Lembang, Indonesia>, Nov 14, 2009
I went to Lembang with the hash group for their anniversary run. Since it was a special event, they made it different than the usual run. We went to Lembang, which is a suburb of Bandung. And Bandung is the capital city of West Java province - which took us 2hrs by car, without the traffic from Jakarta to reach Bandung and Lembang is another 30-min drive to the west of the city. This area is on the higher level compare to Bandung - on one side of Tangkuban Perahu Mountain, thus it becaomes popular among the local to visit over the weekends. Due to the higher level, the air in this place is much cooler and fresher too.
I left home around 7 in the morning and we went to Mad Dogs a pub in the south Jakarta, which agreed to open for breakfast for the people who will go with the bus. We went inside and saw several people have been inside and having their morning drink and breakfast, soon we joined them and the bus left 1 hour later.
The trip started, I chose the seat right behind the bud driver - to be able to see more view from the bus window and front screen, which then turned out that I didn’t really use that privilege as I successfully fell asleep most of the tripJ.
We reach the hotel around 12:30, there was a huge banner in front of the hotel to welcome us as the “Family Gathering” hahaha, and how that word sounds funny in this case.
We went in and settled the registration and the room, I was thinking to leave in the evening and get a ride from somebody back to Jakarta (which of course I changed my mind later on:p).
Before the run, we went to have a quick meal in the café, the meal came quite fast (despite the news we got from the other that they have to wait for 1 hour for the meal to be served) or probably because we threatened the waitress to deliver our order “very fast”.
I had fried noodle which was so-so, it was made out of instant noodle and they threw in some vegetable and chopped sausages.
Soon we were ready for the run, formed the circle to have the instruction about the run and also the first abuse time. There was a guy who wore a new shoes, so as the rule mentioned that for every new shoes, the guy has to drink some beer from it prior the run ��” well.. What we can comment is - glad they didn’t make us do that after the run as it would be much worseJ.
The guy who had the new shoes looked fully prepared as he didn’t even take off the tag from his shoesJ.
The hares (the person who has set the run) then explained about the run - there will be 3 different track - long, medium and short, which then he described the long and medium run as a married couple - as they started together, parted at some point, met again and parted again, before finally they ended up at the same point back. Of course that romantic story has touched most of us..or NOT. We just started by scrambling our way out from the hotel gate and went into a small lane which then directed us to go down the hills.. we keep going down and wondering when the real torture which is the uphill part started.
The first part of the run was nice - we passed through small kampongs with a proper cemented stairs and path. There were some cows stalls, and I spotted a cow looked at the people running by with a look which certainly say -“what is this crazy people doing now?” dressing in a funny and colorful shirts and running up and down, panting and looking exhausted.
Soon, the kampong area was over and we started to run in a grass or soil and some mud here and there, glad it wasn’t raining as some track won’t be possible to pass if it rained. And the best part yet to come! We started to go uphill and it seemed like and endless track, my legs were screaming for help, but I doubt the committee was really fully prepare to provide a rescue team, therefore I pushed myself to complete the run.
No doubt there were lots of cursing and swearing along the run. Most of the uphill part I just walked and partially climbed - I went with 2 other person, which was good, as at some points where there were 2 different direction, there was a sign of “checking around”, which the right track will be either one of the direction. So both of them will check the 2 paths and I just waited around the sign:p. The total height we have climbed undoubtly at least 300-m. Some parts were very nice as we run around the pine forest, look very beautiful and green and a bit sun in the west. The air was so fresh and cool, just perfect for any run or walk. We kept following the signs which were papers or white paint (and other hashers if you can spot them).
But most of the run, it was just 3 of us. We stopped in at some point and get ourselves another mineral water from a stall and keep running, good at this part we started to go downhill, which actually not any better as going downhill is tougher, we couldn’t get too fast as we don’t want to slip and fell down, the condition of the path sometimes make it even more dangerous with soft slippery soil and nothing to grab on.
After a while, we reached back to the kampong area - glad to see some civilization and I was glad that I have brought my camera along the run (although most people just stare at me weirdly every time I stopped and randomly took some shoots:p), and we went back to the hotel where the circle and party then continued.
The total run was around 16-km and took us 2.5 hours to complete that - no wonder why my legs now hurts and are all stiff!
We gathered around the pool, there was a gazebo where they served cold beers and some snack - and how nice it felt the first cold beer after an exhausting run! We chatted around and get ourselves filed up with yummy sausage soup and some fresh watermelon and of course Carlsberg from the tapJ.
I then went to my room to take a shower and changed, soon I was back right on time for the circle, where the abuse and more drinking happening. I then made up my mind to stay over night and join the party. We finished the circle around 8:pm for the party in one of the hotel hall and also the dinner.