Pit Stops 7-14
These remind me of Batman's Gotham Dark City
Disintegration of the rocky structure
Columns, towers and pillars annihilated by precipitation
A mass of rocky columns and towers were standing upright at attention close together beside the hill slope. You might miss them if you take big strides because they were not of any significant height. But I noticed them because it was the first time I had seen such rocky structure. Also, they reminded me of Gotham City - gloomy, black and dark. The columns were of similar width and height and some had mosses growing on their surface. The rock-capped mosses act as a cover against the falling rain but once the moss is gone, the rock surrenders to the erosive power of precipitation.
I bent down to touch the upright rocky structure. They have a rough sandy and coarse-grained texture and are dark grey in colour. They are not compact and porous looking. Those that had disintegrated and settled on the ground crumbled easily when I applied a light pressure to press them. Even the standing pillars are brittle and can collapse to the slightest touch. Certain parts of the columns have almost been flattened due to the rain fall and reduced like broken Thye Hong's cream cracker flaky biscuit.. They are whitish grey in colour with some yellowish tint.
Since they stand in a vertical manner on a bed of clay, I suspect the falling rain water has a part in their formation. Rainwater, which contains a weak carbonic acid reacts with the rock, just like in a limestone or karst area. But because of the heavy rainfall the place receives, the constant hammering of the rain on the rock surface has dissolved the softer materials along any vertical lines of weaknesses, leaving the sturdier rocks to stand longer.
Pit Stop 8: Prey and Predator
The carved out portion can easily fit an adult
We strike ala-Hindi love songs pose at the tree
Fear factor gone once I know there's ample space in the depression
Peek-a-boo....But dont' leave me here...booh..booh...
Pak Rizki hurried his steps and proudly showed us a strange-looking 146 years old Jambu Alas tree which had been hollowed out. The cavity which can fit my 1.55m and 56kg frame easily was a sight to behold. Even my husband who is 1.7m tall and 68kg heavy can fit snugly into it. But I don't think I want to encase him inside permanently. I asked my mentor what long history the tree had had.
According to Pak Rizki, termites had devoured the tree and left it in that present state. They had carved 2m of the trunk hollow and spherical in shape. However, before anymore damage to the tree could be done, the burung pelatuk or the woodpecker had a feast on the termites with an appetite impossible to stop. Natural predators had gotten rid of the ferocious and voracious wood chompers. The tree was saved and is now a must stop-over for any guide to point it out to their charge.
The pinkish reddish shoots of the Manarasa and putat shoot
The rare purplish putat shoot for stomach ailment
Flaring my nostrils to sniff the lemo bark oil
Hubby holding the bark of the sariwangi tree
The oil of the bark can be extracted and applied as as mosquito repellent. The drier the bark, the stronger the fragrance of the sariwangi will be. The locals also boil the oil with other herbs to produce it as massage oil.
Holding the wild ginger plant
Notice the lava slabs on the ground?
Tuber of the ginger plant
The plant can easily reach 3m in the wild
Another plant with medicinal properties we came across was the wild ginger. This rhizome family grows easily in the moist climate and can reach a height of three metres. The ginger is bruised or smashed to obtain the juice. The juice is mixed with warm water and drunk to alleviate any stomach pain.
Since it is of the wild variety, it does not end up in the cooking pot of the locals for culinary use.
Pit Stop 13: My Dear Puspa
My Dear Puspa standing behind me
Puspa or jasmine (melati) is an evergreen flowering tree
The sweet-fragrance white flowers for the making of perfume
Pohon Puspa is an evergreen flowering tree that can tower up to 47 m. Its sweet frgrance white flowers are most sought after for making perfume. The flowers are small and grow in bunches. The trunk is used as building materials, electric poles and for making boats. Puspa flowers are harvested from March to June and September to January.
Puspa flowers are also known as melati or jasmine. Some local women tuck the sweet-smelling flowers in their bun as natural perfume.
Pit Stop 14: The Parkis Plant
Parkis plant (centre of picture) thrives best in the cool temperate climate
The fetal-shaped shoot is used in Indonesian lontong gravy
Ferns of different species grow in harmony. Why can't we?
A fern landscape for my garden one day?
Akan datang....the final pit stops would be coming soon....
The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. With that in mind, we continued the hike with more pit stops and more exploration on the fauna, flora and new discoveries
Pit Stop 7: Crazy Over Columns
These remind me of Batman's Gotham Dark City
The coarse-grained rocks are brittle and crumble easily
Disintegration of the rocky structure
Columns, towers and pillars annihilated by precipitation
A mass of rocky columns and towers were standing upright at attention close together beside the hill slope. You might miss them if you take big strides because they were not of any significant height. But I noticed them because it was the first time I had seen such rocky structure. Also, they reminded me of Gotham City - gloomy, black and dark. The columns were of similar width and height and some had mosses growing on their surface. The rock-capped mosses act as a cover against the falling rain but once the moss is gone, the rock surrenders to the erosive power of precipitation.
I bent down to touch the upright rocky structure. They have a rough sandy and coarse-grained texture and are dark grey in colour. They are not compact and porous looking. Those that had disintegrated and settled on the ground crumbled easily when I applied a light pressure to press them. Even the standing pillars are brittle and can collapse to the slightest touch. Certain parts of the columns have almost been flattened due to the rain fall and reduced like broken Thye Hong's cream cracker flaky biscuit.. They are whitish grey in colour with some yellowish tint.
Since they stand in a vertical manner on a bed of clay, I suspect the falling rain water has a part in their formation. Rainwater, which contains a weak carbonic acid reacts with the rock, just like in a limestone or karst area. But because of the heavy rainfall the place receives, the constant hammering of the rain on the rock surface has dissolved the softer materials along any vertical lines of weaknesses, leaving the sturdier rocks to stand longer.
Pit Stop 8: Prey and Predator
The 146-year old tree hollowed out by termites
The carved out portion can easily fit an adult
We strike ala-Hindi love songs pose at the tree
Fear factor gone once I know there's ample space in the depression
Peek-a-boo....But dont' leave me here...booh..booh...
Pak Rizki hurried his steps and proudly showed us a strange-looking 146 years old Jambu Alas tree which had been hollowed out. The cavity which can fit my 1.55m and 56kg frame easily was a sight to behold. Even my husband who is 1.7m tall and 68kg heavy can fit snugly into it. But I don't think I want to encase him inside permanently. I asked my mentor what long history the tree had had.
According to Pak Rizki, termites had devoured the tree and left it in that present state. They had carved 2m of the trunk hollow and spherical in shape. However, before anymore damage to the tree could be done, the burung pelatuk or the woodpecker had a feast on the termites with an appetite impossible to stop. Natural predators had gotten rid of the ferocious and voracious wood chompers. The tree was saved and is now a must stop-over for any guide to point it out to their charge.
Pit Stop 9: Too Tough To Quit
The steps get steeper. Watch out for your arthritis!
No problem man! Singaporeans Boleh
The path gets easier as we near the crater. Trees get less dark in colour too.
Take five to just soak in what Mother Nature has blessed us with
Take five to just soak in what Mother Nature has blessed us with
The background fitting for a Lord of The Ring sequel?
The going was getting tougher with the slope getting slippery and steeper. It slowed down our pace. Even the terraced steps had lost its wooded trunk edge leaving the bare ground as naked steps. We had to be supported by our guide as we descended further down the trail as the ground offered little friction for safe walking. The vegetation got denser and little light penetrated the canopy. The air in the ground was heavy but fresh.
We took the occasional rest to sip our water and exchanged conversation on our family. i was more determined to surge forward and continued with the hike. I know there would be huge rewards for us once we reach Kawah Domas - a crater alive with geysers, mud massage, hissing steam and vents spewing yellow sulphuric gas. A truly astounding sight I was promised!
Pit Stop 10: Munching Manarasa and Putat
The pinkish reddish shoots of the Manarasa and putat shoot
The rare purplish putat shoot for stomach ailment
The manarasa shrub fringing the trail path
Manarasa is a tree with red shoots commonly found in the crater region. It grows as a shrub but can reach a tall height of 15m. By chewing the young reddish shoots, the local belief in keeping one young and svelte. No Botox, no bird nest and no collagen for that youthful looking face. Could that be reason for Dayang Sumbi to remain young and ageless through organic products? The local community have a use for these manarasa shoots. Any diarrhea and stomach discomfort? Just chew on these shoots, swear the locals. Other medicinal properties of manarasa include improving blood circulation and relieving arthritis.
I tried a few bunches of Manarasa leaves and found them crunchy and crispy. No bitter or sour taste at all. I could swallow it easily for it tasted like guava-cum apple. My husband in jest said that I looked twenty years ago. Pak Daha showed some purple putat shoots which I immediately chewed. Very palatable and would go very well with 'botok-botok' (a Malay traditional dish with lots of herbs). I was hoping that the purple leaves would remove another ten years of my age. But alas, the leaves are meant to alleviate any stomach pain and not to be mistaken as leaves for elixir.
I tried a few bunches of Manarasa leaves and found them crunchy and crispy. No bitter or sour taste at all. I could swallow it easily for it tasted like guava-cum apple. My husband in jest said that I looked twenty years ago. Pak Daha showed some purple putat shoots which I immediately chewed. Very palatable and would go very well with 'botok-botok' (a Malay traditional dish with lots of herbs). I was hoping that the purple leaves would remove another ten years of my age. But alas, the leaves are meant to alleviate any stomach pain and not to be mistaken as leaves for elixir.
Pit Stop 11: Won Over By Sariwangi
Flaring my nostrils to sniff the lemo bark oil
Hubby holding the bark of the sariwangi tree
We had a close fragrance encounter with the Lemo Tree or locally known as Sariwangi. Pak Didi showed us a lemo bark and scraped part of it. Immediately the air was filled with a strong citrus smell; very refreshing, revitalising and rejuvenating to the soul. The bark had given out that intoxicated smell similar to that of the kafir lime. Needless to say, I was high with the zesty smell.
The oil of the bark can be extracted and applied as as mosquito repellent. The drier the bark, the stronger the fragrance of the sariwangi will be. The locals also boil the oil with other herbs to produce it as massage oil.
Pit stop 12: Gingerly Ginger
Holding the wild ginger plant
Notice the lava slabs on the ground?
The plant can easily reach 3m in the wild
Another plant with medicinal properties we came across was the wild ginger. This rhizome family grows easily in the moist climate and can reach a height of three metres. The ginger is bruised or smashed to obtain the juice. The juice is mixed with warm water and drunk to alleviate any stomach pain.
Since it is of the wild variety, it does not end up in the cooking pot of the locals for culinary use.
Pit Stop 13: My Dear Puspa
My Dear Puspa standing behind me
Puspa or jasmine (melati) is an evergreen flowering tree
The sweet-fragrance white flowers for the making of perfume
Pohon Puspa is an evergreen flowering tree that can tower up to 47 m. Its sweet frgrance white flowers are most sought after for making perfume. The flowers are small and grow in bunches. The trunk is used as building materials, electric poles and for making boats. Puspa flowers are harvested from March to June and September to January.
Puspa flowers are also known as melati or jasmine. Some local women tuck the sweet-smelling flowers in their bun as natural perfume.
Pit Stop 14: The Parkis Plant
Parkis plant (centre of picture) thrives best in the cool temperate climate
The fetal-shaped shoot is used in Indonesian lontong gravy
Ferns of different species grow in harmony. Why can't we?
A fern landscape for my garden one day?
They are simply known as fern and are found in abundance. They reproduce easily from the spores under the frond. The cool air and moisture support its growth well. Many grow as ground cover while others latch themselves on hosts as parasitic plants
According to Pak Daha, there are twelve parkis species found in the area. Only two are edible as vegetable cooking for the locals. Not all parts of the plant is eaten. Only the curled up fetal-shaped shoot is plucked off to be cooked as lontong gravy or fried as vegetables. I had a taste of the parkis shoot when my cousin in Jakarta seerved me lontong. The parkis shot is soft, tender and slide down your throat easily. Not bitter at all. I love it!
According to Pak Daha, there are twelve parkis species found in the area. Only two are edible as vegetable cooking for the locals. Not all parts of the plant is eaten. Only the curled up fetal-shaped shoot is plucked off to be cooked as lontong gravy or fried as vegetables. I had a taste of the parkis shoot when my cousin in Jakarta seerved me lontong. The parkis shot is soft, tender and slide down your throat easily. Not bitter at all. I love it!
A matured parkis plant can grow to a height of 3-4m. The trunk is cut and carved into ash tray and vases by the locals to be sold to tourists.
Akan datang....the final pit stops would be coming soon....
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