55 - Danau Gunung Tujuh (Sumatra, Indonesia)
Seven peaks and a crater lake. Ain’t no tigers, for fuck’s sake. Okay, there is, but not for you. Best change that jolly point of view. Kerinici’s closed, but no it ain’t. Malaysians climb without restraint.
by Mr. Nos T. O’maniac
AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF DROPPING THE BALL AND SHITTING THE BED. I should’ve spent more time exploring Danau Gunung Tujuh (Lake of Seven Peaks), but I let a disappointing experience color my actions. The lake is striking. No doubt about it. Nestled at the foot of Gunung Tujuh and surrounded by dense jungle. Not to mention it’s the highest crater lake in Southeast Asia. In other words, well worth your time… probably.
A friend (Sahar) of a friend (Yan from Sungai Penuh) agreed to guide me to the lake’s edge. I knew it wouldn’t be an arduous affair as it required only a morning’s effort, but I had expected some exertion. Nope. Just a pleasant jaunt up a gentle incline. There’s really not much reason to hire a guide for this, especially one that barely speaks. Then again, it’s not easy holding a conversation amid a texting blitz. Also, it retards your pace significantly.
At least there was theme music. Every time Sahar’s phone rang, I was treated to a burst of hip-hop jams. Nothing against hip-hop, but it’s not exactly conducive to jungle vibes. Nor was the cohort of adolescent males swimming and having a gay (traditional sense) ole time we discovered upon arrival. Nothing against frolicking adolescent males either, but this also didn’t scream jungle adventure. Not sure what I was expecting, but a little research would’ve prepared me. Easy access. Camping. Swimming. It’s where all the cool kids chill. Of course it’s a zoo, dufus.
Clearly, the problem was mine. This is a local hangout, and they have as much, if not more, right to it than I. Expectations can be a real bitch, I suppose. Chances are if you visit you’ll also be treated to heaps of trash and refuse. It was everywhere. Trash is a downer no matter where you are. To his credit, Sahar spoke with the teens and encouraged them to pick up their own. This suggestion was received favorably and a cleanup ensued.
Hard not to feel like the condescending asshole from across the pond, but the lakeshore really is handsome. Such a shame to foul it up. Had I not been slightly appalled, I doubt Sahar would’ve said anything. Me, an asshole? Well, if it walks like a duck… quack.
*Drone footage courtesy of MavicGrapher
Yan from Sungai suggested I camp near the lake for a few nights. He even believed Tigger might be skulking the shadows. See a tiger? Dare to dream? Nope and nuh-uh. Not according to Sahar, anyway. (And, in his defense, according to everyone else as well.) When I suggested this the day before he was, shall I say, less than receptive? I also received the “ain’t gonna see no tigers up in here” speech. Basically, he took a substantial dump in my Cheerios. So, you can imagine my frustration when we passed eight members of the Tiger Protection Team on a three-day excursion around the lake. It was difficult to hide my discontent. I mean, that’s precisely what I was hoping to do… mutha fucka. Sleep in the forest. Look for Tony. Be part of a team. Hard to imagine they wouldn’t have let me tag along for a fee. I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to know. A day late and a dollar short. Dammit, son.
“‘From 2006 up until 2010 we were one of only five national parks in the whole of Asia where tiger numbers actually increased,’ says Debbie Martyr, who came to Sumatra in the early ‘90s to help the national park service protect Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) with Fauna & Flora International (fauna-flora.org).
This is no safari park, however, so you won’t find intrusive jeep safari or elephant-back tiger spotting operators here. Mostly nocturnal and extremely shy, tigers are among the world’s most elusive beasts, thus the chance of spotting one in the wild – even in TNKS – is next to none. (Emphasis mine.) But there’s an undeniable thrill to trekking in tiger country and, if you’re lucky, you may come across fresh pugmarks from these apex predators. Wild Sumatra Adventures (wildsumatra.com) offer TNKS’s most conservational-minded wildlife experiences, with five percent of their trip costs going directly to tiger conservation.” Excerpted from Lonely Planet website.
Sahar sensed my thinly veiled vexation. He assured me they were only going into the forest to crackdown on illegal hunting. This would explain the man with the machine gun. Um… ‘kay. I mean, why would I want to join Tiger Force Five and witness their quest to thwart poachers and maybe, fingers crossed, glimpse an orange furball that clearly didn’t occupy the area and certainly didn’t need protecting? Three days in the rain forest with local experts? That sounds fucking terrible, no? Dammit, son.
Bitter, much?
Sahar managed an actual conversation on the way back. He was, in truth, an interesting guy with lots to offer. Just not then. And not to me. Still, I liked him. Really, I did. The only thing standing in the way was his work ethic. I wanted to do shit. He didn’t. Nothing exotic there for him. That was his life. For me? It was like driving to Wally World so I could tailgate in the parking lot.
After our non-adventure, he invited me into his home and showed me pictures and videos of all the shit I yearned to see. (Ironic, much?) Pictures from his Orang Pendek explorations. Videos of Mt. Kerinci’s spectacular eruptions. I considered asking him where I could find that Sahar. And though he lacked the drive to explore, he made up for it all with his guide recommendation, a man I will always remember fondly. As I watched video of magma explosions shot two weeks earlier, I felt a giddiness well up inside. Turns out, cautious optimism was well-justified.
Back at the hostel, I met the three Malaysian gentlemen just returned from the Kerinci’s summit. No magma ejections on their watch, but they did seem to enjoy the trek. They failed to beat the sunrise, so maybe this altered the experience. Either way, I was about to find out. Remember the Rule of Ignance? In Sungai Penuh two days before, I was told (by the national park service no less) Kerinci was too dangerous to summit. Volcano? Closed. The thing is, no one told the folks in Kersik Tuo. They’d never stopped guiding climbers. Video from the rim showcased a spectacular light show that likely could’ve been used as Exhibit A as to why it should’ve been closed. Again, never believe anything anyone says ever… ya heard!
I mentioned above that I’d shit the bed with respect to Lake Tujuh. Why? Well, I should’ve pushed until I found someone to take me into “the shit” surrounding the lake. Why didn’t I? My experience on Kerinci was so outstanding I just let it go. Mistake? Yupper. My guide up the volcano was a first-class candidate, but as you will see, he had a more intriguing idea in mind. All the jungle mystique without the trash or the teenagers.
In the afternoon, I finally found the waterfall I’d chased the previous afternoon. I only drove past the road twice. It is indeed picturesque, but the falls turned out to be mere subscript. There were Indonesia families picnicking and teenage girls swarming the scene. Fuck the waterfall. I was the center of attention. Me, me, and me, goddamnit! Everyone wanted a photo. Oh, the burden of fame. It was immensely entertaining, and everyone I met was as friendly as they were grateful. I admit it, smiling that much is addictive… and so much goddamn fun. Honestly, I was at an ebb emotionally; this experience gave me the boost I needed. One family graciously offered me lunch, and I graciously accepted. Grateful gratitude. There’s never enough, my friend.