Camping Archives - Letterbox on the Lane

Cub Scout Camping – May 2024 – Desa Laguna

Our outgoing Cubmaster wanted to have THREE camping trips this year instead of the typical two. Although Jackson and I agreed that we would not be going on another camping trip, there were lots of Cub Scout adventures to be earned on this trip – we couldn’t miss out! So, after Portibi Farms and Caldera – we set off again for the eco resort called Desa Laguna in the Thousand Islands chain about an hour and a half speed boat ride outside of Jakarta. (Click here to read about last year’s trip.)

The trip to Ancol marina was an adventure in itself! We left home at 6:00am. There was no traffic, so we made really good time. That was in our favor, as the taxi driver drove in circles before finally getting to our destination. We arrived at pier 16 and boarded our speed boat to the Thousand Islands at 7:00am.

The boat ride to Desa Laguna this year was a bit less choppy than last year, and we received a warm welcome upon arrival.

There was a bungalow available this year, right on the water, and it had our name on it! The views were amazing. Waking up to the sound of the ocean waves, and then rolling out of bed and walking a few steps to wade in the surf was heaven. I do have to mention the trash that was everywhere…floating on the water. It was such a shame. The island worked hard to pick up the trash that came ashore, but the trash was everywhere in the water. Flip flops, water bottles…

The kids had a blast taking over the island. Running wild and free. They barely noticed that they were learning and earning Cub Scout adventures! The Webelos planted corals and mangroves, worked on Earth Rocks, Building a Better World, and Into the Wild. We made s’mores around the campfire, went fishing, and the kids spent hours taking turns pushing around a wheelbarrow!

Jackson was exhausted at bedtime, but after his run-in with the hermit crabs in the shower, he was ready to go home. I talked him into putting his shower shoes on, and he managed to survive the outdoor shower.

It was a great overnight camping trip, but so hot and humid. I’m not sure who squealed loudest when we boarded the boat with air conditioning – the kids or the parents!!

Making more memories – we look forward to going again next year!

Cub Scouts, LIFE, TRAVEL

Cub Scout Camping – Caldera – February 2024

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!

Altoids tin filled with Band-Aids and Neosporin — I had to pull out the first aid kit, and bandage up a Boy Scout.

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.

FOOD, LIFE, LOVE, TRAVEL

Cub Scout Camping at Lodges Ekologika – Portibi Farms in West Java

Another campout with the cub scouts is in the books.

We departed around 6:00am Saturday morning and traveled by hired bus for about 1.5 hours to the Lodges Ekologika – Portibi Farms in West Java. http://portibi.com/

When we arrived, we dropped our bags in our respective bungalows, huts, and tents and then enjoyed a light breakfast of bagels, toast, banana bread, fresh fruit, etc. We filled our tummies and then headed off on a hike. The Webelos scouts recited their Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace principles.

Bungalow en suite at Portibi Farms, Indonesia

After the hike, we had lunch – enjoying many of the delicacies of the farm. Lots of fresh salads, local specialties, hot soup, and beef tenderloin sandwiches.

People serving themselves from a lunch buffet of sandwiches and soup.

Then, the kids moved on to a lesson in first aide, before heading down the hill to do some farming.

They discovered that cinnamon grows on TREES! They harvested lettuce, nutmeg, rosemary, cassava. I understand there was also a bit of fighting over whose turn it was to fertilize the plants with goat poop! While the kids were farming, the adults had afternoon tea – Indonesian farm style. Lots of hot tea and fried snacks – like fried bananas – and we had fresh fruits like watermelon, honeydew, and orange slices.

Cassava is also known as yuca or manioc, Cassava is a type of root vegetable that is high on vitamin C. It can be boiled, fried, grated, or pureed.

When the kids returned, the Webelos had a cooking lesson – peeling, chopping, and boiling their cassava. While dinner was cooking – and to keep the kids out of the rain that had started – it was time for some art practice. The Webelos needed to create two self-portraits – using two different mediums. All the kids joined in and we did pencil drawings with colored pencils and then paintings with water based acrylic paints. It was so much fun to see all of the kids sitting together and showing off their creativity. We had to stop at 5:00pm, so dinner could be set up, but I think some of the kids would have been happy to keep on creating.

At 6pm, we had a lovely dinner of beef tenderloin, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes made with purple ‘sweet potatoes’. We topped them with some butter and pesto! We had French fries made with the purple sweet potatoes, and delicious salads.

Of course, it would not be a cub scout campout without a bonfire and s’mores. So, after dinner, we went in search of the bonfire. It was at the very bottom of the hill. We had to navigate our way down a narrow path lined with stepping stones, and it was getting quite dark. Luckily, we had our flashlights and (battery operated) lanterns. The kids enjoyed roasting their marshmallows and lining up for mini chocolate bars and graham crackers to make s’mores. What a fun-filled day. We all wound our way back up the mountain to find our beds. Jackson and I were lucky to have a shower (with hot water!) in our bungalow. However, another mom was in a ‘hut’, and although she was dripping sweat from climbing the mountain in the heat and humidity, she did not want to venture out in the dark to the shared shower room, so she used her fan to cool off before drifting off to sleep. (I think we are all glad to be back to ‘civilization’!!)

Sunday morning included a lovely breakfast of mini waffles, eggs, bagels, and some local favorites such as Nasi Goreng (fried rice). The kids learned to tie square knots and then we packed up and headed home.

We had loads of fun and made new friends.

LIFE, TRAVEL

Desa Laguna Camping

Our second camping trip with the Cub Scouts was much more our speed.

We arrived by speed boat. It was an hour and a half trip, and the last part of it was wild! The water in the Java Sea was a bit rough. The boat hit the white caps, and we sailed into the air, and then landed hard. Over and over again. My head was pounding by the time we arrived.

We were greeted with cold drinks and snacks such as sandwiches and tropical fruit, and then we took a quick tour of the island and found our assigned tents. The tent was right on the water – with beautiful views. We were in a ‘glamping’ tent, so the tent was raised off the ground on a wooden platform. We had mattresses and little tables inside the tent. (I put my glasses on the table this time, so I didn’t step on them in the middle of the night!) We also had a ‘power brick’ that kept a fan running all night. I was also able to use it to charge my phone and camera batteries.

This was an eco-adventure and the kids did a beach clean up and planted mangrove trees to help the environment. But mostly, they just played in the sand. The island was small enough to let the kids run around. They also went fishing, they found crabs, played with sticks, and went paddleboarding and snorkeling. They earned their whittling chip and Bear Claws adventure. We even had another bonfire and roasted marshmallows. Jackson loved roasting them and then turning them into s’mores for me! As we crawled into the tent, we were both feeling pretty good. Neither of us said “I want to go home”. The second day was just as fun and relaxing, but by lunch we were ready to go home.