G. Koentji

Yesterday, I got a chance to visit one of the tourist places in Sumedang, West Java. I was actually looking for something more challenging and thinking about paragliding in this county. I had been there in Toga and almost took Ojek to go uphill but when I asked the driver whether paragliding was available up there, they said no. It doesn’t have a definite schedule. As time might tell that it is lack of public’s enthusiasm and ends up with slight of visitors. I think there are so many factors. Maybe lack of publications, maybe it is quiet exclusively only for them who really like sport while on the other side, it also costs us a little bit expensive for one glide, around 300,000/400,000 idr and it is normal for paragliding. 

I found peace and quiet

Take a break, seeing the main road from above

So after I got nothing in Toga, I decided to take plan b which is visiting Gunung Kunci. I only had to walk a little bit passing through the intersection around Toga and took 03 which directly brought me to Gunung Kunci. It is not also far from the center of local government offices while it also only takes 5 minutes from Alun-alun Sumedang. I could see even before I walked through the main gate that this place still saves some peacefulness and quietude in surrounding. The entrance fee is really cheap, only 3,000 idr. There are some level of stairs I have to walk through until I could find this little good seat for taking a rest a little bit. It was really tranquil being there. Just sitting and wondering if there was a perch echoing some birds singing something perhaps . I only had mineral bottle and I skipped breakfast either lunch today. How terrible!

It's written G.Koentji,
 a reason why this place is called Gunung Kunci

It is actually not that damaged

Then I tried to walk slowly and found the gate of the fortress which being the power of attraction why I was there. It is the fortress defense made by Netherlands during World War I, 1914-1917. Caves and bunkers are here built to protect Dutch military from attack. They also put up a cannon facing straightly into the center of government.  The fortress defense deliberately built over the hill so that Dutch could easily monitor all the movements from above. I know it was quiet scary to go around the bunker just by myself but then when I arrived in front of the gate which was written” G.Koentji”, three teen girls called me and asked me to join them went inside the cave. It was really dark I’m not lying. I couldn’t see anything around just totally darksome so I had to turn on flashlight from my phone. Maybe we were too afraid to explore the whole rooms and spots so we just passed it so quick, not even a minute. Actually we could also check the rooms we saw on our right and left and it was leading us maybe to somewhere darker inside but I didn't think I should go there without any guide, it might be bad for any reason. I remembered that it once ever became a place for Uji Nyali or in English perhaps it could be like a gut’s test of kinda supernatural things or something like that. Before we went out, we gotta pass through some stairs and finally found some disorganized stones. This place might not have any guide so I don't know what happened to the messed up think behind the cave. Maybe it is something remain related to the destruction. The fortress are really well built even after it’s stacked by hundreds of pine trees and mound of soil. But then it was finally destroyed right before Dutch left Sumedang. A version says it was bombed by Japan while the other says even done by Dutch itself. Some debris still there just so we know that Sumedang can’t be just left behind.  It has been a part during fight history.

Keep moving!

Yes, these foot have been so worn out to walk but I gotta keep moving. I’m being chased and I don’t have any power to turn back and don’t even have time to turn around. All is about chasing back another stuff which I can call it goal, dream. Sometimes I wanna be just sit around, avoid anybody, have a cup of drink, and watch what’s happening around me but now, I think I’m feeling enough. I miss home, I miss my friends, I miss laughter. That’s all.