Vanishing Jambi forests can still attract tourists
Warsi, a non-governmental organization based in Bangko (about 300 kilometers west of Jambi) that works to protect the Jambi forests and the Kubu jungle people, sponsored a media tour to Bukit Duabelas from July 25 through July 30. The Jakarta Post journalist Pandaya shares the thrill of touring the jungles.
BANGKO, Jambi (JP): The four-wheel drive jeep with six people on board rocked through the night under a full moon in the middle of nowhere.
Sorolangun, the last transit subdistrict town, was two hours away into the jungle. No city lights could be seen flickering on the horizon.
The tough 20-year-old Toyota "hardtop" bounced over big potholes and crashed through ditches in the dirt road that logging companies had opened to ship timber out of the forest. Our eyes were glued to the path ahead to anticipate when the jeep would jump over the deep crater-like holes.
Oil palm plantations, bushes and desert-like landscapes dominate the dim midnight views throughout the uncomfortable off- road journey.
The loss of the tropical forests, dubbed the "lungs of the Earth", was the reason for us to be here in the middle of the night.
The area was part of Bukit Duabelas, formerly a thick tropical jungle, which has now mostly been "converted" into industrial forest estates (HTI). Some areas have been planted with oil palm, rattan, rubber or trees suitable for making paper.
HTI projects have been widely blamed for the fast loss of Jambi forests because they cut trees indiscriminately and replace the rich biodiversity with monoculture cash crops.
The farther we went, the nastier the paths the old jeep had to take. Now and then the vehicle had to crash through ponds of knee-deep mud. Sometimes the jeep refused to move, as the front wheels would be buried in the mud while the rear wheels rotated wildly, spraying mud into the cabin and onto the faces of passengers.
Confusion would reign when we got to an intersection. Our guide, Agus, a Warsi activist who was unfamiliar with the area, would get down and talk into his walkie-talkie, contacting his friends who were waiting at the base camp we were heading for.
When the base camp was only a few kilometers away, we came to the worst section of the road. Our driver, Tarlin, asked people from the camp to come with a pickup truck to tow the jeep in case it got bogged.
Tarlin made good his claim as a talented "off-roader" and nothing happened. Although the path was extremely tough, the Padang man remained cool as cucumber and retained his sense of humor.
While shifting gear for a narrow uphill path, he started telling a joke about the time, years ago, when he lived as a "highway man" in Jakarta. Brawling, drinking, extorting money and "free sex" was all his world then.
"One day my wife was told I had messed around with other women," his story began.
"Amazingly, she wasn't mad with me. Instead, she told her friend, metaphorically, 'I don't mind if he spills his beer everywhere, so long as I can have the bottle back'."
As we neared the camping ground, we began to see forested areas and the occasional glow of resin lamps in the distance. It was the isolated huts of the Kubu (or the "jungle people" as the tribespeople love to call themselves).
According to Warsi, 1,024 of 2,670 Kubu across Jambi reside in Bukit Duabelas. They are the immediate victims of the unchecked looting of the forest, from where they gather wild rattan, resin and honey, hunt animals and grow tubers.
The Kubu are largely despised by other ethnic groups in Jambi. The inner Kubu wear only loin cloths while the outer Kubu have extensive contact with people of other ethnic groups and dress "properly".
Our base camp was erected by an advance team by the small Kejasung Kecil river at the foot of Bukit Duabelas hill, which remains a "Biosphere Reserve". It is the last bastion of the jungle people.
The river runs shallow and the water was forever cool and crystal clear. We used it for all purposes: bathed in it and boiled it for drinking and cooking.
Tumenggung Mija, a Kubu tribal chief who with his men accompanied us during our three-day visit to the jungle, repeatedly assured us the water was "absolutely safe".
But every time we bathed, we would warn each other to watch out for "yellow submarines" (as we humorously referred to human waste) silently floating by. This was likely because other members of the expedition used the upstream section of the river.
Tours to the Biosphere Reserve were especially great, where Mija and his men could tell you the name and uses of practically everything growing in the jungle.
Timber bandits have apparently encroached on the Biosphere Reserve forest, too. A number of huge, straight meranti trees had been felled and cut into logs with a chainsaw. The unfortunate timber waited for trucks to collect it.
The Biosphere is one of the ecotourism destinations that the Jambi provincial government is promoting. Jambi has three national parks to offer to tourists: Kerinci Seblat in the west, Bukit Tigapuluh in the north and Berbak in the east. The Biosphere lies in the middle.
It represents the ecosystem of low-lying tropical forests. The 26,800-hectare hilly area is preserved as Jambi's most important water catchment area. Major rivers such as Kejasung Kecil, Kejasung Besar, Makekal and Air Hitam -- all of which empty into Batanghari River -- have their origins here.
Researchers say the flora and fauna endemic to Jambi can be found in the Biosphere. Last year, a government team of researchers found 134 plants there they believe have healing properties.
For generations after generations, the jungle people have harvested the forest products for their survival. The area is home to highly endangered species like the Sumatran tiger, deer, bear, tapir and hornbill.
Honey
One of the main jungle attractions was when a Kubu climbed a tall tree to demonstrate how the Kubu harvest honey.
The actual job is done at night when the bees cannot see the torch-wielding climber. The bee hives are collected in a basket and lowered with a string. The tribesman can harvest several quintals of hives from each tree.
The Jambi provincial government has included the jungle people on its list of tourist attractions. This policy has met strong criticism from local environmental and rights activists, who accuse the government of selling the people's dignity.
Environmental groups like Warsi have proposed that the Bukit Duabelas Biosphere be developed into a tourist spot by protecting the ecosystem and giving the jungle people training to demonstrate their "traditional wisdom" in preserving nature.
The nomadic people have been the government's favorite scapegoats is discussions of forest destruction. And this tactic has applied everywhere across the republic.
According to activists helping the Kubu defend their jungle from the timber traders, the jungle people have lived for hundreds of years in the forest. But deforestation began only in the 1970s when the government began to sell the forests in the name of national development.
They use wood only for basic purposes such as building houses, and felling of trees is strictly regulated. Tree felling is not permitted without the tribal chief's consent.
Jungle trekking along Kejasung Kecil river in Bukit Duabelas was a great experience. The main attraction was the undisturbed jungle and the Kubu and Malay people at work in the forest.
You could also explore the virgin jungle along the river on wooden rafts the tribespeople can help to build.
Warsi has been working on an ecological tour to Bukit Duabelas. One of the packages offered is a day-long visit to the Biosphere forest near the jungle people's homes.
The thrill of our six-day jungle tour continued on our way back to Jambi. We could experience a daylight view of the vast spooky denuded land and oil palm plantations we saw when we arrived.
As the convoy of jeeps roared out of the jungle and reached an asphalted road, the adventure turned dreadful. The drivers began to race against each other like they had been possessed by the jungle's evil spirits.
Throwing up lumps of earth stuck to the wheels and the mudguards all the way, the dirty speeding vehicles became a huge attraction in the streets. The drivers amused each other by flashing their headlights and honking as they overtook one another.
It seemed like a trip to hell. But, relieved, we eventually arrived at the hotel in Jambi without anybody losing any limbs.