Survival Instinct

It's amazing what people can do when they are pushed to the limit and survival instinct kicks in.

Last week I had a long weekend getaway to Medan (3rd biggest city in Indonesia). I've never been there, and I have a friend who offered me a place to stay... so, why not? I just board the plane with absolutely zero knowledge about the place, and I had no plans on what to do there whatsoever. So I didn't really pack a lot of things, just necessities like condoms, undies, sandals, t-shirts, and shorts.

I'll blog about my overall impression of Medan when I'm not lazy, but for this post I will be focusing on a particular experience....

On the 2nd day I was there, my friends took me to a small nearby city called Brastagi, which is about 2 hours drive from Medan. It is a popular weekend getaway place for Medan people because it is located higher up in the mountains, and the weather is cooling and nice.





You can also drive another hour to Simalem, and from there you can get a glimpse of Lake Toba, which is the biggest lake in South East Asia.

Between Medan and Brastagi, there is a small village called Sibolangit. There is a boyscout camp there, and recently the local people discovered a waterfall in the jungle called the "two-colored waterfall". I have been warned that the journey will take 3 hours in and 3 hours out trekking through the jungle. I'm not sure what I was thinking back then (hmmm.... must be something in the water in Brastagi :P), but I said OK when my friends asked me if we should go there.

We reached the start point at about 9.30 in the morning, and it was blazing hot, so we decided to take our jacket with us to avoid sunburn (I didn't pack my sunblock as I was not expecting trekking to be part of the itinerary). BIG mistake..... because once you go into the forest the trees will provide shadows and the jacket just becomes a burden that we have to carry.

The first half an hour was OK... there were proper tracks, we pass through some small streams.... very enjoyable..... until the tracks kind of disappear and it becomes really muddy. At this point of time sandals are completely useless and there was no choice other than to go barefoot. Let me make it clear that I am a big city boy and not exactly an outdoor / nature loving kind of guy. When my friend told me to go barefoot, I was thinking to myself "WHAT??? ARE YOU NUTS??". But then I see a lot of other people (girls and old people) who are also taking off their sandals and keep going on. So ego kicks in and I thought.... oh what the heck.... let's do this!



Well, turns out that it was not that bad.... Yes, I walked much slower than everybody else, and I did curse and swear to myself during the whole journey, but I made it. All the way in and all the way out. Totally barefoot. I was very proud of myself after I get out from there. But if you ask me if I'll ever do it again...? The answer is "Weeeellll...... not really, no, thank you" :P

So here are some thoughts and things I learned based on the whole experience :
1. Havaianas sandals are NOT made for walking in the forest.
2. When barefooted, rocks and tree branches are slippery, and the best track is pure soil.
3. Proper planning is necessary, so you can pack the right stuff in your luggage (fortunately I forgot to bring my new LV sunglasses..... can you imagine me wearing that in the forest? :P)
4. Never underestimate fat or old people. I was so amazed by the people whom we met along the way..... gives me strength and stamina..... If they can do it, so can I!



Thanks to all my friends in Medan who have been very accomodating and making the trip a memorable one! :)