Biking and Camping with Luthfi Maizakusuma (@penggowes)

Camping at Queen Artha beach, Lempasing.

Luthfi Maizakusuma is my friend who technically just met last week, but I've known him since I-don't-know-what-year-it-was. We started keeping in touch by a popular social media nowadays called Instagram. I chose to follow him because I love the way how he achieves his journey and his photography. I just knew that he is actually a Sambas Malayan from West Borneo because beforehand I thought he was a Javanese who living in Malang, East Java.

He has been riding his bike in his odyssey in stages since 2014. He began exploring from Malang to middle part of Indonesia such as Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara. The following year, he continued wandering eastern Indonesia such as Molucca and Papua. Then, at the beginning of 2017, West Borneo, his hometown, was his first point for the next stage, cycling around Borneo, Java and went into porch of Sumatra, Lampung. As what he said in his short video on Instagram, after finish in exploring Sumatra, he will continue his journey to Asia. Leluangan! 😁

When he arrived in Bandar Lampung (16/9), he invited us to tent at the beach. Probably he knows that we sometime take a bike trip and stay the night far from our home. So he had chosen the place by showing us my picture I posted on Instagram, it was Queen Artha beach in Lempasing, Pesawaran. It took an hour from the downtown by bicycle. A close beach to enjoy sunrise.

After taking a rest at my friend's boarding house, we took a ride around the city and accompanied him gaining money for his bike trip. He survive the trip by playing violin from a food place to another. He was good at playing that stuff and I just realized that it was rare to find a musician who plays violin in this city.

So we went to the beach at almost midnight. He built his tent and we hanged the hammocks. No story before sleeping, we immediately fell asleep, hoped the sun might rise brightly across the bay. 

Unfortunately, the sun rose but it didn't show the light clearly like the picture I took several weeks ago. We couldn't get what we expected. The dark cloud covered the entire sky. But we could still enjoy the view and the atmosphere because being at the beach in the morning was always such a pleasure. It was so quite. We spent the morning by talking the route that Luthfi will pass and reach. So after that, we got ready to go to Car Free Day in the downtown.

The same place in different time.

Menolak mager di hari libur. Selamat pagi! #keepriding

A post shared by Siregar, Exaudio (@exaudiosiregar) on Sep 1, 2017 at 5:04pm PDT

Now, when I post this article, he is reaching Bengkulu city.

Tapis Carnival dalam Lampung Krakatau Festival 2017

Akhirnya Festival Krakatau 2017 digelar kembali seminggu yang lalu. Sebenarnya ada 2 acara yang menurutku tak pernah absen dalam gelaran provinsi tahunan ini, yaitu mendaki gunung Anak Krakatau dan Tapis Carnival-nya. Namun sayang, tahun ini aku belum berkesempatan buat mengunjungi gunung yang tersohor hingga penjuru dunia itu.

Mandi dulu sebelum mengikuti parade.

Berlatarkan letusan besar gunung Krakatau pada 26 Agustus 1883 silam, Festival Krakatau ini pun menjadi acara tahunan provinsi Lampung yang selalu digelar tepat pada tanggal saat gunung tersebut meletus.

Dikelilingi para penonton.

Walaupun belum berkesempatan untuk menginjakkan kaki di gunung yang munjul dari bawah laut tersebut, aku sangat senang untuk sempat menyaksikan festivalnya yang ikonik itu. Ditambah lagi, lagi-lagi adikku, Vincent, mau meminjamkan kameranya yang keren itu buat dipakai. Jadi, akhirnya blog ini pun bisa diperbaharui, hohoho

Barisan perempuan bersiger (mahkota pengantin dalam adat Lampung).

Pengantin perempuan dalam adat Lampung Pepadun.

(Baca juga, Festival Krakatau Tahun Lalu)

Tapis Carnival selalu menjadi acara yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh masyarakat Lampung. Banyak hal-hal yang tak biasa ditampilkan di dalam parade budaya ini. Setiap kontingen kabupaten menampilkan macam-macam kreasinya dari pakaian tradisional, kostum warna-warni hingga tariannya yang menakjubkan di panggung utama.

Ada bagian yang membuat parade ini menjadi lebih berbeda dengan parade di kota-kota lainnya di Indonesia, yaitu pawai gajah. Memang gajah selalu menjadi ikon provinsi Lampung. Tak jarang pula jika mengunjungi beberapa tempat di Lampung, kita banyak melihat patung-patung berbentuk mamalia raksasa tersebut. Dibawa langsung dari habitatnya, Taman Nasional Way Kambas di Lampung Timur, gajah-gajah ini pun berhasil menarik perhatian para penonton pada parade tersebut. Tak jarang banyak penonton yang berebut kesempatan untuk berswafoto-ria bersama gajah-gajah itu.

Parade melintasi Jl. Ahmad Yani, Bandar Lampung.

Muli (gadis) Pesawaran.

Meskipun peserta parade tahun ini lebih sedikit dibanding tahun lalu, namun acara ini masih sangat kuat untuk menarik antusias masyarakat.

Berikut foto-foto yang berhasil diabadikan pada saat parade kemarin. Semoga berkenan.

Pengantin pria dalam pernikahan adat Lampung Pepadun.

Rojali, Rombongan jak Liwa.

Adik kecil pembawa pahar (tempat makanan raja).

Pita dan kakaknya yang selalu akur.

Sekura dari Lampung Barat.

Muli Liwa.

Sadar kamera.

Uni-uni rancak.

"Liat, Ma."

Pengantin adat Lampung Pepadun.

Muli-muli sikop (gadis-gadis cantik).

Para penabuh tambua tasa, alat musik tradisional Minangkabau.

Bagian terfavorit dari acara ini ialah melihat gajah-gajah dari Taman Nasional Way Kambas jalan-jalan di pusat kota Bandar Lampung. Kantab! #krakataufestival #krakataufest #festivalkrakatau

A post shared by Siregar, Exaudio (@exaudiosiregar) on Aug 26, 2017 at 4:00am PDT

Sekura Party: To Have and Told, The Culture We Should Hold

  
"How that unique culture that we have now is actually something that also God's present for us. It is not us who ask, but to hold." -@anggidameriap
  

There are routine activities which are always done every year by Indonesian Muslim to welcome Eid Mubarak or in Indonesian term we call it Lebaran Day. No matter how far their hometown is, they will do mudik, return to hometown during holiday, for celebrating the feast with the family and friends. Not only for Muslim but everyone also enjoys the holiday. After Eid prayer, people will visit their relatives and neighbors for silaturahmi. 
 

Ready to join the party

 

Can you recognize them?

 
The next day, they will spend the rest of holiday by visiting tourism places, such as beach, lake, park, museum and so on. But you will find something different in my hometown, Liwa. There is Sekura Party  held in turns from a village to another village all the week.

 

Watching the party from the second floor house.

 

It's okay if you even don't wear clothes, at least cover both your face and voice.

  
Sekura Party is an original celebration party which only can be found in West Lampung regency, Indonesia and takes place in some big villages during Lebaran day, such as Liwa, Batu Brak, Canggu, Gunung Sugih, Kenali, Kotabesi, Bahway, etc.
 

Sometimes they sell petai or the other vegetables.

 
Sekura party looks like an outdoor theater where everybody wears mask and covers their body in such a way to celebrates the party. They can dance, sing, play hadra, mingle around the village, acquaint with new people, etc.

 

When they realize your camera shooting them.

  
There are 2 sorts of Sekura, namely Sekura Betik and Sekura Kamak. They both can be distinguished from their appearances. Sekura betik, or clean sekura covers their body in such a way by some traditional long clothes called selindang miwang. They wear dark glasses and bring a sharp weapon, such as machetes or sword. They look acting like a knight and mostly wore by children.

 

Ola Guntoro, my friend's three-year-old daughter, plays as sekura betik.

 
While sekura kamak or dirty sekura wears a mask made of wood or plant, shabby clothes, plays music, sings and sometimes act like a woman or an old man. The only things they do are to make party more fun and climb the gift tree at the end of the event. All sekura also fakes their voice, so no body knows who they are until you try to know them.

 

Sekura kamak bring plants in order to complete their appearance

   

Sekura kamak act as old guys.

  
Sekura literally means someone who wears a mask. It was born as a part of history how Islam came to Lampung long time ago. There was an animism kingdom called Sekala Brak kingdom that fought with its people that already converted into Islam, led by a preacher Penggalang Paksi and his sons, Maulana Perong, Maulana Lapah di Way, Maulana Belunguh and Maulana Nyerupa. In that civil war, people covered their body, so the rival would not know them that actually their own relatives.
 

 
By the war, sekura still exists until now yet different purpose. Not to commemorate the civil war but to celebrate Ied Mubarak after fasting a whole month in Ramadhan.

 

Modernized sekura that only cover their face by masker.

 

Do I know them? Big no.

 
In the afternoon, the party will end when the present tree is climbed by sekura kamak. In this party, you not only watch the celebration, but you also can participate to become sekura, too.

 

Ola's father's instagram account

SEKURA KAMAK CAKAK BUAH . . dipenghujung pesta budaya, sekura kamak diperkenankan untuk "cakak buah" secara bergotong royong dan berbagi hasil setelahnya . . #pestabudayasekura #sekurabetik #sekura #tradisi #lampungbarat #lampung #pekoncanggu #kepaksianpernong #pariwisatalampungbarat #pariwisata_lampungbarat

A post shared by Pemotret Gadungan (@endangguntorocanggu_) on Jul 1, 2017 at 7:08am PDT

West Lampung broke a new MURI record as "Thousands of Sekura" on its 25th anniversary event (2016)

Ayo ikutan lomba foto @nikonindonesia dan @grandhyattjakarta Yuk @akunrino @pardosihotang @e.shotz @ariwahyusuyono @tamaa_11 "arakan 5454 Sekura ". Lampung barat Lampung #nikon_grandhyatt2017grandchallenge

A post shared by INSTANUSANTARA PEOPLE (@ekafendiaspara_alliwa) on Apr 15, 2017 at 8:30am PDT

Feel curious about Sekura, check this out:
Sekura Party, Halloween ala Lampung Barat

Menikmati Selimut Kabut dari Bukit Belakang Rumah

Kabut Liwa

Hampir setiap pagi saya dan adikku Vincent datang ke tempat ini untuk menikmati tebalnya kabut menyelimuti desa kami sejak sebelum matahari muncul dari balik barisan Bukit Barisan Selatan. Tak pernah bosan buat datang karena satu hal yang saya sadari semenjak tinggal dan besar di tempat ini adalah akan selalu ada hal menakjubkan dan berbeda untuk dinikmati di setiap harinya. Dan ini salah satunya. Banyak mereka yang lebih asik terlelap meringkuk diri di dalam selimut tebal karena udara di kampung halaman kami, Lampung Barat, sangat tekenal akan dinginnya. Apalagi saat malam datang hingga pagi menjelang bisa mencapai 17' C.
 

Mistis

Sering sekali pagi-pagi sudah dibangunkan adik untuk mengerjakan tugas rumah membuka warung dan menyiapkan dagangan. Setelah beres, segera kami tancap gas melaju ke atas bukit tepat jauh di belakang rumah kami. Kurang dari 15 menit bermotor, menembus kabut tebal hingga berada di atas permukaan kabut, menaiki perbukitan dan melintasi kebun sayur dan kopi, pemandangan menakjubkan seperti di dalam artikel ini pun langsung tersajikan di depan mata. Mati kantab!

Kamera Vincent merekam kabut, perbukitan dan gunung Seminung

Ada banyak tempat di Liwa yang bisa dikunjungi untuk menikmati tebalnya kabut yang menyelimuti Bumi Sekala Brak di pagi hari. Yang paling hits adalah Bawang Bakung di Negeriratu, Kembahang Tuha atau populer dengan sebutan Puncak Geredai. Namun sangatlah jauh untuk kami tempuh dari rumah. Kurang lebih sejam perjalanan.

Kabut menutupi bukit

Tak ada nama spesifik untuk nama bukit yang sering kami kunjungi ini, karena sebenarnya tempat ini adalah sebuah kebun milik warga Talang Bambu, Sedampah Indah yang lahannya menghadap langsung ke hamparan hijau Bumi Sekala Brak dan puncak gunung Pesagi. Asalkan datang dengan jaga sikap serta menjaga kebersihan, kami pun leluasa berjalan di tengah lahan yang sering ditanami sayur-mayur ini.

Vincent dan Okta

Seusai kabut menghilang, dari atas sini, hampir seluruh desa-desa dan kota Liwa mulai terlihat di kejauhan. Warna hijau masih mendominasi lansekap kampung halaman kami ini yang sebenarnya adalah daerah dataran tinggi yang mayoritas penduduknya adalah petani. Dalam jangka waktu setahun, berbagai macam tanaman bergantian ditanam di bukit ini sesuai musim dan harganya, seperti kubis, cabe, tomat, sawi, buncis, dll.

Kali keduanya menikmati kabut tebal

Semburat sinar matahari

Siluet Aris, Okta dan saya

Bumi Sekala Brak

Hi, Liwa. You are aca-awesome! #exploresumatra #explorelampung #photooftheday #myNXstory #kelilinglampung

A post shared by Siregar, Exaudio (@exaudiosiregar) on Nov 16, 2015 at 5:47pm PST

Karena di Lampung Barat, gak perlu mendaki gunung untuk melihat yang beginian, buktinya gunungnya bisa masuk frame. Lokasi: Sedampah, Liwa, Lampung Barat.

A post shared by Vincentius Siregar (@vincent_siregar) on Apr 6, 2016 at 10:55pm PDT