As I crossed an enigmatic beach facing Indian ocean on a trail bike, I was amazed at the fact that several group of villagers fished there despite high waves that sounded like cannons along the shores. Continue reading The making of the fisherman’s son
The article first appeared as the cover story in the international edition of think archipelago magazine V3. The coastal area down the south of Java poses tsunami hazard. But in a tragedy that happened once in several decades, the locals consider it their safe backyards. These people, strong and able, have always something interesting to tell.
Standing on the river mouth when the sun is at its peak, villagers at the shore line of Sukabumi, West Java, are set to go fishing. Under the scorching sun, some of them wore caps while other put on hoods on their jackets. A group of them came down from Cikaso village to the river mouth, where the streams directly flow to the Indian Ocean. It is well-known for its constant high tides. Continue reading “Life as the fisherman’s son”
The three-meters-wide dirt road that spans 20 kilometers deep into the forest in Central Java has existed since early 90s when loggers began exploiting the area. The hidden activity increases during summer as the road mostly turn muddy in wet season, thus obstructing trucks transporting the lumber. The fact that the plain, green area of a hundred hectares in total size is labeled a non-productive forest, coupled with the Land Protection Act issued by the Forestry Department, have little effect on preventing illegal logging. The locals told that logging culminated between 2001 and 2003. Continue reading “TEAK FOREST OF WEST JAVA”
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