Batch 10 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

53 - Liwa to Sungai Penuh (Sumatra, Indonesia)

I’m not famous and likely will never be so. I’m okay with that. Besides, I’ve had enough of a taste to get the flavor of fame and stardom. In Sungai Penuh, I entered a restaurant for lunch and thought I heard a record scratch. Not five minutes after sitting down, three Indonesian teenage males surrounded me. One politely asked (in English) if he and his friends could join me. I hardly got to the “y” in “yes” before they sat.

A teenage female sitting nearby saw this as the green light, pulling up a chair next to me. She was very sweet with kind eyes and a soft smile… and hellbent on a photo. She handed her cell phone to one gent, and the session began. One photo was taken with her standing and me sitting but this didn’t cut it…

Indonesia 2, Batch 10by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Sumatra, Liwa, Bengkulu, Sungai Penuh, Indonesia

54 - Orang Pendek & Motivation Frustration (Kersik Tuo, Sumatra)

I also visited the national park office for information on Mt. Kerinci, receiving another wet blanket in return. The mountain was closed due to frequent eruptions. This confirmed what Yan had told me, but I needed to hear it from the horse’s mouth. The horse beat me down like a panda in a Chinese zoo. I remember thinking, How do you close down an entire volcano?

I was mildly optimistic about park exploration, and far too excited to take the rational step of waiting another day for lickin’ chicken to work its way through my system. The morning of my departure north was something of a poopfest…

Indonesia 2, Batch 10by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Sumatra, Sungai Penuh, Kersik Tuo, orang pendek

55 - Danau Gunung Tujuh (Sumatra, Indonesia)

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…

Indonesia 2, Batch 10by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Sumatra, Danau Gunung Tujuh

56 - Mt. Kerinci (Sumatra, Indonesia)

Before dinner En, in his Ugarte fashion, inquired, “Ummm, sorry, Richard, do you want to play with fire?” Who wouldn’t? Let’s burn shit, I say. Smokey the Bear can suck it. “Play with fire” was his English device for “start a fire.” He was merely asking if it would be okay for him to kindle a flame for dinner. Not sure if this was a regulatory issue or a courtesy in case I had a phobia. It was difficult to know as En asked permission before doing anything. My effusion of laughter required clarification so as not to offend. An English lesson on the connotation of “play with fire” ensued.

Early to bed. Early to rise. We rose at 2:15 am and began the climb around three. Our camp was just below the tree line where vegetation falls away, replaced by exposed rocks and scree…

Batch 10, Indonesia 2by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Mt. Kerinci

57 - Pit Stop Padang & Backtrack Fever (Sumatra, Indonesia)

Turns out, I have some semblance of a conscience. Who knew? I let guilt be my diving rod. En spent three days surveying a route in the shit (i.e. the intended inclusion area). He’d spent his own time and money at my behest. I couldn’t leave him hanging. This wasn’t just business. I genuinely like En and considered him a friend. Sure, a shitload of things could go wrong, but I had to take the chance. The payoff was potentially huge. Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! (Minus the lions and the bears). Elephants? Tapirs? Rhinoceroses? Who knows? Only one way to find out, right?

Time was of the essence. He was only free for a week which included the three days for the trip.

Batch 10, Indonesia 2by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Padang, Mentawai Islands, Sumatra

58 - Kerinci National Park (Sumatra, Indonesia)

En had a knack for the lyrical. After leaving the second “crime” scene, we encountered flower blossoms “snowing” in the jungle. White flower petals fell to the ground in sputtering gasps, taking on the aura of large snowflakes. En pointed to this and said he’d only seen it once before under similar circumstances (i.e. in the presence of slain tiger prey). He compared the blossoms to jungle tears, a land mourning the loss of life. Simple. Evocative. Profound. Well done, En. Well done.

Less poetic were the leeches relentlessly assaulting our ankles, an assault that would continue for the duration. Anticoagulant-secreting bastards with an insatiable appetite for blood. Not a fan. Tear ‘em off and bleed. And bleed some more. And then keep bleeding. Delicious…

Batch 10, Indonesia 2by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Sumatra, Kerinci National Park