Another Victoria's Secrets

It was a new experience for me to wake up in a tent. I've camped before, some time in 2002, but I've forgotten how it felt so this was a fresh thing. It was around 6 a.m. and the kids already woke up, singing the song Jisel taught them the night before. When I got out of the tent, most of the team already woke up too and preparing food.

our morning busy-ness

Bang Robin, Anindya, me, and Fitra Eri

Anindya and Mas Fitra Eri were doing a morning shoot, and the rest of us either wandering around, watching them taking pictures, or packing up. We took photos and stuff before leaving the 'camping ground' and went back to where we parked our vehicles. It was perfectly steaming on a midday for a walk and we were melting!

me with the WARSI volunteers

We packed up all of the tools back to our rides and got ready to go back to the 'civilization'. Due to the heavy rain the night prior we had a bit of trouble passing thru the muddy road, but this is an off-road trip anyway so yeah we had fun with the dirt. We had a little closing ceremony with the Orang Rimba tribe before going back to Pak Paryan's house.

Jisel and Bang Maknun teaching the kids songs

Ary, Acenk and Dayu

Jisel asked Acenk to pack up the emergency kitchen

this kid constantly checking on my footsteps whenever the track gets rough

went back through palm oil forest

We took shower, had super late lunch, and got our stamina back. But first we went to the village's community centre where people were playing volleyball. We had another small ceremony and some shootings there, then went back to prepare to hit the road again. Anindya and Mas Fitra were going back to Jakarta and they went with the WARSI's ambulance, so we went separate ways there.

Kids gathering around the volleyball field

me, Bu Paryan, Rizal Paryan (in blue shirt), and the neighbor kids

this is Bu Paryan, the lady who helped Butet Manurung by opening her house for school

The rest of us went to the head village's house to say goodbye and rolled on, stopping by for supper at a local noodle house, then went on to Bangko City, in which we arrived at 2 a.m. and checked in at an inn. Check the rest of the pics on my Instagram feed and the trip next day here. Don't forget to watch Metro TV on December 2 at 3:30 p.m. for this episode.

I woke up at around 7 that morning, having troubled sleeping the whole night. After bath (they don't use either shower nor bath tub, but you have to scoop the water with a gayung and pour it onto your body--the way we call it mandi) I spent some time with Bu Paryan (the house owner lady character in that Sokola Rimba movie) and the volunteers from WARSI in the kitchen. From them I knew more about the tribe we were about to meet and the struggle within the volunteers on helping them.

Kang Yaya, Bang Prabu and the local official

We didn't have anything to do that morning, so when Kang Yaya and Ary asked me to go with them to do some survey visit, I gladly joined them. First, we visit the Kepala Desa (Head Village) to ask permission for our two-nights stay. Then, we visited the emergency tent built by Bang Yomi from WARSI to check the tribe members who needed medical help. Bang Yomi joined our team a day before in an ambulance driven by Bang Fadli, who led us the way.

that badass ambulance

Nope, they didn't wanna be seen

harvesting the palm oil

surveying roads--but turned out this one's a dead end

Bang Prabu and Bang Maknun, two other volunteers who had stayed in the village earlier, joined us today and ushered us around. They were our bridge to get in touch with the Orang Rimba tribe, who speaks and behaves differently from us. In this opening discussion, we asked permission to the parents to have us stay over the night with their kids for taking pictures matter.

Anindya and I

me, waiting in front of the Paryans (pic by Sedayu)

After we got the deal we went back to Pak Paryan's house and soon the whole team departed to Bukit Dua Belas forest by off-road. After about 1-2 hours of driving and stopping sometimes to take pictures, we arrived to the end of the road to park our cars and had to walk for the rest of the trip. It took about 1-hour of light hiking and I didn't have any trouble walking while carrying my backpack, waist bag and action cam.

Team RJ4, ready to roll

Destroyed forest ;(

Entering the jungle..

Everybody was busy.. well, except for me

We arrived at the Orang Rimba's temporary abode, with a simple wooden hut and some tents made out of tarpaulins, one for each family. We took a short break then built our tents. But rain started to pour before our tents put perfectly and we had to take shelter in the hut. The kids, however, were at their peak interest on studying.

meanwhile I, was having my pic taken (pic by Sedayu)

From the tents they moved to the hut and we lighted candles and Bang Maknun continued his lessons, teaching read, write, and count to those kids. Their ages were varied so he had to customize each kids' lesson materials. I was highly amazed on his dedication and persistence on this!

the kids drew this inspired from Ary's drone

pardon the blurred and crazy poses, but this is me and Ary chatting with the kids (pic by Sedayu)

Anindya, Jisel and I took our part teaching some of the kids with their lessons, until it was late enough and we got tired... but the kids weren't tired at all and they waited till midnight for more. I must admit, their passion and will for studying are incredibly strong, and I should lift my hat to these WARSI volunteers for they could follow the indigenous tribe's lifestyle for 2-3 weeks per month! I couldn't even keep up for a night.

It was raining hard outside but the kids demanded a class. So I helped this little guy Ngarong with his basic math

The rain finally subsided before midnight and the crew set up an emergency kitchen by the woods. Acenk, our cook, made meals for the kids first, then for us. It was midnight when we finally could eat, and thanks to the warm sleeping bag, I could at least catch some sleep that night. Read my next day's journey here and read my official report in Bahasa Indonesia here. For more photos, check my Instagram feed. And check out Metro TV next Sat, Dec 2, at 3:30 p.m.!

Check Fitra Eri's review here:

Nope, we didn't take the long route. We took the shortcut instead, and it's off-road track!

Our second morning in Jambi wasn't as hectic as our first, but we had to pack our luggage as we were leaving the town. After a series of morning shooting, we checked out from the hotel and headed to the headquarter of WARSI, a community that helps preserving indigenous tribes in Jambi. One of those tribes is Orang Rimba or Orang Kubu or Suku Anak Dalam, whom we planned to meet.

We were listening to Mr. Robert's explanation on the latest situation of Orang Rimba

Mr. Robert, the head of WARSI, is the one in red shirt

There, we got a short brief on what's going on with Jambi's forests and what it did to the tribes who live semi-nomadic in those jungles. Today, those jungles had transformed into palm oil plantation and those people had lost their home and resources. Thus Mr. Robert, who took anthropology major for his study, initiated to build the community by gathering people who care and recognizing the lives of these tribes by getting acquainted with their daily lives.

driven by Anindya Putri

with Mr. Robinson as her co-pilot

After the brief, we took off from the city and headed west to Desa Sungai Jernih at Tebo Regency. The village is the further we could get by car to get to the Bukit Dua Belas (the Twelve Hills) National Park where the Orang Rimba tribe dwells.

the sun was setting by Batang Hari River

luckily, we could stop here for toilet break

taking a break by sunset

The road trip took more than 10 hours with three stops for food break. From the Lintas Tengah Sumatera main road, it took another 4 hours ride along the palm oil plantation to get into the village and we arrived there at midnight.

taking shoots at 10 p.m. in the middle of nowhere

In the village, we are welcomed by the Paryan family, who opened their door for us to stay over. It was the very house in Sokola Rimba movie where Butet Manurung taught the kids and Bu Paryan was the character played as the house owner lady. It felt like reliving the movie. But the house was so much bigger now when we came because they had renovated it.

The ladies--me, Jisel and Anin, got a room while the guys slept in the living room. It was a really tiring day for all of us, and I couldn't sleep well both on the road and in the house, although we ladies got a room for our own. But I was excited for the next day, and you can read it here. Check the fabulous photos here and read our next day's trip here. Don't forget, watch the program this Saturday (Dec 2) on Metro TV at 3:30 p.m.!

Our 10-hour road trip this day: from Jambi to Sarolangun, Tebo Regency

It was Monday morning and we all gathered outside of Aston Hotel Jambi to prepare for meeting with Jambi's governor at 8 a.m. We rode on the four vehicles: three Mitsubishi Tritons and one Rubicon jeep. We waited outside of the governor's duty house for a while before we were allowed to get in, and were welcomed by the governor himself, the young and handsome Zumi Zola Zulkifli.

waiting for cue to meet the governor

Jisel and I in RJ2 (car number two)

stopping by the bridge across Batanghari River

great adventure awaits!

The site is the best-preserved and is the largest one in Southeast Asia, with 80 menapos on 12 square kilometres area, along the Batanghari River. I wrote about this briefly last year on Brilio.

entrance to the temple

driving the Rubicon?

preparing for the shoot

crews wearing lacak, Jambi's traditional head band

In this area, I bought this bracelet made of some tree's beans that is believed to have a power to reverse a curse. They call it Sibalik Sumpah, which would protect the user from any curse casted upon and return the spell to its swearer. The beans are originally light brown but will get darker in time. Let's see how long it takes for mine to get to dark brown.

Candi Tinggi in Candi Muara Jambi

Candi Tinggi

shooting in front of a menapo

One of the menapos

me, posing in front of Candi Gumpung

Back to Jambi City, we passed the governor's house and stopped there. Across the house is Ancol, a riverfront spot for people to hangout and enjoy sunset with the 503-metres long S-shaped pedestrian bridge Gentala Arasy in the frame.

rush hour at Gentala Arasy bridge

unique S-shaped pedestrian bridge

exploring Ancol in Jambi

found a perfect spot to watch sunset!

I joined the film crew to capture sunset on time lapse-mode in Ancol while the others went back to hotel. We had fresh young coconut for drinks while taking pictures. It was another experience to sit by the river and watching some boats going about along this longest river in Sumatra. 

one of the things we saw in the river

me, Dayu, Arie, Rifan and Acenk

silhouette at Ancol Jambi

One boat carried about 8-10 Chinese men up the stream and they went back by swimming along the current in that murky brown water. What a unique activity this city has!

relaxing for 2 hours by the river be like..

We went back to hotel by dusk and I had an opportunity to try driving one of the double cabs, with Kang Yaya (our producer/director) sat next to me, while some crews were on the passenger seats and by the cargo, and Ary (the drone pilot) being the RC (Road Captain) instructed me which way to take by the HT (handy talky). It was a fun experience!

watching drone on Batanghari River

The Sky Lounge at Aston Jambi

After shower, we had dinner and was dismissed to our rooms but I went upstairs to the SKY lounge with some of the crews, talking and having beer on the rooftop. This hotel is one of the tallest buildings in town, and from where we hangout we could see the humble cityscape. We spent about an hour there, then went back to our rooms to get our beauty sleep. Read my next day's journey here. Check out more photos here and wait for the program this Saturday (Dec 2) on Metro TV at 3:30 p.m.!

The governor's office, Aston Hotel, and Muaro Jambi temple