Through his eyes

“Just two kilometre walk from mosque. Very easy, you follow trail. Easy. Very good view of Merapi and Borobudur”, they said.
It was a steep hill, covered in lust rain forest growth. The volcano, Mt. Merapi erupted two days ago, and the ashes covered the trees that made it look like the first frosts of winter.
The first rays of sunlight were breaking through the clouds when I found the clearing at the Tuk Setumbu viewpoint.
As I sat on the wooden makeshift shed, I awed at the beauty before me. Lush thick rain forest covered the mid and foreground with Borobudur nestled perfectly in its centre with the majestic mountains, Merbabu and Merapi puffing away, in the background.
Sitting there surrounded by nature, watching the sunrise over the valley made feel privileged to have witness such beauty. “Very nice?” he said in broken English.
Shocked, I turned to see and old man standing close by.
“Very beautiful. Didn’t realise you were here” I replied in Indonesian. Speaking the local language was my advantage to traveling in Indonesia. The locals warmed up almost instantly and sent me places where not many tourists are aware off.
“Ahh you speak Indonesian. It’s easier for me, I don’t speak much English.”
“You come up here a lot?”
“Yes, everyday. I come here to get grass for my animals. The grass here is better. Helps the cows produce better milk.”
“Everyday? It’s a bit tough getting up here, no?”
“No, you will get used to it after a while. Where are you from? Malaysia?”
“Yes. Have you been there?”
“My sister lives there. She always wants me to visit her. But I don’t want to go. I have everything here.”
Shocked by what he had just said, I questioned him why.
“I don’t like big cities very much. I have seen the changes in the city of Joga (Yogyakarta) and I have seen other big cities through photographs and stories from tourists. But big cities are always fast, always moving, and always busy. In the city, everything cost a lot of money. Here nature provides me with everything.”
I have to agree, everyone here is self-sustained, as life is simple and less complex.
“If Borobudur was to be like Joga, my grandchildren and you wouldn’t be able to see this.”
I understood what he meant. The beauty I witnessed today was possible because of people like him, who kept modern civilisation at bay and preserved history for future generations to appreciate.
“Besides Indonesia has everything, from Tsunami, to Earthquakes and now the eruption of Merapi. We have everything!”