Places We won’t Walk (because of a pandemic)
I can’t believe that we had McD for almost 5 days in a row, making me felt like a wealthy person. Actually, having an apple pie and PaNas 1 every day is quite normal, right? Do you know why it became so special? Because we did that while being tourists with a budget. Who spends almost 40 thousand rupiahs for one dinner while thinking about a budget? We did. In a foreign city. As a matter of fact, it’s not foreign because it’s still in Indonesia, but for me who’s never going out from West Java, Bali seems like another world to me.
It was really like another world because my friend and I had to take 3 trains in 2 days to arrive in Bali, passing Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Jember, and Banyuwangi. While I am writing this, I’m starting to feel the cold air of Yogya at 3 AM. Fortunately, it was not that cold; my tiredness warmed it off and sang a lullaby so I can sleep peacefully on the waiting chair.
After spending 2 hours at the station of our romantic city, Yogyakarta, the journey has continued to Surabaya. I remember that day was so hot, exactly what’s on my mind about Surabaya. Maybe it’s because I landed in the central area? The similarity made me felt familiar with the city; a typical major arterial road, malls, café, huge trees, crossing bridge, even McDonalds. My first McD on the road trip at that time was in Surabaya. After spending 5–6 hours in McD (couldn’t take a walk because of the night), we met the familiar place, the station. That is the last train that we took. The last back pain that we got due to the 90° chair.
Woah… that was the shortest trip on the train, we only spent 2 hours to Jember. That city has reminded me of my hometown, Ciamis. The trees, the cold breeze, gerobak tukang bakso (meatball seller’s cart) at the side of the road, small road along with the little cars. It gave you peace, embracing like you’re finally allowed to breathe the fresh air. Nevertheless, the peace didn’t last long, we were too excited to continue the saga and went to Banyuwangi by car without knowing that a few hours later, the oddest thing would appear on the way.
Going to Banyuwangi was normal. It’s like going to your hometown by car; winding roads, big trees, cliffs. Everything was normal and fun until someone was standing at the side of the road, alone, looking at the cars.
“What is he doing there?” Imagine someone at the place with no sign of living is standing looking at you.
“He’s a beggar,” my friend calmly answered the fright.
The further we went, the more people stood at the side of the road. Some were only sitting on the ground, some only standing like waiting for the prey, some doing their activity clearly; shouting asking for money (shouting because the road was full of cars and sometimes buses). That event kept me wondering about the situation: did it really work? But seeing the number of people doing the job, maybe it did really work.
5 hours later, we finally arrived in Bali, the final destination. It was like a different place to me. If traveling to Yogya was like visiting the neighborhood near yours, traveling to Bali was like going to another district. The incense, the temple, the people, the music, the weather, even the smell in Bali was distinct.
In all of the different parts in Bali, the crucial thing that created a distance is the price. You know, tourism site always rises their price in every aspect, and Bali is a whole tourism site. We were like walking on eggshells, having to ask and research first in order to not losing our money too much. The moment that I realize that I am a local was when buying medicine. The pharmacist literally said, “it is 13.000 rupiah, the price in the package is for bule.” For once, I tasted home (with a little bit of speechless effect). Thank you, ma’am. I could not be more grateful than this.
Oh… This pandemic has made my mind playing all the films of happy memory, and Bali takes the first place at making me drooling over. We were really having fun there (who doesn’t have fun in Bali?), sculptured each memory in our brain. Tanning every inch of our skin by playing at the beach for almost four hours under sunny light. Breathing the salt air til’ the last minute.
Actually, having a trip to Bali was our ‘after graduation bucket list’. Here’s the plan: repeat the trip by train and breath the fresh air at Jember, passing the winding road, another 5 hours trip, then stomp your feet on the yellow sand at Sanur Beach. Sadly, we can’t take a walk at those places because of the pandemic. Now we only can take a walk to the kitchen, the bathroom, and of course, back again to the room. Trying to give a contribution to preventing the spread of the virus.
Nevertheless, the bucket list is flexible, right? We made it go forward, listing the trip after the pandemic ends. Shoo, shoo, go away Corona! We can’t wait to see the sunset at Kuta Beach, and other places we can’t walk.
