Report from September 8 to September 22, 2023
From: Indonesia
Volunteering in a Farmstay ( (12 days)
Jakarta, Indonesia's capital (2 days)
Farmstay
For a few months now, we have been wanting to do some volunteering. Simply to get a deeper insight into the country and its people. So far, we have said every time "yes, right now it does not fit, we want to see so many other things here in this country. Our visa will expire soon and therefore we don't have enough time for volunteering in this country". Until we realized that this pattern is always repeated and that in every place there are so many things you can visit. In this respect, we changed our strategy here in Jawa and put the priority on volunteering. In return, we hardly saw anything else here.
On the online platform "Workaway" we found Ari and Uyung, who are building a small accommodation in the country: Since May 2023, they have the first two rooms in at Booking.com. However, there is still a lot to do. When we arrived, there wasn't even a light in the communal toilet. Ari and Uyung are always happy about volunteers who help them with the further expansion.
Diarrhea and a volcano climb
At the beginning I was a little dissatisfied because I didn't know exactly where I could help and felt kind of useless.... And then I got sick. Diarrhea. But so much. So.... that was just liquid, like Pippi.
At that time two new guests arrived, two girls from Germany. They want to make a hike to the nearby volcano the following day. Without further ado, our two hosts organized the tour themselves and came along as guides. Since our hosts go along on the tour, Karli and I are free to come along on the tour as well. We were both very pleased, since we had not seen much of Jawa's volcanoes otherwise.
I had only hoped that I would be better by the next day. Unfortunately, this did not happen, so Karli left without me. I stayed in the accommodation. The family of Uyung came to the farm to take care of the accommodation and me. The e were really mega warm. In the evening I played Uno with some of them.
During this time, Karli had a really stark experience. But he will tell you about it himself:
"6:30 we got up. Janine is not feeling better, so she is not coming with us.
I have to repack a few things, from Janine's backpack into mine. But soon we leave.
We were told several times that we must also have our ID card with us and not forget it, otherwise we do not comb on the mountain. About 10 minutes later, we turn back because one of our guides has forgotten the ID. At the market, we get ourselves another breakfast, and something for dinner.
Arrived at the foot of the mountain, we are asked for personal data and money. We are also asked to talk to the local doctor. After she filled out a protocol for each of us with the examination data (80 kg, 183cm, blood pressure and pulse not conspicuous), we got permission to enter the mountain.
Here it dawned on me that perhaps I have not prepared as well as I thought. We have already made many hike. And sleeping in a tent really can not shock me... Only on a 3000m (2958m) I was not yet. We pass a signpost that tells us how far it is to the top, the planned destination is a bit behind. Here I realize that I started the day before from a different route. The way is first a wide somewhat bumpy but well geh barer way, it is chatted and held after animals on the lookout. We make a small detour to look at some waterfalls. After a while we come to hot springs. Here we make a break, let us of the warm water Umspülen here we actually do not want to leave.
From here on it gets steeper and steeper and harder to walk. The plan was to be at the top at 5 pm and enjoy the sunset. But 17 o'clock we are still deep in the forest and have to make short breaks again and again. The trail is not 8km as expected but 14km to our destination. And it is not ~1000m but ~1500m of height that we have to overcome.
We don't really see the sunset. But we feel it. We are meanwhile very na at the crater rim it is extremely windy and it is getting colder. Dust and ash is blowing in our faces. The smell of sulfur accompanies us. And with the fading light it gets colder and colder.
We walk a bit more until we see almost nothing because of darkness. At the top of the crater rim we set up our camp. It is too late and too dark to run to the planned camp site over the slippery scree. It would be another 2km downhill, so we made 12km and 1500 meters of altitude. The ground on which we lie is hard relentless, I fear to pierce the ground sheet with the sharp stones. After we have set up the tents, I start to build my bed. Here I realize that the equipment we have planned for tropical warm nights in the tent, are not sufficient wen one is at 3000m.
The guides mean that they have enough things and could give me a sleeping bag. I fear that they will freeze and will not accept the offer at first, because I do not want them to suffer from my misjudgment. But after several times refuse, I accept it thankfully and gladly.
There is another round of tea for everyone, but no one is hungry enough to stay outside the sleeping bag. So we lie down and hope for a good night. In fact, I have hardly drunk my tea, but have taken the thermos in which he was, with everything in clothing and fabric what I so has in the sleeping bag. Even the cell phone on the battery pack, I took with me into the sleeping bag, so that the emitted heat is not lost. But it was still so cold that I could not sleep. Even the rain cover of my backpack I have pulled over my feet to have another layer. The night I fluctuate between fainting like half asleep and freezing rolling around. Because the stony ground so hard everything hurts me. By rolling the sleeping bag slips down again and again. (it is also meant for Asian sizes.) Later, before we calculate on I examine the temperature data, which stand on the sleeping bag, and compare it with what my clock had recorded. The sleeping bag has an extreme temperature of 15c°, which means you won't freeze to death. My watch had measured 5c°, on my wrist of course. At sunrise someone asks me if I want to come out, but with the sun comes warmth and I lock myself in the tent to stay. Only when I am offered coffee I come out of the tent and follow the new heat source.
With the stove, the guides have heated up their tent and everyone squeezes in there and we sip our coffee together. The night none of us has really slept. Later I learn that Ari had already tried the night to get the tent warm with the gas stove. This worked at first quite well, until he was awakened by the smell of something burnt, and realized that he just burned his sleeping bag on the burner. Fortunately, nothing further happened. At least he could sleep so something, until the gas bottle was empty,. The second gas bottle he picked up to our happiness for the coffee.
While we take down our tents, we are somewhat eyed by other tourists who have taken on the last part of the climb in the morning. We take some pictures, but are also all happy to walk on. Movement promises warmth. After 30 minutes, we pass the campsite to which we wanted to go. Undoubtedly it would have been a little warmer because here the wind was not so strong, but the descent we would not have survived so easily exhausted and in the dark. Also the water source, on which we hoped, was unfortunately dried up. We decide to continue walking. The descent is a bit of a mess. The distance we run down is a bit shorter and less altitude meters we have to go down today. But the ground is in many places like sand. Again and again it is more of a climb to get down, and I think each of us fell at least twice. Fortunately, nothing else happened here either.
The closer we get to our destination, and thus the pickup point, the more I become aware of what a sore muscles I will have. Not only that I notice the previous day. But we have done the opposite of warming up. Instead of some movement in the muscles to get warm, we have lain on cold stone, and so went running.
Until our driver is there, we take the opportunity to stuff our bellies in a restaurant. Arrived in the car, we discuss the further journey of the two Germans who were there.
I take another selfie as we all sit in the car. The hike was very exhausting for me. I want to keep as many details in my memory, and start still in the car with notes on the phone to make. After 5 minutes I notice that it was quiet in the back. I look up from my phone and see the others in the rear view mirror. Within 5 minutes the chattering bunch behind me just fell asleep. I don't even know if they have finished their conversation yet. I have to laugh heartily and make another selfie.
In the days that follow, I get a sore muscle like I probably haven't had in at least 15 years. I can hardly get up from the toilet, because my legs hurt so much...
Unfortunately, I will do exactly that but very often in the nights days. Janine is fortunately better again, but I will be sick from here.
Many greetings
Karli'
I, Janine, am very glad that I did not come along. And Karli then caught the disease, 6 hours after he came back from the insane trip. In the middle of the night it started with him. Basically the same thing I had before, only stronger than with me. He was completely flat the first day and didn't eat anything. Only from the third day he was better again.
History of the origin of the farm
Ari and Uyung both worked in Bali before Corona. When Corona started, there was a huge panic here in Indonesia. Just like in our country, people were afraid of not getting enough food. In Germany there was already panic at that time. Here in Southeast Asia, the infrastructure is much worse than in Germany. In Germany, I was not very worried at that time, I was sure that I could always buy something edible. Here I would not have been sure of that. Here I would certainly have been afraid. Ari tells us that a There arose a real apocalypse mood including panic of a zombie apocalypse. Anyway, the two friends went back to their home, n a rural area. They were allowed to use a plot of family land and grow food. In the beginning, it was bananas in particular. Gradually, other plants were added, as well as some animals, for example rabbits, sheep and goats. At some point, Ari met someone by chance who told him about "Workaway", a platform for volunteers. He could not imagine that "rich" people would want to help for room and board. Nevertheless, he puts their project online. That's how the first foreigners came to the property. However, the small farm was not doing so well. Not as much money came in from the sale of the fruit as hoped. The rabbit breeding went wrong. And so the thought slowly matured to change the direction of the farm. They gave up the animals and prepared the buildings for guests. Since May 2023, the accommodation is set on booking.com, but there is still much to do.
Currently there are two buildings. The "main house" has an open area where the kitchen and dining area are located. Attached to it is the first guest room with its own toilet. In the second building there are three rooms: two unfinished rooms where Ari, Uyung and we sleep and one guest room. And then there is the community toilet in the garden, a small board shack without light.
This is the current state. I am very impressed what Ari und Uyung build up the last months. Although in many places there is still room for improvement. For example, the washing machine is in the toilet of the first guest room. This means that as soon as there are guests there, nothing can be washed. As a result, they sometimes can't take in new guests in the second room because they can't wash the linens. In the medium term, the plan is that guest room next to the kitchen will become the base for Ari and Uyung and the three rooms in the second building will be available for guests.
How did we help?
At the beginning we were told that once there are no guests, we can build the door to our room. The room where we sleep just doesn't have a door yet. But that didn't happen at all in the end, because there were always guests.
So at some point we started to look for tasks ourselves.
The pricing here was a bit opaque when we arrived because (as is so often the case in Southeast Asia) there are no price tags. At the same time, it was awkward for Ari and Uyung to always ask for the money. Every day before dinner they would ask the guests for the money, then go to the market with the money and shop. But "collecting" the money every day was also inconvenient for them. So I suggested to Uyung and Ari that they could put up price tags and also do the accounting when they left. Ari and Uyung liked the idea and I put together a price list for the food on the PC the following day. In addition, the two offer a few excursions, a corresponding notice I have immediately designed.
There was no light in the communal toilet outside. Karli tells them that he is a trained electrician and might be able to help. Eventually he can convince them that they only need to buy a few materials and he will do the rest. Karli tells you a little bit himself about the experience of bringing the light into the toilet: "My training at Simons prepared me perfectly for this: You have nothing and you have to build everything out of it. So first I made a light switch mainly out of garbage and bamboo. And then I wanted to run a cable to the community toilet. When I asked Uyung for a ladder, he disappeared into the shed and came back with three boards, a saw, a hammer and some crooked nails and started to build a ladder. With this we could then lay the one cable to the community toilet. In one day I had built the light switch, laid the cables and connected the switch."
So we did very different things: One day we pulled weeds, the next day we took photos of the rooms for Booking.com. Karli made a great watering can out of a 15 liter plastic bottle. We helped shop at the local market or make dinner. And we collected ideas about what could be improved: both online on the Internet, and concretely on site.
Water filter
In Indonesia, the tap water is not drinkable. As a tourist, you often have to rely on drinking plastic bottles, or sometimes you have access to filtered water at your accommodation. Here in this accommodation, water is always bought for the guests in 15 liter bottles. Of course, this causes quite a bit of cost in the long run and also a lot of plastic waste. And plastic waste is simply burned behind the house every few days. They themselves drink the water from a nearby spring. So Karli and I get the idea that a filtration system could be great. Then the customers can also drink the water on the spring.
After some research, I discover the water filters from nazava, which also work without water pressure (https://global.nazava.com/). Karli conducts extensive research on the quality and filter effectiveness and comes to the conclusion: The filters are not only cheap, are made in Indonesia, but are even very good in terms of filter effectiveness.
Ari and Uying are thrilled with the idea and order one right away. One day later, the filter arrives. We can help Uyung to set it up, and then be the first testers. The water tastes good and we don't get sick.
Friends help friends
By the way, officially we are not here as volunteers. Our visa does not allow us to do volunteer work. When Ari and Uyung explain this to us in advance, they immediately say that this is not a problem. It is only important that we tell everyone that we are invited as friends on the farmstay. No problem "friends help friends".
The two, Ari and Ayung, are mega mega sweet. We feel here and from the beginning like home. Uyung cooked us day, usually even vegetarian. Man did I miss vegetarian food!!! And then it is so so awesome, awesome delicious. The best food I got you complete time here in Indonesia. Already after a few days we have completely forgotten the sense of time. We don't know how many days we have been here. If we could, we would like to stay here for three weeks. Unfortunately our visa expires again. We had thought about doing a visa run again, i.e. leaving Singapore and then entering again, but the next adventure is already waiting for us (I won't tell you what it is yet, but I assure you it will be great!!!).
Stockpiling
We Germans are masters of stockpiling, for us it is quite normal to always have a number of foods in stock somewhere. In Indonesia it is completely different. There is in the household what you need for the next few days. Again somewhere one two bags of pasta on stock - there is not. People buy everything in small units for the next one or two days. Coffee powder, soap, detergent and so on in individual packaging are quite normal.
This goes so far that stockpiling is even very difficult. What is there is applied. Here's an example: when creating the menu, I suggested that they could include soft drinks, like Sprite and Coke. However, that doesn't work because once Sprite and Coke are in the fridge, they consume that themselves. Then when customers are there, it's all empty. And drinking soft drinks every day really costs money for the locals here, which is not in Ari and Uyung's current budget.
More about the life of the people here
Ari attended school and also started to study before he went to Bali to work. Uyung's family, on the other hand, is quite poor and Uyung has received little schooling. Fifty percent of the people here are unemployed. (And even if you have a job, you might get only 200 Euro per month). Ari showed us a video of what the line at the job center looks like.... Lack of education is a big problem in many parts of Indonesia. This does not only affect the fact that there is no money to buy goods for daily use. There is no perspective for the people in the country. The goal of many 20 year olds is to marry early and have children. What else can you do when there is no work? Ari tells us much more about the people and the culture here.
I really enjoyed listening to Ari's stories. In the last few months I have felt very often reduced to my money by locals somewhere and beaten over the head in other places. Through Ari's stories I have the feeling to get closer to the people here, to understand better how difficult it can be to grow up here. I realize how insanely privileged I am. My parents didn't have to pay for my school. And sure, working is not always easy and rarely fun, but I had a job. A job that pays for food. An apartment. A hobby and with which I could even save on the side. Enough savings to finance a world trip after a few years.... For the basis of these privileges I did nothing. I was just lucky to have been born in Germany, in a rich country....
Jakarta
In two days a plane will take us out of Indonesia. Until then we have time to experience Jakarta. From Ari and Uying's hometown we took a minivan to Jakarta, from where the plane will take off. Jakarta's traffic is famous and notorious throughout Indonesia. It took us just three hours to get from our farmstay to downtown Jakarta. Ari had told us in advance that the route can sometimes take 8 hours, especially on Sundays. This is because many Jakarta residents use the weekend to get out of Jakarta and enjoy the scenery.
What I didn't realize before was how huge Indonesia is. And how many inhabitants Indonesia has. Indonesia is the 4 most populous country in the world. Simply half as many inhabitants as Europe.
Jakarta has an old town, which is a real peculiarity in Southeast Asian cities. The Netherlands had colonized Indonesia for a while. During that time, a small neighborhood was created near the harbor, which is still very nice to look at today. Even if it is in parts very much in decay. Jakarta also has a Chinatown. Chinatown is the part of the city where the population is predominantly of Chinese origin. All of Chinatown seems to consist of tiny local stores where you can buy all sorts of things. However, the leisure life of many residents of this metropolis revolves around the malls, large shopping centers. Another thing not to miss in Jakarta is to take a bus at rush hour. Jakarta is the busiest city in Indonesia. Motorcycles, cars, buses, they are on the road every day. What if ... all the cars, motorcycles and pollution suddenly disappear?. Every Sunday from 6 to 11 am, the main street Jakarta is closed. People do sports or just want to refresh themselves. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to experience this because we were not in Jakarta on a Sunday.
The difference the country, Farmstay, and the city of Jakarta huge. And yet both are parts of Indonesia.
P.S. as you may have noticed, I have explained in the post some words that may be familiar to most of you. Reason for this is that my grandma is a very big big fan of our blog. At this point once very dear greetings to you grandma!
📷 find more great pictures at Photo Album
has become a photo album with quite a lot of photos this time - sorry for that
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