Category: LIFE

Our second camping trip of the Scout year found us back at Caldera Adventure River Resort in Citarik:  https://calderaindonesia.com, about a three-hour drive outside of Jakarta.  We started our journey at 5:30am, and we broke up the trip with a pit stop at a Starbucks along the way. 

According to my standards, we were not glamping this time.  Actual tents on the ground, but they did have mattresses and electric cords supplied.  And the tents were put up for us prior to our arrival…so some may call that glamping!!  It was so damp.  Everything felt wet…including the mattresses and bedding.

This camping trip really stretched our comfort zones, and Jackson and I agreed that we would not do any more camping after this.

The day started with a ‘baby’ hike that ‘anyone’ could do.  I even asked in advance about the challenge level, and if there was an ‘out’, should I decide not to continue.  I was assured that it was an easy hike and I could just turn back if it became too much.  After hiking up the mountain in 90-degree temperatures, I could feel myself getting overheated.  (It was my own fault – I was ill-prepared.  We did not bring water bottles, had not had breakfast, etc.)  I was ready to turn back.  I was confident that Jackson could make it to the end, but I was not confident that he could make it with ease, so I had him return with me.  At this point, we were in the middle of the rice terraces.  The guide brought in two others on motorbikes, and Jackson and I were ferried back to camp on the backs of the motorbikes.  This was both terrifying and exhilarating.  We later learned that the hike finished with the scouts climbing a near vertical hill to get out of the rice terraces, clutching at roots to pull themselves up!!  (It was after this that we agreed that camping was not for us!!) 

Next up was the river rafting.  Jackson joined the group, while I sat out and continued to calm my nerves.  He had a blast!  This is his favorite part of camping at Caldera.  While they were out, the sunny skies turned black and then opened up on us.  We were in for a wet weekend!

We managed to learn some new things and worked on our adventures.  The Webelos worked on Into the Woods and some of the activities for the World Conservation Award.  It was pouring cats and dogs at dinner time.  Working on the Castaway adventure, the goal was for the kids to make two recipes without using pots/pans.  The plan was for them to build a fire and cook pizza breads in foil and hard-boiled eggs in paper cups over their fire.  The rain put a damper on the kids starting a fire to cook their food, so we attempted to make the pizzas on a camp stove.  Although the pizza breads were wrapped in heavy duty foil, the blast from the camp stove was too much.  The foil melted and the pizza tasted like fuel.  Luckily, there were enough hot dogs for everyone! 

There was enough of a pause in the rain that we did have a bonfire after dinner – and as the Caldera Team was setting up the bonfire, the Webelos set out to build a fire without matches.  It was amazing to watch as they each took turns using cotton balls and string, toilet paper rolls, a flint and striker, and magnesium to light their own fires!  After safely extinguishing the Webelos fires, we joined the group and enjoyed s’mores, watched the Boy Scouts perform a few skits, and then performed our own.

Thankfully, Jackson was exhausted and was able to fall asleep.  I lay in the sweltering damp tent, thinking about the large spider the size of my hand that I saw in the dining hut and the 12-inch centipede that was in the bathroom and sent Facebook messages to my dad, complaining about the day.  He told me “sounds like you are making memories!”.  Dad was right.  I tried to look at it from that point of view and tried to get some rest. 

The next day, it was still raining.  Everyone was ready to go home.  We were standing by in hopes of getting cleared to do the Flying Fox (zipline).  It was not to be, so we packed up camp and headed home – hot, wet, muddy, exhausted – memories made.