A double date with Merbabu & Merapi

Raras Cahyafitri, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | Environment | Tue, October 14 2014, 10:18 AM

The underground river on the Philippines last frontier

Christian Razukas, The Jakarta Post, Palawan, The Philippines | Environment | Fri, October 31 2014, 10:08 AM
 A double date with Merbabu & Merapi
Some might consider mountain climbing an ordinary task, but to reach several peaks
on one trip is no easy feat. Were not talking about an extreme hike, one that, for example,
could take 30 days to reach 20 summits. Some mountain ranges or several adjacent summits
can be reached in a just a few days. The 2M Merbabu and Merapi - hike in Central Java is
quite famous among trekkers. The Sindoro, Sumbing and Slamet hike, better known as 3S, is
also a challenge, although Slamet is currently closed to climbers on account of the recent
eruptions. Shorter hiking trips suit those who have limited time and budget yet are looking to
be challenged. Hiking the 2M, for example, can be done in three days, excluding time spent
on the road. It takes about eight hours to reach the top of Merbabu through the shortest yet
toughest and steepest- track called the Wekas route, which is located on the western slope of
the mountain in Magelang, Central Java. Hikers can reach the mountain in one day, but you
can still stay on schedule if you choose to stay the night. But if you choose to stay the night,
be prepared to endure cold temperatures. Come prepared with the proper gear, as well as food
and beverages.

Merbabu has several false summits. The true summit is 3,145 meters above sea level
at Kenteng Songo, where Merapis smoky peak is only a stones throw away. Kenteng Songo
is also the best spot to feast your eyes on a stunning landscape where Sindoros, Sumbings
and Lawus peaks are above the clouds. Trekking back down the mountain is always faster
through the same Wekas route. If youre up for a challenge, you can take the longer Selo
route, which is on the southern slope of the mountain. Heading down via the Selo route takes
around eight hours, bringing you along vast meadow before entering a pine forest. Starting at
Wekas and going down through Selo gives you the opportunity to see the beauty of Merbabu
from two different sides. Merbabu, also known as the mountain of ash, is a mysterious
mountain. Try to keep calm and remain patient throughout your trek, especially if you decide
to take the Selo route. Ive climbed Merbabu three times, traversing down via Selo, and was
expecting to re-route the same path. However, in the last three trips I ended up in three
different places, said Eko Wibowo, a hiker who took the 2M challenge last month.

From Selo, the journey can be continued to Merapi, whose starting point, now called
new Selo, is in the same village. This is why continuing the journey from Merbabu to Merapi,
the most active volcano in Indonesia, is irresistible even if your legs are still sore. Merapi,
the mountain of fire, offers more challenges due to its route, which is steeper than Merbabus.
However, it takes less time to reach Merapi, around five hours. Sunrise hunters can start
hiking at 1 or 2 a.m. and will be greeted by the first light at well over 2,900 meters above sea
level. Besides the steep trail, Merapis summit attack tests your courage and sense of
adventure. The rocky route starts after the campsite, continuing on until the Pasar Bubrah
post at 2,500 meters above sea level. Going further is not recommended due to high risks.

Merapis peak is formed by sand and rock, which are forced out from the earth when
the mountain erupts. In its 2010 eruption, the Yogyakarta area was covered by volcanic ash.
The eruption also resulted in the loss of its highest peak- Garuda. The sand along the route
to the summit is worse than Slamets. Youll take deep steps. The cliff is cracked, causing me
to fear that I could fall said Sopyan Muhammad, who has also taken the 2M trip. I got to
the top, but only on its crater rim. Our porter didnt have the courage to bring us anywhere
near the remnants of the Garuda peak, he added.

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The underground river on the Philippines last frontier

We followed the bridge between the mangrove trees to reach the Badjao Seafood
Restaurant, which sat on wooden stilts in Kamia Bay, in Puerto Princesa, the city of forests,
on the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The waiter brought us a huge grilled Spanish
mackerel, locally called tangigue. It was 3 centimeters thick and delicious. An Indonesian
friend at the table looked at the lush, green hills surrounding the bay that fed into the Sulu
Sea, and was unimpressed. Its just like Lake Toba. Its easy to compare the Philippines to
Indonesia: both nations are archipelagos in Southeast Asia, both are full of tropical rainforests
and beaches.
The Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal, however, reminded travelers to be mindful of
the music of the birds, the movement of the trees, the aroma peculiar to the place the
inexplicable something the traveler feels that cannot be defined and which seems to awaken
in him distant memories of happy days, sorrows and joys gone by, never to return. Or as the
proverb goes, He who would carry out the pearls of Arabia must carry in the pearls of
Arabia. Palawan Island is part of Palawan province, a 1,780-island archipelago that runs
north/south for about 450 kilometers between the West Philippine and the Sulu Seas. Only an
hours flight from Manila, Palawan is relatively untouched. Its called the last ecological
frontier for its 232 endemic species. Fifty-six percent of the island is tropical rainforest.
Four indigenous tribes live there the Tagbanua, the Palawan, the Taut Bato, and
the Batak (not the North Sumatran kind the word means mountain-dwelling in the local
language). The quintessential Palawan experience is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River
National Park, a UNESCO site that was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in
2012. The Cabayugan River, which runs underground for 8.4 of its 32.7 km, was the worlds
longest until the discovery of another river under Mexicos Yucatan peninsula in 2007.
Legend says that Palawans Batak people (now numbering in the hundreds) were the first to
find the caves mouth. Superstition (or common sense) kept them from exploring further:
oxygen runs out in the underground rivers deeper parts. Thats not a problem for visitors,
though: tour boats only travel about 2.4 km of the river 1.2 km in, 1.2 km out.
Trips typically begin in Puerto Princesa with a gorgeous two-hour drive through the
rainforest to Sabang. People then board motorized eight-passenger outrigger canoes for a trip
along 5 kilometers of empty seas, untouched beaches and limestone cliffs to the parks
entrance: a white-sand beach that is undeveloped save for a sign, several indifferent wild
monkeys and a path of wood planks leading into a mangrove forest. On the other side is
another beach and a second, smaller canoe. After donning helmets and life preservers, visitors
sail into the underground river. It becomes absolutely dark save for a battery-powered
spotlight held by a passenger in the bow.
At this point, the guide jokes, Dont open your mouth when you look up Thats
not water dripping. Bats hang from the stalagmites overhead. Over millennia, their guano
has mineralized to form serrabrancite (magnesium phosphate) crystals that provide eerie
and dazzling reflections when under the spotlight. We pass through one cavern that is 60
meters high surprising, since the karst that holds the river stands at only about 300 m. The
stalagmites and stalagmites carved from the limestone by rainwater make cavern look like
cathedral, complete with slick and wet stone arches.
The guide directs the spotlight to different rock formations as we go farther along the
river. One resembles a 10-m-long bunch of broccoli, another the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary
and Joseph. Theres even a bosomy Marilyn Monroe-like stalagmite and a 20-million-year-
old fossilized Sirenia seacow visible high above the rivers surface, dating to when the entire
island was underwater. Reservations are essential: Only 900 visitors are allowed in the
underground river a day, to preserve the sites ecological balance. Book through the parks
official website or a travel agent, who might have more slots for last-minute guests. After
descending into darkness, try the beach.
Honda Bay, just 45 minutes from Puerto Princesa along a well-appointed road, is full
of blue seas, small islands and plenty of shallow reefs for swimming, snorkeling or
diving. People usually start by renting a boat (its easy to split the cost with other waiting
tourists) at Honda Bay Wharf before spending the day island hopping. Starfish and Bat
Islands are places to see those animals in abundance, although the bats only come out after
sunset. Snake Island, thankfully, is named after its slithering sandbar shape. Recommended is
a stop for lunch at the seafood restaurant on tiny Pandan Island, where five families of about
60 people live. The food is fresh caught that morning by the men who live on Pandan
and inexpensive. Two dozen clams cost about 30,000 pesos, crabs cost about 20,000 pesos
and there are also sea urchins and mussels. Theres also snorkeling, massages, beach
volleyball and small cabanas for rent, if youd just like to rest under the sun.
Getting around Puerto Princesa is easy. Hotels are plentiful, almost everyone speaks
some English, the boats that cross the underground river are well-maintained, life preservers
are in good condition and sustainable development is a watchword.Residents attribute this to
Edward Hagedorn, Puerto Princesas mayor from 1991 to 1997. Sent to Palawan by his
parents after falling afoul of gangs in Manila, Hagedorn sang at a nightclub, became a
gambling kingpin, was arrested and then exonerated for shooting two cops dead, and then
again for check kiting (fire destroyed evidence in the case), according to a 1996 AP article.
Hagedorn then found Jesus and ran for mayor of Puerto Princesa, then a smugglers
haven. He won and started to clean up the city literally. Under his Oplan Linis (clean and
green) campaign, people are fined for littering for their first offense and sentenced to a
months imprisonment for their second. Hagedorn also reduced congestion and pollution from
the trikes in Puerto Princesa. After negotiations, he halved the number of motorcyle sidecar
taxis on the road on a given day through an odd-even license plate system.
 After a month, drivers said that congestion was down, fares were up and they could
enjoy more time with their families on off days. The mayor whose life story was adapted
for the screen in 1996 also cracked down on wildcat logging and illegal fishing, created
nature reserves and developed kilometers of well-maintained two-lane blacktop roads and
other infrastructure to support Puerto Princesas 7 Wonders bid. The islands natural beauty
and excellent infrastructure led the readers of Travel+Leisure Magazine to name
Palawan the worlds top tourist destination.
Its easy to see why.
_______________________

The writer visited the Philippines as a guest of the Philippine Department of Tourism and
Cebu Air.
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