowly plodded through the sand and white mist, the stars shined bright overhead. I’d like to say that I listed to the steady clump of the horse the whole time, but I am a child of the modern ages (it can’t be helped), so I switched on my music player and listened to “Echoes: Best of Pink Floyd.”
The ride took about 45 minutes, so we waited for the sunrise at the base of the stairs leading up to the volcano’s edge. I enjoyed the solitude of the experience, just us and the horse. At 5am Yaeen(sp?) the horse caretaker, suggested I start the climb. In the distance the sun was just beginning to light up the Eastern sky. I started up alone, no touts, no other tourists. I had talked to someone the day before who mentioned taking over a hundred photos at Bromo, and I wondered how that was possible. Easily. As the sun rises and the mist disappears every moment makes the scene look a little bit different. There is also a trail that goes around the top edge of Bromo, which allows one to see the inside at all angles. Standing alone on the lip of Bromo watching the sunrise to one side and the crater smoking away on the other is an unforgettable experience.

It wasn’t until I was 1/3rd of the way around that I even saw any other visitors. It was very easy to forget that hundreds of thousands had probably visited this same place, as I slowly made my way along the path and at times climbed down channels carved out from lava. It probably took an hour to make it around the whole rim, so when I arrived back near the start more people had arrived and a man was selling flowers as an offering to Bromo and other woman was selling food and drinks. As I walked down the steps I now found that many other horses accompanied the one I’d ridden.

Again we slowly plodded back to the park entrance. My impressions of Bromo and this tourism town were very positive, though I do realize life has probably changed much for the local inhabitants with the growth of tourism and that visiting during the offseason isn’t really a good way to gauge all the impacts. I did witness some positive interactions between visitors and locals, as some tourists were speaking with some secondary school boys who wanted to practice their English, but I also observed some negative interactions as one cranky traveler was very unpleasant to another boy that asked about his transportation needs. I can understand how it is easy to be rude when asked for the billionth time about needing a minibus, even when you are already sitting in one, but it is also very easy to change the subject and to treat people as people.
For anyone who is curious, the report of Dr. Cochrane’s study can be found at: http://www.recoftc.org/site/fileadmin/docs/publications/Seminar_Proceeding/Cochrane.rtf

Visiting Kaliandra

On the slope of a different mountain I discover another well managed environmental education center, Kaliandra. Named after a multi-purpose tree, the center was established in 1997 by five founders with the goal to educate people about the environment. While the PPLH Seloliman center I previously visited is one part of the larger PPLH organization, the Kaliandra Center runs autonomously. While many NGOs receive funding from the government, Kaliandra received its initial investment donations from the founders. This allows the organization to grow independently and to be shaped through the careful attention of the locally based management team. As Mr. Heri Aqus explains to me, “The forest and each nearby village has different potentials. At Kaliandra we work to achieve these potentials through sustainable and long term projects.” Heri is the HR Development Administrator at Kaliandra, and a long time back a former PPLH employee.

The facilities at Kaliandra act as an environmental and cultural education hub for both visitors and locals. The location is ideal, as the center sits on the side of Mount Arjuna, near a heavily wooded preservation area. The lodgings are all built in a classic Javanese architecture style. When I commented on the beauty of the buildings, it was explained to me that one of the founders is an architect, so he designed the whole complex. Bungalows and dorms are available to rent for private groups or organized gatherings and sleep over 100. The management strategies Heri and the other administrators use to develop and manage tourism at Kaliandra are admirably based around responsible tourism principles. As I observed during my stay, the center is working to positively impact and conserve the local environment, promote local customs, and create long term growth and development in the community. Careful attention is also given to making daily operations sustainable.

(Outside and Inside the Bungalows)

Heri fills me in on the programs the center operates. “We have programs with each core group in the community – children, women, and farmers,” he continues. The women’s programs focus more on health while the men’s program centers on farming management that is more profitable and less detrimental to the local environment. The local children’s programs include English lessons Tu-Th, and a Javanese dance and music class on Friday. In addition, the center is working to develop a resource library at Kaliandra and libraries in the neighboring villages. When first started Kaliandra worked with the 2 villages directly nearby, but now has expanded their efforts to work with 6 villages. The goal is to grow to the point where they can work with all 43 villages in the park area. Another branch of the center works to develop additional sources of income and skills enhancements for the community, such as organic farming, metal working, providing access to a drying machine that helps villagers package and preserve fruit for sale, and education on tourism basics including how to operate a home stay. Kaliandra even supported several villagers travelling to Bali to learn massage practices, which they now offer at the Kaliandra center.

(Making Dried Pineapple Snacks)

As an environmental education center it is important for Kaliandra to monitor the condition of the forest around them. In 2006 they were disturbed to see that around 3,900 hectares of the forest had been intentionally burned down and logged. As part of a USaid project, an awareness campaign was launched in the local surroundings. After the year long program educating people about the forest and proper care for the natural environment the results of 2007 was only 86 hectares destroyed. In another innovative program Kaliandra partnered with local businesses in the nearby town on an “adopt the forest” project. While Kaliandra supplied the trees, businesses donated money to pay the villagers to replant trees. Additional compensation was given to villagers who maintained and cared for the trees. The result was approximately 600 hectares replanted.

(part of the Kaliandra awareness campaign about the environment)

(young trees for planting)

I spent a very peaceful night at the center, and in the morning another Aqus, Aqus Sugarto Ecotourism sub manager, takes me on a walk around the cobble stoned paths of the resort. Again I feel very far removed from the busyness and intensity of the Indonesian cities. We pass an herbal medicine garden, and an onsite organic farm. When he sees this, Aqus mentions the branch office that Kaliandra operates in Surabaya to market and sell the organic produce from the villagers. The tour continues and I get to see several gamelan musical instruments where the kids practice, and a huge Outward Bound style ropes course. At that moment several minivans pull up to the park and little kids start pouring out. Almost 40 7yr olds are visiting today from Surabaya to learn about the environment and their interconnection with it.

We watch as they are lead to a nearby open air meeting place, and a traditional style puppet is used to talk with the kids and introduce them to Kaliandra. Leaving the kids to their program, Aqus and I continue on a walk of the area, followed by a motorbike tour of some of the surrounding villages. At the local community garden we see some women taking care of the plants and farther down the road we stop at one of the houses in the local home stay association. Ms. Bu Pinaridah and her daughter welcome us in. Though they don’t know much English, they seem to be enjoying this unexpected visit.

Continue on our tour, we visit a few other places in the nearby area before turning around and heading back to the center. When we arrive, the schoolchildren are just about to start a banana harvesting program. Again we tag along and watch as the kids gather around a banana tree. The staff member from Kaliandra talks with them and then demonstrates the whacking motions to bring down a large bough heavy with bananas. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves, and even more so during the next step when they learn about traditional cooking of the bananas and get the pleasure of eating them.

During my visit I was very impressed with the management strategies used at Kaliandra. The place seems to operate extremely efficiently with unique programs, and very reasonable price structures for both independent and package visitors. They are also happy to provide programs or local tours for domestic and international visitors. They also happily welcome volunteers. Though not in most guidebooks, I learned about this place from one of my instructor at Leeds Met University who took a group of students to assist on several projects during a one month stay last year. One of the students, Andy, even stayed several months longer to assist on additional projects, and helped create a first rate website at http://kaliandrasejati.org/ . The website includes more information and exact instructions on how to reach the center. A visit to Kaliandria makes a very pleasant trip, plus its location is less than half a day away from Mt. Bromo, my next destination.

PPLH Seloliman

Getting to the PPLH Environmental Education Center in Seloliman is fun - or at least the last part where you take a motorcycle taxi (an ojek) from the town of Trawas. Zipping through the backcountry of Eastern Java, we fly past villages and people caring for their fields. We breeze down hills with hair flying, sorry to say no helmets around here, and after an exhilarating 20 minutes ride we reach the PPLH Center. The center is located on the slopes of Mount Penanggungan, and they can also arrange pickups for those not as keen on motorcycle riding.

(Scenery on the ride to the PPLH – and I did take this pic ;)

At the center I was greeted by Purjoko, coordinator for the education programs. Well, first I was greeted by two visitors to the center that wanted a picture taken with the newly arrived “white girl” before I can even set down my bags. Later on this would become the theme of the evening ;) Due to poor planning on my part, there is no dorm vacancy at the center, but Purjoko is happy to set up a stay in the nearby village. As he tells me, if you’re arriving on the weekend it is best to email: pplh@indo.net.id a week in advance, or if you’re coming on a holiday weekend even a month in advance.

I continue talking with Purjoko in the restaurant area of the center, and he tells me about the place’s history. PPLH Seloliman was first established in 1990 with funding from the WWF, but since then it has developed into a self-supporting NGO to educate the public about the environment. The center here focuses mainly on agricultural learning, but other branches of PPLH operate around Indonesia and focus on other topics, such as marine life rehabilitation. The PPLH Seloliman center really sees a wide range of visitors. When I arrive a group of kindergarteners from Surabaya are playing an educational game in the nearby woods, but primary, secondary, graduate, and post graduate students also visit, as do full-fledged adults. We go on a tour of the area, and Purjoko shows me the storeroom for planning the programs oriented for young kids. As he tells me, “most kids are only used to coloring with crayons and other manufactured products, but here we teach kids about natural products.” He shows me a root and the bright yellow streaks it produces. Kids here can also use flowers and charcoal to color their printouts of local wildlife. He also tells me about some other fun projects for the kids including educational hikes, visits to the organic garden, seeing the local animals that reside at the center, learning how to boil down paper to reuse it, and even a game to teach kids how to sort out products to recycle.

We continue our tour to see the other components of the PPLH center. The goal of the center is to be very nearly self-sustaining, so he shows me where waste is naturally composted and broken down under the earth. A nearby PPLH run hydro-electric power station generates electricity for the center, surrounding villages, and even enough energy to then sell to the government. We pass a resource library that holds a collection of Indonesian and English books on environmental conservation, wildlife, development programs, etc. There is also a seminar room, spiritual house for prayer, bungalows, a guest house, and a 60 person dormitory. Again, these spots fill up quickly on the weekends. As we pass the organic garden, Purjoko explains that programs are also arranged with the local community to help develop awareness on how to manage the forest’s resources. The center holds education classes for local kids, as well as working with farmers to plant crops that include those that enrich the soil and prevent erosion. At first, he explains, there was some tension between the locals wishing to use the surrounding forest for its resources and to meet their daily needs, while the center hoped to conserve and manage the natural resources of the area. In addition, government regulations and enforcement on logging had changed, so since 2001 PPLH witnessed an increase in illegal logging. At that time, as I’m told, the center stepped up its efforts to help villagers find other ways of gaining income from the forest that didn’t include cutting down the trees, like harvesting non-timber related assets like fruit. Meetings have also been held with local farmers from the surrounding communities on how to help damaged forest recover and about managing a community forest near the main one with short term and long term crop strategies. The center also promotes organic farming in the area, and has been working to find long lasting business partners in Surabaya to buy the goods. As we walk by a display case, he shows me some of the products for sale made by home industries in the local village, like herbal medicines. Over the past 17 years the center has reached a comfortable level of interconnectivity with the locals in the area, as around 70% of the staff, over 40 people, comes directly from the surrounding countryside and those who don’t come from the area rent rooms in the villages.

(Purjoko explaining water treatment)

In the evening a workshop is going on for a large group of science teachers from Surabaya. I sit in on the presentation. Though entirely in Indonesia, I can easily understand the general ideas of the presentation as they use some easily discernable pictures, like a little devil with horns burning garbage and an image of a sad looking globe with a thermometer in its mouth. After the presentation, I join the group for dinner in the main hall. As to be expected the food here is very healthy, grown locally and without additives or artificial ingredients. By the end of the evening I think I had my picture taken with the majority of the 70 plus group of science teachers. As they posed my in different positions, I couldn’t help but wonder how many random photo albums I’m in throughout Asia.



The next morning I could again observe the science teacher workshop. After a hike, the staff members of PPLH demonstrated nature related science activities, like making paper. The teachers were then given an opportunity to try their skills. Another activity was going down to the river with nets and microscopes to look at the creatures that live in the water. While the group gathered next to the river, I could see a grey haired woman from the village collecting firewood, creating an odd juxtaposition with the merriment of the science teachers.

My last activity around PPHL was to go with the Arief, from the Research and Development staff, to visit the nearby Jolotundo temple and a nearby community garden. Both places are about 1 km away from the center, but up a steep hill. Jolotundo is one of about 80 Hindu temples built into the sacred Penanggungan Mountain, and as one can see from the picture local kids enjoy playing in the water. In a large plot nearby is one of the community gardens that PPLH works to develop with local farmers. As we arrive a boy is just departing with two large baskets of leaves and other food for livestock, strung on a pole over his shoulders. For those who wish to stay longer Arief also conducts educational eco-hikes in the surrounding mountainside.

If you’re curious to find out more about the PPHL Center at Seloliman, they have a website – http://www.blogger.com/www.pplh.org. They also happily welcome volunteers, so if you’re interested contact pplh@indo.net.id.

The Blind Masseuses of Malang

From Yogyakarta I travelled briefly to Solo. The tourism industry here has declined severely as fewer tourists are visiting Indonesia and those who do usually just go to Yogya, which has most of the same tourist draws – a Sultan’s palace and local dance performances. It doesn’t help that many of the guest houses in Yogya encourage visitors to skip Solo and stay longer in their town. I’m afraid I didn’t stay long in Solo, just long enough for lunch before catching the next bus to Surabaya. After Jakarta this is the second biggest city. The city has a few highlights, like a fascinating China town and an old district full of crumbling Dutch buildings, but it is mostly business people who visit this city. At the inexpensive guest house I stayed at, I was surprised in the morning to find the courtyard full of men in suits sipping tea.

Again I did not stay long in Surabaya, but hopped a bus to Malang. I am now entrenched in East Java, the least populated of Java’s province. It is also home to several of Java’s finest parks and volcanoes, including the popular Mount Bromo. On the short 2 hour ride from Surabaya to Malang I could see acres of forest out the window. Malang itself is full of Dutch architecture, as its sometimes cool temperatures made it a favorite destination for European vacationers during colonial times. While many of the buildings date from the Dutch era, like most places one can still find McDonalds and a few other global chains.

Traditionally the tourism industry specializes in providing lodgings and transport to tourists, but a “linkage” is when the tourism industry encourages growth in supplementary industries as well. Throughout SEA massage industries have taken off as an accompanying industry in many tourist destinations. While sometimes these massage parlors bring unforeseen negative social impacts, they can also be used to positively impact a community. In Malang I discovered Nuansa Fajar, a massage place that trains and employs the blind. In the back of a store, several rooms are set up where masseuses give 1 hour massages. I visited Malang during the offseason, so at the time I visited there were few other tourists and I didn’t have to wait long for a masseuse. As the blind lady used strong fingers to get out all the kinks I’d developed during the last few days of travelling, I could hear a local band on the street strumming away. After the massage, it was at this place that I saw my first and only other Caucasian tourist in the town, and he too was getting a massage.