Tancak

It is nine in the morning when we get to the welcome post of Mount Pasang after some 30 minutes of motorcycle riding. After passing through well-built, inclining roads, we reach the entrance of Mount Pasang Village, and we are greeted by rows of rubber and cacao trees, a perfect image of a countryside plantation and the perfect place for a family picnic. You find yourself breezy for the first coming.

I knock the door of the house operating as the hiking base of everyone headed for the waterfall. We expect Pak War, who runs the base, to let us in. No one comes out the door. It is quiet, but the next door neighbour asks us to come inside right away, so we can put away our helmets and park the motorcycles. All four of us enter. Having come quite early in the morning, we wonder how much earlier Pak War heads out on his activities. After waiting a while for him, we decide to start on the first leg of the hike heading to the north. But wait, Yudi stay still at the base. He let us just go ahead. Hey come on, we do not want you to just sit here alone missing the beautiful sunny day, dude. Unmoved, he nods and flashes a lazy smile. He is waiting for Pak War to come. Yudi was seemingly enthusiast in going to the waterfall when I asked him to join in, but now he turn down not to go together with us. When he was off, he usually spent the time going to the natural places. We three decide to leave him behind…

On our way up, we make observations and share facts about the village, plantation and mountain. Mount Pasang Village is named after the peak that houses a waterfall called Tancak, situated at about 500m above sea level. The village is neat and every house looks similar. We even had no idea to find out where Pak War’s base was at first. Later we know that the housing is developed by state owned plantation company, Nusantara XII, they can reside here as long as they work for the company. Most of the inhabitants strive to work as plantation farmer in the area. They could be from a supervisor of farm site, up to an ordinary farm labour, cultivating a special plant well grown in the field range; coffee and cacao.

In the middle of our hike, we come across an old building, a Dutch outpost. This building leads us in the direction of the waterfall. Although the waterfall is our final, the scenes along the way are worth seeing. A stream accompanies us on the way to the other side, sparkling and emitting a bubbling sound. Birds chirp. And sometimes farmers pass by on their way down and they cast shiny smiles at us. Those are natural and genuine. We keep going upward following a rough path dominated by coffee trees. We start perspiring after walking for 15 minutes, with the sun is in very good mood. Sari gets slower; the last time she went hiking was nine months ago, she realizes, and Neni accompanies her on her many breaks. Sari probably should adapt from the intense sun exposure this morning in this place. She is a student in America who has just back home several months ago. Stop by for a moment is nothing we can do than getting a breath down and cooling down our heartbeat. When we come upon an old, decrepit, wooden hut, we decide to stop for a moment to catch our breath. Phew, we’re only halfway there…

Surprisingly, after chatting for a few minutes, Yudi appears on the path. He jokingly yells at us for having walked so leisurely. He thought we would already be somewhere near the waterfall. “Hey, I suppose you have been enjoying its swift flow of waterfall there”, he adds. “Yeah, we didn’t walk fast ‘cos we were waiting for you”, I deny. Sitting idle at home finally bored you, right?

Then we begin on the second leg of the hike. Yudi and Neni lead. Neni also like going to somewhere she has never known. She has lived in Jember for 3 years but already known many interesting places. She is a university student going on completing her final thesis, but she is easily going out when someone asked to go along with her. It seems she is not much worrying about her thesis. Sari and I walk behind them. I follow her rhythm. She is making observations about the surrounding landscape, and I start telling her what I know about nature. We try to figure out which plants are edible or not. We find a rose-apple tree growing along the path, and I try to pick them but only manage to get one. Nothing easier than jumping up to grab the fruit. The fruit is edible but this one is not ripe enough. Sari takes a glance at me, see me if I have taken the wrong one. Ah, at least.

Entering an area with dense vegetation is a pleasant experience because it is not something we can find in the city: a picturesque green environment with a brisk wind blowing over the trees, and generally being at an atmosphere where we can inhale fresh air would ease our minds. This is our reverie until we arrive in an open area. Glancing around the valley, we spot a hill where a landslide occurred. This sight is a lesson for us to preserve the environment. Then, it reminds me of the flood that happened close in the area in the New Year’s Eve of 2006, leaving a dozen victims injured and homeless survivors. Another random fact…

Within less than two hours hiking, entering to the lush green forest, we are very close to the fall. There is the figure of a huge and long-standing banyan tree thousands of years old. Being a guardian of the forest, it witnesses us tracing along the narrow path, grasping at the shrubbery alongside it, and our shoes sinking into the shallow creek’s bed. I can no longer see Yudi and Neni. They have reached the waterfall, I wondered. However, the two of us are still telling each other about our own last trips to other natural wonders. It is nice to get to know each other since we have only known each other for a couple weeks.

The sound of the bustling waterfall can be heard easily after we’ve reached a rather flat terrain. The tip of the waterfall is so gorgeous with smooth, dull-grey rock encircling it on both sides. We race towards it quickly. The mist from the waterfall sprays our body and faces. Cool and pristine water is ready to quench our thirst. Yudi and Neni are already there, sitting calmly in the middle of the gale created by the waterfall, and trying to capture what I’m saying, which is barely heard. Through a natural drive, I take off my shirt and plunge into the cold water. Ouch! This is the perfect place to chill out in.

The descent from the waterfall offers a generous view of part of Jember since we are luckily at a lofty point. It takes just half the time of going upward. Back at the base, we have been waited by Pak War. A conversation begins. Pak War dominates the conversation in Madurese. I sometime miss the meaning of his words, but Yudi excels in responding the dialogue. And Sari has no idea at all what’s going on. Pak War’s warmth and hospitality makes us feel at home, but we have not much time to stay. Sari and I are about to excuse ourselves, but he insists on us to wait a while. Meanwhile, Yudi and Neni seem okay to be here for an extended time. It turns out Pak War and his wife had prepared lunch. Uh, why are they bothering themselves?. We are actually incredibly hungry and had planned to eat out; the food being served convinces us to remain in the base however. Pak War asks me to come back sometime and of course I would. “An, you should come here on next Saturday, there would be lots of student from Mahapena participating on the new member of nature-lovers orientation program”, he calls my name ensuring that I would come again together with them. I really, really am going to come to this place again. This place is just perfect for those who would like to start hiking. But now it’s time to leave, and Pak War as usual gives us his handshake à-la nature-lovers. Sampai jumpa!


Contact:
Aan Anugrah, anugrah_da@yahoo.com
+6285236352909