Life's not just a beach at Pangandaran<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Pangandaran, West Java<\/p>\n
Pangandaran has been a favorite destination of mine since I
\ndiscovered six years ago that the beach offers more than just
\nsand -- there are rivers, caves and a wildlife conservation area
\n-- and for its fresh yet inexpensive seafood.<\/p>\n
I packed my bags with a light heart and my mind set on several
\nmissions this holiday: enjoying the sunset on the white
\nbeach, revisiting the cave at Citumang River, watching the river
\nbend from behind its waterfall and daring myself to take the
\nplunge from the six-meter-high rock in Green Canyon.<\/p>\n
The black sand beach of Pangandaran appeared after a
\nfive-hour-drive from Bandung. Along the tourist area of the west
\nbeach are a variety of accommodation, from a modest double
\nbedroom for Rp 75,000, to bungalows and a two-star hotel. To my
\nliking, the beach was quiet and the hotels empty.<\/p>\n
For my first mission, I found Opang, a boatkeeper who promised
\ncoral reefs and fish in many colors as well as a return trip to
\nthe white beach, located at the edge of the conservation area on
\na nearby cape, for Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
Spirits high, we boarded Opang's eight-meter-long boat,
\nheading out to sea. That high quickly disappeared when the reef
\nturned out to be light brownish under murky water. Not a Nemo in
\nsight, nor any of his friends.<\/p>\n
\"You should've seen it in the morning,\" Opang said.<\/p>\n
To make up for our disappointment, we took up his offer to see
\nwhat he termed four \"special places\" after bargaining down from
\nhis original offer of Rp 250,000 to Rp 150,000.<\/p>\n
After 10 more minutes in the boat, Opang said proudly, \"That's
\nthe turtle beach\". It was a stretch of ordinary looking white
\nbeach, where, he said, turtles lay their eggs. \"We can't land
\nthere because the current is too strong.\" Fair enough.<\/p>\n
\"There is the swallow cave,\" he said a few minutes later,
\npointing to a hole in a rock with sea crashing onto the reef
\nhuddling in front of it.<\/p>\n
\"And that,\" he added, his finger crooked another way, \"is the
\nstatue of the boy who was turned into stone for disobeying his
\nmother.\"<\/p>\n
I squinted my eyes to catch a glimpse of a rock shaped like a
\nslashed cone. From where I was sitting, it was as big as the tip
\nof my little finger.<\/p>\n
This is ridiculous, I thought to myself.<\/p>\n
To the right, a circle of reefs hundreds of meters away was
\nthe rocks where the legendary daughters of the sea bathe.<\/p>\n
The journey took less than 30 minutes and at no time did our
\nfeet hit land. That was what our guide meant by \"seeing\" the
\nplaces, I guess. I thought about screaming out my frustration,
\nbut held my tongue, as being cast away at sea was not my idea of
\na holiday.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the beach was as good as I remembered it, with
\nits trees and white sand, along with scattered pieces of coral
\nreefs and seashells.<\/p>\n
Monkeys sometimes lurk around, ready to snatch away any open
\nfood. Some, with a bit more initiative, dig away in the sand to
\nfind crabs.<\/p>\n
As the sun went down and covered the beach with its golden
\nreddish tinge and we got ready to leave, two deer came out of the
\ntrees, as if wanting to bid us goodbye. A perfect ending to an
\nimperfect day.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I was ready for some action. The narrow road
\nto Citumang River lies five kilometers from the Pangandaran exit
\nin the direction of Batu Karas. A blue road sign, almost totally
\nhidden by overhanging trees, pointed us to the right.<\/p>\n
The place had not changed at all since I last saw it two years
\nago. There was a changing room, toilets and only two other
\ntourists.<\/p>\n
Citumang flows from within a tall cave, out into the open air
\nand down a waterfall. Swimming into the cave, I shivered at the
\nthought of what might be slithering underneath me -- snakes,
\nturtles, bigger snakes, crocodiles, dragons? But there were six
\nof us and I felt safety in numbers, so I decided to ignore my
\noverblown imagination.<\/p>\n
The earth colored walls got darker and darker until there was
\nno more light. After 40 meters or so, we touched the end
\nwall, where the water forked into two tunnels.<\/p>\n
\"In the dry season, when water is low, we can swim in,\" said
\nour guide, pointing to the right tunnel. \"There are other caves
\ninside.\"<\/p>\n
We sat at the edge of the waterfall to get some warmth after
\nthe chilly cave water. Jumping down to the river, we swam under
\nthe waterfall, sat on a rock behind it and peered at the green
\nriver through a water curtain. It's a stunning sight that I dare
\nsay not many have seen.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, water filled the hole behind the waterfall and
\nthe current was rather strong from an incessant downpour the week
\nbefore. We ditched the chance to swim there and took a half-hour
\nwalk to see the other mouth of the cave.<\/p>\n
The following day -- a Thursday before a long weekend -- we
\nwent to the famous Green Canyon, 20 kilometers from Pangandaran
\nbeach. Tourists were already swarming at the gate, but we managed
\nto get a boat to take us the three kilometers to the canyon.<\/p>\n
The Green Canyon is a narrow valley between two steep stone
\nwalls. From its entrance, visitors can swim in, but once they
\nreach the six-meter-high rock, the favorite jump site, they have
\nto move forward by walking and climbing the big stones that stand
\nin the way.<\/p>\n
A word of caution: I had once stood on the top of the rock and
\nfound it completely unnerving. Just as I decided that it was not
\nworth a heart attack, a bunch of tourists came and stayed to
\nwatch me -- a girl! -- jump. Either true bravado or shame will
\nget you to take this leap of faith, and for me, it was the
\nlatter.<\/p>\n
But the adrenaline shot was refreshing and the looks of
\nadmiration soothing, so I was ready for a repeat performance this
\ntime around.<\/p>\n
To my disappointment, again, we could not do it because the
\nwater was too high. Luckily, the boatmen saw our frustration and
\ntook us to some rocks with a natural fountain just outside the
\nentrance. We enjoyed ourselves, climbing the rocks, showering
\nunder the water, taking turns to jump into the river and being
\nphotographed by other tourists who passed by.<\/p>\n
Before we went home, as I took a last look at the now busy
\nbeach, I felt quite satisfied, even with only two missions
\ncompleted. It was nonetheless a splendid four-day vacation, and I
\ncan always come back in the dry season to do the rest.<\/p>",
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