Off the beaten path I reign

The road can be a cruel mistress to the traveller. Layers of gravel often stretch endlessly, slowly manifesting itself into dreary monotony. I often used such times as an opportunity to sleep while listening to music - luxuries provided by the inventions of my time. I often wondered how my predecessors fared with the long bouts of silence. To me it was all about the destination; the journey was merely a repetitious ritual.

It was in the mountains of Cianjur, West Java that the journey got the better of me. Based out of Jakarta, my companions and I hit the road to escape the city smog and witness Indonesia’s true beauty. Our day was to consist of driving up the mountain range and trekking to the other side, stopping by a local villager’s home along the way for lunch. We reached the villager’s abode and were provided with platefuls of their local delicacies. The first half of the journey had gone smoothly. Unfortunately, the rest of the journey had gotten even smoother; a sudden onslaught of rain made the trails very slippery. With nothing more than banana leaves to cover our heads, we trudged on through the muddy terrain.

My poor sense of balance soon revealed itself and I fell far behind from the rest of the group. Sensing my struggle to remain upright, our guide commissioned a passer-by with a pick-up truck to let the whole group ride in the back for the remainder of our journey down the mountain. The rough ride was met with verbal silence. No music, no slumber. Just the cold mountain air and the wondrous sights and sounds of the Indonesian countryside.

As I bumpily settled in and mused about what had transpired, I realised that this journey had been truly unique. Or was it? Perhaps I’d been missing such wonders for years by shutting myself off from the world. It was then that I decided to give back to the remarkable roads that lay ahead on my travels; by turning my music off and keeping my eyes open. The nomads of years past were definitely on to something.