PADDLING | TRAVEL: Running Rapids in Central Java

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Running Rapids Words & Photos by Adrian Tregoning

in Central Java

a small ledge. It was way steeper than I had over ped drop I as lf itse aled reve enly sudd d The rapi e between the rocks that jutted up like stubby initially thought. The water formed a churning maz of quick reflex actions as I threaded my way ence sequ her anot for elf mys ared prep I and fingers blindly followed my lead as we bombed our way down this rocky ride. Behind me, three Indonesians ness. through rapid after rapid, trying to beat the dark

A night out in the jungle would be rather unpleasant we had all agreed on this a few kilometres back. Now time was running out and the balance between boat scouting and running the river safely became a blurred and somewhat indistinct definition. Not knowing exactly where to go and the constant fear of strainers or some bamboo bridge blocking our path was foremost in my mind. With the sun already set and a large thunderstorm looming nearby, we eventually saw the wide, browner waters of the Serayu River. We had just completed another first descent and I’d put it into my top 10 of best rivers I’ve ever run. The feared Tulis River had finally been conquered.

In 2009 I had been part of a group of four South Africans invited to kayak and explore the region of West Sumatra, along with a Javanese local, Toto Triwindarto, and three of his friends. That trip had sparked the desire to return to Indonesia and paddle, and as I thought about the numerous public holidays in April it made mathematical sense to take my leave then. So off I went to join Toto once again, this time in Central Java. This province is the most populated of the islands, with some 180-million people living there; a figure you notice constantly when driving through the countryside because you never stop seeing people.

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First impressions were of the ridiculous humidity. Upon landing in Purbalingga the sweating began and remained a constant companion for the entire trip. I stayed in a traditional house, which meant no refrigerator and the standard no-shower type bathrooms either. The substitute is a tiled reservoir from which you scoop water and pour it over your body. This is the Indonesian way.

Although highly effective the sweat returns quite soon after, and even at 5 a.m. the situation remains the same.

Luckily the friendliness of the local people, totally different culture and interesting rivers make up for any suffering in the heat or humidity department. The Javanese really are very peaceful and relaxed people. I found out about the relaxed part soon enough as their clocks seem to run very close to African time; never being in a hurry. But things eventually get done, and rivers are paddled. The only bad timing was mine, but I knew this. April is dry season although we did experience almost daily rainfall, which was reported to be rather unusual.

The first river we paddled involved a long hike in, basically from below the take out, and up. Winding our way through rice fields the scenery improved radically and I was treated to a mini gorge down the Tung Tung Gunung. Probably some 3 kilometres of class 3 and solid 4+, with one particular rapid in the 5 range that had a terrible cave on the left hand side and ended in a siphon, which my friends failed to tell me about even though one of their guys had swum through it the previous time.

We could only scout the top half and it was impossible to portage, so I guess it wasn’t the end of the world. Needless to say this rapid surprised me as it dropped down the last bit that I hadn’t scouted. I managed to hastily avoid the siphon, which looked like bad news to me!

Due to the low water levels I decided to invite Toto to Karimun Jawa, an archipelago of 27 islands about 85km north of the mainland of Central Java. With Toto organising the logistics, we made our way using various forms of public transport. This was truly a mind blowing place. Even though I ended this trip with several days in Bali, Karimun Jawa was definitely the highlight, apart from the Tulis River of course. We stayed at a place called Wisma Apung (Floating Inn) and it's built on stilts and sited directly on a reef about 800 metres from the mainland. The only access is by boat and evening meals are delivered. We rented a boat during the day and snorkelled, fished and relaxed. This was true paradise. There were few tourists, but within a few years I'm sure this place will also fall victim to having its photos splashed across the internet and tourist flocking in droves to it. Go there before it changes.

Soon enough I was back in the heat and it was then that we managed two first descents; the one on the Magung River and the second being the Tulis, which was a real highlight of some continuous class 3 and 4, and a bit of 5 thrown in for good measure. The rivers were often of the boulder-garden type, although we did find some more solid bedrock. There is no doubt that you could paddle here for the rest of your life and find first descents almost every day. The challenges are the language barrier, humidity and lack of roads into the jungle. The best rivers are the steeper ones, but these are protected by thick, almost impenetrable jungle that makes access extremely difficult. But if you have the time and will, you will be rewarded. Indonesia is also very cheap. Petrol is less than R4 per litre and there are many other things that are also ultra cheap (except beer), so it's the ideal trip for someone on a budget or looking to experience a relaxed way of life amongst some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. It’s definitely an unusual place to visit and during my time in Central Java I never saw a white person. Tourism hardly exists, making it all the more worthwhile to also visit this undiscovered gem now.

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Transport:

• I flew into Yogyakarta via Jakarta and Dubai, but there are airlines that come in from Singapore too.

• From there it was local bus transport.

• English is not widely spoken, but luckily I had a local with me. Otherwise get a small book of phrases and hold on!

• The mini busses are super cheap and comfortable, with air con. Some busses stop to pick up anybody at the side of the road and this can make your journey tedious – ask before you go.

• Expect to travel very slowly if it's during the day and perhaps up to 100km/h late at night. Some busses leave at midnight to avoid the traffic. Central Java is heavily populated and people on bicycles have as much right on the roads as cars. A day time journey of 100km can easily take four hours or more.

• We used the fast ferry heading to the islands of Karimun Jawa, and the slow ferry back. Check ahead of time as the ferries do not run every day. The fast takes two hours, the slow six. Both are similarly priced if you opt for the VIP section on the slow ferry, which means a seat, television and air con. Once there, you won't get accosted by taxi drivers or anything like that.

So unless you’ve organised transport start smiling and someone will help. Indonesians are almost always ready to help.

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Costs: • Generally everything is cheaper than South Africa, especially transport, but the Indonesian Rupiah is weak.

• US Dollars are easily exchanged, even at post offices. They give a slightly lower rate for notes that have been folded.

Accommodation:

• Be aware that most houses do not have the flush toilets we are familiar with, and do not come equipped with toilet paper. Do some homework and prepare mentally.

Safety: • Safety was not a concern for me and even walking the streets at night was ok. But ask before you head out just in case you've booked yourself into a dodgy area. Jakarta has some bad areas I believe. •