The A Team

A few weekends ago I went on a camping trip with some of my class mates. We decided to get some fresh air, just before diving into the busy months of being an almost-senior. The lecturers are now making us store our final year project theme/title while we are still in search of what we like. In a month or so we are going to have our internship presentation. A step closer to finishing uni. Exciting, but plenty of work.

Most of us drove towards Kintamani at 5 pm from Sanur, while some friends have been at the camping ground since noon. There were times where we had no idea where to go, and times where the road was too wrecked or too steep to pass through. But after 3,5 hours or so we finally made it.

Thanks to those who came before us, tents were up, and we just had to put our stuff inside. The air wasn’t freezing, but it was chilly. I put on my socks, jacket and beanie on, trying to fight the cold. The cold made us peed on wild grass in the dark and hoping no one sees us while we did it. We put on a camp fire, set up our kitchen and sat in circles. We sang songs, danced, and hugged each other so tight our bodies ached. Our friend brought some rice from her home nearby. We ate it with a can of sardines and chicken nuggets. More friends came by. There were 27 of us all together.

Background from RookieMag's collage set 

Esok Pasti Jumpa - Banda Neira 

People started sleeping. The stars came back, after hidden by the clouds. The moon started to come. Here’s a paragraph I wrote on the moon that night:

Everything felt real. Like pressure wasn’t there. The moon came out of the darkness, sliding into the sky with the colour red. The milky way, as my friends stated, went across the sky. He said the Scorpion was there. Everyone felt as one. Common millennials, taking selfies. Immersing the red moon and the constellations in blood, and carving the beauty of the landscape in our heads. I am in love.

We sat down and stare at the red moon, secretly wanting to pause the moment and just let ourselves blend with it. Those who are still awake sang loud songs and danced to dangdut songs. People made hot coffee and indomies. I went to bed, between two of my girl friends. It was 3 am and there was an earthquake. We calmed down and went back to sleep. Some people slept outside the tent.

It was 6.30 am and the sun started to rise. Here’s a paragraph I wrote that morning:

Opening the tent was like opening a door to the sky. It was orange and red and blue and the wind went inside my bones. I shivered, not knowing how to stop. We stood side by side, breathing the fresh air of Kintamani. We ran towards the hill, going through bushes and tall grass. A block of cement was there and we climbed up. We were surrounded by the mountains and a big lake. We felt big. Laughter, joy, pure i-woke-up-like-this faces and beautiful sceneries in one period of time. My lungs were happy. Everyone was happy. More selfies and beautiful pictures were taken. 

A couple of us went on a hike towards the upper hill. We were surrounded by three beautiful mountains and a lake. I have never been inside anything like it before. The village was seen from a far and it felt like a story book. Pictures were taken after another, because that is all what we’re allowed should take. We felt like a family, and although it wasn’t always a healthy one, we try.

Man Upon the Hill - Stars and Rabbit

We went down to our camp site and everyone were taking more pictures. People were being told to wake up. It was half past 7 and food were being cooked. Tents were folded. People were hugging. The clouds went up and we were suddenly above the clouds. More pictures were taken. It was half past 9 and motor bikes started to sound. Boys took their keys and turned on their engines. Girls walked down the hill with helmets on their heads.We finally went down.

A tire was flat and we had to get it fixed. We waited for half an hour and continued our journey, some to Denpasar, some to Gianyar, and some to Penglipuran. I went to Penglipuran. Arriving at our friend’s dojo, we laid down and eventually fell into a deep sleep. Fruits and snack were given to us and we charged our phones. We had fish for lunch at 3.30 pm and went back home at 5 pm.

I got home with eyes too tired to open. But my heart was happy, and that’s all that mattered.

Old Man Finger - Stars and Rabbit 

Man Upon the Hill - Stars and Rabbit

Ke Entah Berantah - Banda Neira

Details:

• Our camp site (Bukit Sari) mapped (link here)
• Takes roughly 2 hours from Denpasar in daylight
• Roughly Rp20.000 on gas is enough for both ways
• Very very steep roads when getting nearby (20 minutes away) to camp site. Best to use a good-condition motor cycle 
• We used 3 big tents and 1 nesting set
• Lower camp site has no toilets but has larger grounds. Upper camp site has a toilet but smaller grounds.
• No trees to hang hammocks
• What I packed & used: 1 sleeping bag, 1 hammock (didnt use it), 1 picnic mattress, 1 water repellent jacket, 1 long sleeve tshirt, 2 tshirt, 1 lazy pants, 1 leggings, 1 shorts (didnt use it bc change of after-camp plans), 2 undies, 1 bralette, 1 beanie, 1 socks, pads & tampons, betadine + band aids, 1 sunglasses, 1 motorcycle mask, 1 mountain sandals, 1 wet baby tissues, 1 deodorant, toothbrush + paste, 1 powerbank, 1 lomo camera, wallet, phone, nobi bag, lunch box + utensils, tumbler, and snacks. I brought all these with one +- 50 litres backpack. It might seems a lot for one night, but I took some extra things for my friends just in case of emergencies and comfort.

Tips:

• Trust Google Maps, but it’s never a crime to ask local people for directions as well
• Always have band aids and betadine, pads/tampons and wet baby tissues
• Bring a head lamp if you have. Much more useful than your phone’s flash light.
• BYO (bring your own): cups/water bottle, plate/bowl and utensils. Avoid buying single-use plastic wares at all times. During our camp we had to buy the wares because most people didn't bring their own stuff.
• Remember to fill in your power bank

Pictures taken with our personal smart phones. Edited on Afterlight and Adobe Photoshop.