Children get into the spirit of adventure at camp

Children get into the spirit of adventure at camp

By P.J. Leo

CISARUA, West Java (JP): They were brimming with excitement at
the prospect of the coming adventure.

"Kembara, yeah," the elementary school students from Jakarta,
Tangerang, Serang and Cisarua shouted enthusiastically. The 25
students and their escorts were ready for adventure on Safari
Kem, a program held at Kembara camping ground at Taman Safari
Indonesia, which borders the Mt. Gede-Pangrango National Park.

Each time their adult supervisors shouted "Kembara" -- short
for "nature conservation study camp" -- the children responded by
yelling their approval.

The program, organized by Taman Safari from Aug. 19 to Aug.
20, was intended to teach children the importance of flora and
fauna to humans within a shared ecosystem. However, it was not
all serious. There also were various mental and physical tests in
the Outing Adventure Games, consisting of a rope tower with
various obstacle courses.

"The Safari Kem program this time is a little different from
those in the past," said Taman Safari director Tony Sumampau. "In
addition to camping and studying conservation, we invite the
students to take part in an adventure course where they must
cross a rope bridge at a height of six meters and slide down from
a 48-meter-high tower."

Because the students had already returned to school, the event
was held on the weekend, with the participants arriving on
Saturday afternoon.

After a slide presentation on the country's endangered
animals, the students gathered to make a bonfire. They listened
seriously to a talk about nocturnal animals by a park warden,
occasionally glancing over to the forest in the hope of snatching
a glimpse of the furtive animals for themselves.

The cool night air, a strong breeze and the fact they were
away from their parents did not sap the enthusiasm of the
students. Although most of the group met for the first time in
the afternoon, by the evening they were already firm friends.

"Well, you cannot turn down the cool air out here like you can
with the AC at home in Jakarta, sir," said third grader Anand
Syalendra Rambey to his supervisor.

The temperature was no problem for Hamden Bayu Ari Setyaji,
11, who is from Cisarua.

"It's cold, yes, but I'm already immune to air like this. I'm
just so happy to have the chance to take part in Safari Kem and
gather with friends from Jakarta, Serang and Tangerang."

Seven tents, both large and small, housed the participants
during the night and protected them from the cold.

"It seems like our tent is the only one which is still noisy,"
said one child as the other occupants joked among themselves.
"Think about the kids in the other tents, they want to go to
sleep."

Adventure time

For those who did get a good night's sleep, the break of dawn
was time to wake up for morning exercises. This was followed by a
walk along a three-meter-wide trail in search of panther tracks.

When the morning conservation program was finished, it was
time to get down to the real business of adventure. The
participants were divided into three groups -- Lion, Cheetah and
Frog. The children were required to play the parts; when a
supervisor shouted "lions", students in that group would roar as
if on cue. The same went for the groups of cheetahs and frogs,
who would purr and croak when called upon.

Safety concerns were paramount, however, and the supervisors
put the children in safety harnesses before they climbed the rope
tower.

One by one, the children climbed the tower and navigated the
Tiger Wall, walking across a rope 16 meters long. They continued
through the Gibbon Walk, which was of the same distance, and then
took flight on the Flying Squirrel, its height of eight meters
two meters higher than the rope for the previous walks. The
students did not walk, but slid at an angle down to the ground.

Some of the children were intimidated at first, but eventually
came to love the experience.

"I was happy after passing the Tiger Wall and Gibbon Walk, but
I got scared when it was time to do the Flying Squirrel," said
Goldy Leonard, 9. "But my friends below kept on encouraging me to
do it. I still felt afraid but once I did it, wow, it was so
great.

"I want to do it again, but the supervisor said I must wait
until all the others are done."

Next up was the Spider Way, at a height of 48 meters. The
children climbed to the top of the tower and then slid down.

"It was like flying for real, just like Saras 008 but
descending instead of ascending," Lala, 10, said, referring to a
popular TV character.

It was a feeling shared by Gilang, 8, from Tangerang, who was
able to participate in all the activities despite slipping and
hurting his leg when he arrived at the camp.

As late afternoon neared, parents arrived to pick up their
children. The children gathered one last time with their
supervisors to tell their parents about their exhilarating
experiences of the past 24 hours.

Safari Kem is still in its early days, and there are plans to
add more activities, not only in conservation study but also
adventures.

"The next Safari Kem program will be held during school
holidays in October. If a family wants to camp here, they can do
it on the weekend, with a minimum of 10 people, and we'll call it
Family Kem," Tony added.

For more information about the programs, contact Taman Safari
Indonesia (telephone 0251-253222).