Beach Trip

On Sunday, Sarah invited me to go along with her and a group of people on another jungle hike and then the beach.  There were six of us total: me, Sarah, Self (an Australian guy who works at ARTI), Ken, Jesse (male), and Jesse (female).  All of us (excluding Self) are American, and they're all doing their own cool things here in Aceh.  They were all very nice, and we had a really good time.
The trail we took in the forest was about an hour long, and it was tough!  Not as tough as the 8 hour GAM hike, but still...pretty challenging.  My legs are still sore from that trip!  At the end of the trail we finally stopped at another secret beach; a different one than where Sarah had taken me the first time.  It was beautiful secluded; it was like we were at our own private resort.
We played in the ocean, and the boys made a small hut out of pieces of wood lying around and tied sarongs to it so that there would be shade.  It was super cool, like they were practicing to be on Survivor or another type of wilderness challenge reality show.  Self had brought along a fish, watermelon, and pineapple...all of which he had stored conveniently in his backpack.  He started a campfire and cooked the fish as well as noodles so we could all have lunch.  It was very impressive.  How he managed to fit all that stuff in his backpack is beyond me.  At least I'll know who to contact if I'm ever stranded on a desert island.
We stayed there all day and didn't get back until the evening.  It was such a fun day, I'm glad to have had this experience with them.
I'm also glad that I was able to meet some other westerners close to my age around here.  I was the baby of the group - they're all in their mid 20s, but we were still all close enough that we could have fun with each other and not be awkward.  Of course, I've also made tons of wonderful Indonesian friends, but nevertheless, it's nice to have a few people around who understand the culture you're coming from and with whom you're able to connect with on that level.  It's like having a little piece of home right there with you, and makes being far away not that big of a deal.

A view of the beach

One last hill before paradise!

 Eating lunch

The fish they cooked - complete with portable grill

Yummy

Our hut.  Charming, isn't it?

A Rebellious Jungle Hike

Yesterday, I went on a jungle hike with three ex-GAM (Free Aceh Movement) rebels.  These guys spent two years in the jungle fighting against the Indonesian army, it's really incredible.  The company that I took this tour on is called Aceh Explorer, and it's run by a Dutch guy named Mendel who wanted to employ former GAM combatants.  Apparently, it's difficult for them to find work now, so he wanted to give them an opportunity to earn some money.
I left the asrama at 9 am, and we finally began the hike at around 10.  The mountain was absolutely beautiful - I was completely captivated by the scenery.  We walked down a bridge, at which the end turned into a narrow trail leading into the jungle.  The first thing I saw was an old ulammah's grave, where the GAM combatants used to pray.  As we went further up, the trail began to get harder and more treacherous.  My guides had to help me from falling multiple times, holding my hand, and placing my feet correctly on the rocks so that I wouldn't slip.  The first hour flew by, and before I knew it, we were stopping for lunch.  During our break, the guides and I talked a lot - about everything.  They asked me about how it was living in America, if I liked Aceh, etc.  And I also asked them a lot of questions about GAM, carefully wording my questions.
They told me that the reason they joined in the first place was because they felt that the Indonesian government was unfair to Aceh.

"Aceh is very rich in natural resources, but we weren't seeing any of the profit.  It was all being taken by the Indonesian government, and that wasn't fair.  If Aceh was independent, we all would be rich."

 They also told me that if their old GAM commanders asked them to pick up arms again, that they would.

After lunch, we went further up the mountain to the very top.  I definitely underestimated the mountain - I have never been on such a difficult hike before!  There were parts where I couldn't walk, but had to climb on rocks to get to the next spot.  Thorny plants clung to my clothes and cut my legs, and when it started to rain, I began to slip in the mud.

Before we reached the top of the mountain, my guides showed me their old GAM base.  I expected a fort of some kind, but all I saw were boulders!  We also saw an old cooking site they had - the only things remaining were a rusty pot, lantern, and cup.  It's so unbelievable to me that these guys spent 2-3 years living in the jungle like this, completely secluded from the outside world.  They went up and down that mountain in the dark, with no sources of light whatsoever - absolutely amazing.  Since the tsunami didn't reach all the way up the mountain, the GAM combatants never knew that it happened.  They said that afterward, when they looked down on the villages below, that they thought those villages had been bombed by TNI (Indonesian army); the only reason they knew it was a natural disaster was because they saw a lot of foreign helicopters coming in.

When we finally reached the puncak, or top of the mountain, I felt so ecstatic.  The rocks up there were extremely sharp and jagged, and it was very difficult to get up, but I'm glad that I finally made it.  The trip back down, however, was equally as difficult.  Since it started to rain some, the path was pretty dangerous and I needed all the help I could get from my guides, who were absolutely wonderful.  "Just keep smiling," they said.  "Your smile gives us the motivation to go on!"  I slipped and fell so many times, but they kept on catching me.  The last slope we took to go down was ridiculous.  It didn't slant, but went straight down.  I was pretty terrified.  I grabbed hold of one guide's backpack and followed his lead, while the guides behind me held on to my backpack to catch me just in case I fell.

By the time the hike ended, it was already almost 6.30.  When I finished, I was filthy, soaking wet, and half dead.  I don't think I've ever been happier to see a road in my entire life.  I can't believe I spent over 8 hours hiking in the jungle!  The scrapes and pain were all worth it though, and I had an incredible experience.  My guides were absolutely amazing - I couldn't imagine doing what they did during the conflict.  If I hiked that mountain by myself, I doubt that I would have come back down in one piece.

Before the hike

Fresh water source, GAM used to collect their water from here

You can tell I wasn't tired yet because my camera radar was still functioning

The view from the top!Grave of an ulammah who was killed by the Dutch.  GAM used to pray at this site.

Old GAM living/eating quarters, complete with rusty pot and lantern.  There was a cup off to the side that I didn't catch in this picture.

At the top of the mountain!!!  Balancing precariously on a tree limb with sharp, jagged rocks beneath me.

AFTER the hike.  You can't really tell, but my backpack is filthy.  Level of exhaustion:  100%

A view of the mountain I conquered!