Wednesday 11 September 2019

After the earthquake: Senaru

On 5 August 2018, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck North Lombok. 

More than 500 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced as the shallow earthquake damaged or destroyed an estimated 80% of buildings in the worst affected areas.

When I visited Lombok in September 2019, most areas had been repaired and rebuilt, but I noticed there were still a handful of abandoned and collapsed buildings in northern areas, including on the Gilis. You probably remember the Western news media focusing heavily on the Gilis in reporting the story, all the young tourists trying to get off the island and complaining about waiting for rescue.

But other areas in northern Lombok were hit much worse, and one of those areas was the backpacker hub of Senaru.

A village built along one of the ridges immediately north of Mount Rinjani, it had become a popular base for tourists wanting to climb the mountain or go hiking or treking in some beautiful scenery. 

The earthquake flattened large parts of the town, and that put the tourist industry on hold, depriving many locals of their livelihoods at the same time it damaged their homes and property - a double whammy.

So I knew I was going to try and visit, to put some money into the local area. And I'm really glad I did.

Quite a few hotels, guesthouses and restaurants were open for guests, having repaired or rebuilt quickly. And the scenery is spectacular.

I stayed at the newly rebuilt Pondok Guru Batki, which like most accommodation is built on the eastern side of the ridge, offering fabulous views across the steep valley towards Mt Rinjani. I spent several happy hours sitting in the garden, enjoying the views and watching the monkeys scamper through the trees in search of fruit.

View from my guesthouse towards the various peaks of Mt Rinjani

Looking along the ridge from my guesthouse

My guesthouse organised a guide to take me on a tour of the area. We hiked through the jungle and alongside a stream, scrambling at a few points across large broken boulders and clambering over fallen trees (the path had been badly damaged in several places during the quake, and as a middle-aged woman with crap balance I was quite glad to have a strong young man to offer me a steadying hand in a few places) until we reached the magnificence that is Tiu Kelep waterfall. 

Tiu Kelep waterfall - simply magnificent (but tricky to reach on your own)

There was almost no one else there (just one other Western couple, who were leaving as we arrived). You could swim in the hole at the base of the falls, but I didn't (I knew we had a lot of hiking still to do, and I didn't want to have to do it in damp clothes) but I can easily envision spending an hour relaxing there, if you're of a mind.

We then hiked back to Sedang Gile, a smaller waterfall nearer the road, which has been developed for visitors. It's easy to reach along a paved path and stairway, and near the base of the falls they've built a selection of picnic tables and small stalls selling drinks and snacks (like yummy fried bananas!). There's also toilets here, FYI.

Sedang Gile waterfall - smaller but still an attractive place to relax

After the waterfalls, we hiked to a traditional village, which welcomes tourists in exchange for donations. You can sit and chat, via your guide as a translator, with some of the village elders, and drink tea or coffee, while chickens run about your feet.

Finally, we went for a long walk through rice paddies and fields, while my guide talked about growing up in the village. We ended up outside the guide's house, where he introduced me to his wife and sweet-as-a-pea six year old daughter, and proudly showed me around his small orchard and vegetable patch. 

It was a great half day, and stretched until out for about 6 hours (as he could see I was interested).

When you're travelling on a budget, it can be tempting to try and skip the additional cost of a guide (I accepted the requested fee without any haggling, and at the end added a generous tip as I knew the village's economy was struggling, plus my guide was great). But often, it really pays off to hire a local.

Although I could have visited Sedang Gile and the traditional village on my own (they're both easy to reach by road), I really doubt I would have made it to Tiu Kelep on my own (I would probably have either gotten lost, or assumed I was going the wrong way when I got to the scrambly bits, and turned back). Plus I never would have learned as much about local life, without someone to talk to. Best 350,000 rupiah I spent on the entire Lombok leg of my trip.

After all that walking, it was time for a (very) late lunch. Or (very) early dinner. Lunner, I guess.

I stopped in at a little restaurant my guide had recommended, with extensive views over the valley and farmland, and ate lalapan ayam, a dish of assorted raw vegetables with sambal terasi (a tomato and chili sauce, here made "not spicy" with only one chili for the wimpy westerner) and ayam bakar (grilled chicken).

And my new friend, who sat at my feet, meowing and watching me eat the entire time, until I finally ran out of will power and shared my chicken with her.

Views from Warung Dedi Tioq Angen

Tasty lalapan ayam

My demanding dining companion


No comments:

Post a Comment