This year is all about self-transformation for me. There have been so many events, breakthroughs, and healings that I can’t even keep track. Travelling to Java was not part of my short-term plans, but I learned (again) that everything happens when and how it has to. Many times, I do things just because why not. And often, I want to do things that don’t leave the desire zone (usually out of fear or distraction). I’ve reached the point in my journey where I have to commit, show up, and act.. not just talk but walk the talk!

After receiving my confirmation for the Vipassana course (I will spill the T later), I googled the location to see if some interesting places were nearby. When I opened the map, the first thing that caught my eye was an already pinned spot (I have plenty of these for future trips). From here, the entire itinerary unfolded perfectly – I booked my flights and felt pretty excited about this two-week holiday.

I tend to over-plan my trips – usually want to see too much in a short period, which leads to endless driving and exhaustion without giving me the time to immerse in the experience. Fortunately, this approach is also shifting into a more enjoyable form. Since I wasn’t sure how I would feel after the course, it made more sense to explore first. I had 4.5 days and decided to take it slow and not just check off my list.

DAY 1

My departure from Bali was super hectic (surprisingly, I still made it to the airport at the last minute), and the arrival at Jakarta welcomed me with an emotional setback. I needed a large wake-up coffee and two cigarettes before catching the train to Bogor.

The airport line and Bogor lines are outstanding. The trains are one of the cleanest places I’ve seen in Indonesia (funny.. not funny?!), on time, well organized and pretty cheap. Since you skip all the traffic and hustle, I can’t think of a better transportation to get out of the capital.

Bogor is located ca. 60 km south of Jakarta and is a popular weekend destination. Getting off the train, the first thing that hit me was the heat in my face – so many mountains around, but in the city, it’s inhumane. The second was the number of people and bemos on the streets. These public vans dominate the traffic, and it’s very easy to get stuck between them if you don’t read the local rules well.

I also had the pleasure of driving in the strangest traffic situation ever. From downtown, I headed southeast out of the city. Google took me on shortcuts along the canals (not even surprised anymore), and when I reached the intersection with the national road, I couldn’t believe what was happening: high-speed buses, trucks, and cars (constantly overtaking) on two lanes in one direction and only bikes, in a single line, on the edge of the road, in the opposite direction. I don’t know if they changed the rules recently or if it’s always been like that, but if I wasn’t in Indonesia, I would be completely confused. (Do not recommend inexperienced tourists to drive here because indecision and panic can lead to fatal accidents.) From Cisarua, the traffic rules return to normal (if you know what I mean), though the first 15 minutes on the road require much attention and self-confidence.

By the way, I rented a scooter from Traverent in Bogor. Just so you know, rental companies work with weekday and weekend rates but still offer a discount for multiple days. Everything in Java is a bit more expensive than in other areas, but at least the standards are lower. You have to accept that. Despite the facts, I got a newish one (not what I originally wanted), the rental is right next to the train station, has an online price list with photos, and you can book and discuss everything on WA.

My only stop that day was Agrowisata Gunung Mas – a sprawling tea plantation with a walking bridge (for Insta-wannabes). It’s a cute spot, perfect for long walks and picnics, has glamping and outdoor activities, and offers a variety of local teas. I tried a few of the teas (they also harvest butterfly pea, which is one of my favourites), had a late lunch (luckily, I asked my gado-gado not to be spicy, so it only burned half of my mouth), and was acclimatizing in the shade.

DAY 2

The main rule when visiting tourist spots is to go before everyone else. Accordingly, I started the day at 8 am in Cibodas National Park. Apparently, Biak is not the only place with a telaga biru (blue lake), so I was keen to check it out. Located on the northern side of Gunung Gede, the national park has everything for nature lovers: botanical gardens, campsites, waterfalls, jungle trails, and, of course, the volcano itself. I only went for the blue lake (which was more greenish this time), and even tho my body is not used to intense uphill hiking, the ca. 2 hours of trekking made me ready for a good breakfast. Not being a morning person, I still love the misty morning vibe and fresh air, and I understand why people like to exercise as soon as they wake up: it feels good and satisfying.. and food tastes so much better.

Bubur ayam is perhaps the most popular breakfast in Indonesia and is definitely a thing in Java. When it comes to (street)food, it’s always a good indicator if you see a local crowd. Those places may be (or look) dirty but offer the least risk of getting sick and a high chance of pleasing your tastebuds. As Anthony Bourdain summed it up well:

Wholesome food is wholesome food anywhere. I may not like something but, generally speaking, if it’s a busy, street food stall (…), they’re in the business of serving their neighbors. They’re not targeted toward a transient crowd of tourists that won’t be around tomorrow. They’re not in the business of poisoning their neighbors.

I spotted a place on the side of the road and headed straight there after the morning workout. The lady serving the food was lovely, and the bubur ayam was exceptional. And it only cost 15k IDR.

With a happy tummy and semi-tired legs, I headed to Cianjur. It is just another junction city but hides a secret spot: a spacious oasis (right next to a small, quiet swimming pool, FYI) with good food and drinks. The Secret Garden is a perfect place to refresh, recover, or spend the midday heat. Usually, my mind would race to the next spot, but getting sunburned on the scooter to tick another spot on the list didn’t feel right. I proved to myself that taking it slow and relaxing is not a bad thing. When the heat passed, I took off to Sukabumi, where I spent the next two nights.

Sukabumi is the southern hub around the volcano and a perfect base for day trips in all directions. Since it was Sunday, I didn’t want to visit any tourist attractions. Instead, just cruised around town and found some crazy good stuff.

The first amazement was realizing that it was a mochi city. The cheeky little rice balls playing with your tongue is like a guilty pleasure, and being a mochi girl (I also have a mochi tattoo, lol), I’m always up for this game. There are many factories, but I chose the Mochi Lampion Sukabumi. With the help of Google, I successfully got lost and ended up in super narrow alleys, most of which were only for walking. The neighbourhood looked adorable, just navigating the scooter without scratching it required some skills. Needless to say, there aren’t many white tourists in this area. When I showed up at the store, they were surprised. So was I. (Like, where the hell am I again?!) They make mochis with about 10 different fillings (ah, heaven). I chose three to start with, and the guys didn’t let me pay for them (because you only pay for the prepared boxes, not for individual pieces). It was unexpected.. but no complaint.

Another surprise was the western(ish) restaurants and cafés. Honestly, everything here is so deeply Muslim that I didn’t expect to find anything other than average Indonesian food. Stick with bubur ayam in the morning, but treat yourself to a fancy lunch or dinner. One great choice is Kopi Dermawan. Another is Like Earth Coffee. There are fresh pastries every day, the menus are extensive and tasty, and the coffee is good, too.

To end the day, I wanted to check out one of the sunset viewpoints outside the city. Usually, the path to the lookouts leads through closed communities (sometimes, it feels like driving in the favelas of Rio). I was already tired of the hungry eyes (just the usual, white woman alone), so when I reached the hill road and saw the local night market developing, I turned back towards the city and my hotel. No FOMO.

DAY 3

Monday morning. Beautiful weather. And the day that excited me the most about this entire trip. I visited Gunung Padang. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should watch this on Netflix immediately:

Graham Hancock is a legend I’ve admired for many years. He’s a genius, and I only feel sad that I didn’t know about his discoveries in my high school years (I sure would have told my dictator history teacher to shove the stupid books up his ass because I don’t buy that crap). I was beyond excited to see with my own eyes and walk on the site of the oldest pyramid in the world.

From Sukabumi, you have two options to reach the site: a long way or a rocky shortcut. Guess which one I went on. Google Maps is 80% pain and 20% fun. The conditions looked worse than they actually were (I’ve been on much more challenging roads in the past years), and I already know that most of the time, you get the reward: breathtaking mountain views, incredible sceneries, running into a girls’ football game on the corner of the street, or a pole climbing competition on a rice paddy, and so on.

After (finally) arriving at the entrance of Gunung Padang, I mingled with the local men around the table with cocoa milk and a cigarette. I’ve said this before, but this unhealthy addiction somehow makes you accepted in local circles, and that’s never a disadvantage.

Some steep (or less steep) steps lead up to the ruins, where I was utterly mesmerized by the sight of the megalithic terraces. My timing was perfect (around 9 am), so I could enjoy it all to myself. Something is different here; the energy and the atmosphere are extraordinary. Not as shocking as seeing Uluru for the first time; it felt more peaceful but right. They say that places have a memory. And there are certainly some places where you can catch that in the air. Gunung Padang is one of them – just take a moment, breathe and listen. The ruins won’t mean much if you don’t know the theories behind them, even though they look unique. Sitting in the shade and feeling the beauty and gratitude (mostly for how this little trip of mine manifested itself) made the experience so special.

If you had the ability to travel back in time to any point in human history, where would you go? I personally don’t have an answer yet, but I lean towards prehistoric times.. or the Mayans. Anyhow, this is a tribute to Graham Hancock for showing us a different, more real, and meaningful perspective on our human history.

Back to Sukabumi, I chose the long way (if possible, I always prefer to take a different route). A perfectly smooth road, sliding from the mountain to Cianjur, where you take the turn to the national road. Even tho the ride felt good to my arms and butt, dealing with the traffic and the extra 30 minutes left me wondering which route was actually better.

I adopted a midday siesta routine these days (it’s easy to get used to the good stuff), so I settled myself in Frances. The cakes and coffee looked more promising than they were, but the place was comfortable enough to recharge.

For the afternoon, I had another highlight (all or nothing): I drove to the world’s longest forest suspension bridge. But first things first, I stopped for my mochi fix. This time, I stocked 8 pieces (that’s the amount of a box), and they still didn’t let me pay. I’m not used to such offers, but sometimes, you just accept what life gives you (mochi or not).

When I arrived at the bridge, it was past 4 pm, and I was the last person entering. By default, it is a one-way walk: after the suspension bridge, you continue to a waterfall, then to a second bridge, and finally arrive at the main parking lot. I was not interested in the full walk (I wanted to cross the main bridge twice, and my lazy ass also parked right next to the bridge instead of down in the parking area). Since there were no people, I cheated. I walked to the waterfall (which looked better than expected) but then just turned back to the suspension bridge (if no one sees it, no one cares). On the way back, I was the only person walking on the entire bridge. The hazy, cloudy sunset made it unforgettable; it looked damn stunning.

As it quickly became dark, all my happy inner child wanted was a good dinner, a shower, and sleep.

DAY 4

I walked more in three days than in the last three months, so my body was a little sore. Before checking in for the intensive retreat (Vipassana), I needed a treat myself day. From Sukabumi, I drove back to the outskirts of Bogor, where I booked a stay at Amanuba Rancamaya. I must say that the national road around the volcano is intense driving: full of trucks, buses, cars, bemos, and bikes, and everyone is speeding. You are not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic. This saying couldn’t be more accurate here.

Gunung Gede is loaded with waterfalls, and I was thinking of checking out one or two nearby, but in the end, I just chilled at the hotel and enjoyed myself in the pool all day. The hotel was comfortable, the service attentive, and everything almost perfect.. except for the late-night party next to the hotel with shitty indo-techno blaring from the speakers. It was tolerable with earplugs, but I clearly didn’t get the best sleep.

DAY 5

After waking up, I had a bubur ayam next to the hotel (not a big fan of the buffet breakfast), then headed back to Bogor City to do laundry and drop off the scooter before checking in for the retreat. If you need it, I can recommend the Quick30 laundry (clean, fast, cheap, and self-service). And on the same street, the Raindear Coffee with the best and strongest cappuccino I found during my trip, super good pastries, and a cool place to dine or work.

The outer exploration came to an end, and I took off to the inner chapter while contemplating in the back seat of the taxi how much I already gained these days. Planning less and taking in more is the journey I’m on.

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