Communing with Nature in Western Java

Last week was half term at the French school the children needed entertaining. With Richard away, and not many options for playdates, we decided to head out of town and explore more of Indonesia. I was joined by another mother in the same predicament and together we decided to visit Tanjung Lesung,  a seaside resort on the southwestern corner of Java.

The brochure described the accommodation as ‘an eco-lodge built to blend in with the natural landscape,’ while simultaneously promising ‘four-star air-conditioned luxury,’ all situated right next to white-sand beaches and crystal-clear sea.  It sounded like the perfect place to commune with nature and keep the kids occupied.  And, after a somewhat long drive down (the advertised three-hour drive took well over four and a half hours), we were not disappointed. The swimming pool and lush tropical garden were right in the middle of the villa, which was actually composed of three bedrooms built around the open air garden with al fresco living and dining areas. Sadly, we were temporarily prevented from exploring the beach by the usual four o’clock rain, but that was no matter – the rain would clear up, and the next day we’d be free to enjoy the beach, with attendant snorkelling, pedal-boating, jet-skiing and even possibly a trip to the nearby Krakatoa volcano.  In the meantime we had the pool, the garden, the fabulous food and Twister to keep us occupied.

That first sign that things might not be going to plan was a text message from Richard asking if we were ok – an earthquake had caused a tsunami that hit the Mentawai islands (off Western Sumatra, which is the island next to us), and he was worried that we might have been near enough to be affected. We weren’t; but the next day, the water was distinctly choppy and, possibly worried about aftershocks, the very nice beach co-ordinator said that any pedal boat or jet-ski related activity was our of the question. Snorkelling was also ruled out as the water was far too murky to see anything.

That left Krakatoa; however, the other piece of breaking news was a volcano eruption in central Java (still far way, but the same island this time). As if in sympathy, Krakatoa had begun spewing smoke, thus rendering it technically active, and there was now no way we could even attempt the trip.  (Of course with both Rohan’s and my tendency to sea-sickness, the three-hour round trip on a speed boat might not have been a good idea in the first place, but that’s another story...)

So we got on with Rohan’s favourite past time of building sandcastles until lunchtime.  More great food, and a chance to lounge on the beach until the inevitable rain drove us back into the villa for a DVD this time. It was around tea-time that I decided that the holiday wasn’t exactly working to plan and that it might be a good idea to return to Tanjung Lesung at a better time. "Come during the dry season" I was helpfully told by a nice man at Reception, although he acknowledged that the dry season only lasted a month (mid-July to mid-August). And that often, it rained then too.

So, one emergency phone call to the driver later, we were on our way back to Jakarta with only slightly heavy hearts. As if to reinforce our decision, it rained all the way back. The slow traffic meant we hit Jakarta at rush hour, and it took a grand total of six hours to get back – two of them in Jakarta alone. Still, the boys and I were happy enough with our music and even though the driver is probably tired of hearing ‘Pop goes my Heart’ (played a total of 16 times) we made it back home and into our beds without any further incident.

It wasn’t until we returned to Jakarta and the world of TV and Internet that we learned the full extent of the disasters; entire villages wiped out, hundreds dead, and more missing.  The relief work has only just started and it will take months for the villagers to get their lives back.

The trouble with communing with nature is that it sometimes wants to talk back.

First Impressions

This is what the boys think house hunting is: “There are lots of little houses running all over Jakarta and Mummy has to go out with a bow and arrow or a sword and shoot one in the heart and then we can live in it.” (This little nugget was from Kieran, although I suspect that Richard had something to do with it.)

I have been house hunting for over a week now, and there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.  After three relocations, we not only have our requirements list down pat, we also have a healthy sense of perspective – I could live anywhere for three years, as long as there are plenty of kids round the corner. The other important factor, due to traffic conditions in Jakarta, is that the house be close to both Richard’s work place and the boys’ school. Thankfully, there has been a large selection of houses to look at, and for the first ever time, we may even have our own personal swimming pool (many houses here do - even the ones in compounds).

The other no-brainer is our ‘to do’ list; items I have ticked off so far include: (in order or priority) getting the kids into school, joining the local expat association, signing up for lessons in Bahasa Indonesia, getting an internet connection, opening a bank account  and buying a fascinator to wear to the Melbourne Cup next month. (Items outstanding: getting a driving licence, finding a maid, joining a nice country club, actually learning to speak Bahasa, and not getting too drunk on champagne at the Cup...)

I’ve been asked whether I prefer Jakarta to Dar; the obvious answer is that it is far too early to tell. The most obvious difference are the differences between a small town and large city – there’s a lot more traffic, huge shopping malls (the kids are in consumer heaven) and you get the sense that, having been made welcome, you will be left to get on with it.  The expats are scattered all over the city, so less tightly knit. You can go into the shops and not know a single person there (an experience usually limited to holidays in the UK). 

The other change, and a nice one, is Not Having To Do It All By Oneself. Richard’s company have been really good about providing help (right down to conducting the negotiations on the above-mentioned houses) and, used as I am to doing it all, it was quite a treat to find that the more mundane facts of life such as visas, licences, drivers, and even a temporary maid were all taken care of. In fact, on day one, we arrived to find a fully stocked fridge, toiletries in the bathroom, and cartoon-themed towels and bedding for the boys – someone really did think of everything!

Food shopping is proving to be a bit of a challenge  at the moment, though. I generally pride myself on ‘going local’ as soon as possible. Oddly though, local fruit and veg seem quite hard to find; so far we have been mostly eating imported potatoes, imported bananas, imported carrots, imported peppers, and I even saw an imported papaya in the hypermarket the other day.  I have no idea why this is so (although I did buy some domestic carrots eventually – bit of a mistake), since I assume the climate isn’t the problem. All I can think of is that perhaps things like carrots and potatoes aren’t really native to these parts (when did you last see a potato in chinese cooking?) so perhaps it’s not worth growing them for the few that want it. That argument doesn’t work with the fruit of course, although when I did venture out to a local pasar (road-side market) to try to buy a non-imported papaya, negotiations broke down due to my lack of Bahasa.

And of course, there is the weather. While it’s mostly like Dar es Salaam (ie, hot and humid), the wet season is a lot more WET. It has simply chucked it down at around 4pm most days, heavy enough even for a rain-loving person like me.  We’ve had a couple of thunderstorms, which had the boys huddling close to me on the sofa. (Rohan has since decided he’s going to pretend they are simply a fleet of aeroplanes flying overhead.) I’m looking forward to the time when we are all able resume our favourite past time of dancing in the rains.

All in all, it has been a good fortnight here in Jakarta. The boys appear to be settling in at school, as is Richard at his work, and I’m learning my way around South Jakarta (the little bit which we inhabit). I’ve been to a few coffee mornings, made a few friends, and even found time to start this blog.

Now...if only I could learn how to say ‘vegetables’ in Bahasa...