By Zaki Habibi
It was a bright noon in a weekday, but it was so quiet. This silence sent me to another dimension then it pulled me away from my consciousness to an unstoppable ecstasy in the underwater.
“Fuuuh…hahhh… fuuuh…hahhh…” My breath created a dynamic rhythm to balance the quietness when I snorkelled near Cilik island, a part of the Karimunjawa Islands in Indonesia, South East Asia. I travelled there on May when the friendly weather and calm waves occurred. The Karimunjawa, consists of 27 islands, is only a district of Jepara, the nearest city located in Java. The mark for all the islands is very simple. It is just a combination of number, 59455, which is the ZIP code. The reality within the islands, however, is more complex than just this simple mark.
The Karimunjawa is quite isolated. This has a huge dependency on raw materials from Java or other islands. But, Karimunjawa has a wonderful treasure, the sea! This is a home for various coral reefs and their magnificent inhabitant. No wonder if fishery and tourism are the most important things here. The islands did not only offer crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches as usually advertise in a typical brochure about tropical islands. Karimunjawa has a bunch of other interesting menus, from an astonishing colour-gradation of the sea, the honourable people, to underwater experience including swimming with tame sharks. Here I was, plunging my self into the sea.
The view, indeed, was a part of the fascinating show where displayed amazing corals and colourful fish. But, I felt a different experience of this so-called underwater event. Actually, I did not watch them as the objects, because I was the main show for them. They watched me, investigated me, even some of them tried to make a chat, and obviously, they welcomed me. This feeling in fact made me more comfortable to continue this submerged journey.
It was not only the fish that shared their hospitality, but also, the Karimunjawa people. When I met an old couple in another small island, the friendly welcome emerged as a true reality. This Bugis-ethnic couple is the-one-and-only people in the island, originally came from Sulawesi (Celebes). Having spent more than 10 years living in the island without neighbours, nor the electricity or other sophisticated equipment, did not make them losing their generosity to others. I could not understand all the things they said, because they spoke in a Bugis dialect. But, I did not feel alienated there. I felt belong to them once we were sitting together, while eating coconuts and grilled fish.
Then, the shocking news smacked me hard: the last day has taken place. My six hours travel with Muria boat to go back to Java was felt so long. The number, 59455, remained in my mind. But, this no longer referred to a ZIP code from that day on. For me, it has a new meaning that call my impression about the underwater tranquillity and pleasant experience back.
