I have a friend in college who was born in Lahat. That’s the first and only time someone had mentioned such a name but it made me curious enough to visit the town. A young driver told me that there’s a school for elephants (even before they are taken to Way Kambas in Lampung), a train museum and the biggest train workshop in South Sumatera. The fact that the place is on the other side of Bukit Jempol (I won’t translate this into ‘Thumb Hill’ simply because it’ll remind me of the children story that I used to tell my students in my school ‘Tom Thumb’) is just another perk.
We were a bit hopeless earlier that morning because when I called the car pool, there wasn’t any car left for us to use. We thought we were not meant to leave because we both actually have severe colds and we could get some rest instead. But, surprise! We finally got ourselves a car and we’re on our way.
It took us about one and a half hour before we reach the place. ‘Duku’ and durian trees, and of course Bukit Jempol, accompanied our journey.
When we reached the gate of that elephant school, the driver told us that the school had already closed due to financial problem. Too bad. Strike one.
We continued the trip and went to a place by the river. It’s for youngsters of Lahat to meet friends or chat with their spouses. For me, it doesn’t make sense since the roof of it is made of aluminum. It’s gotta be hot in there – in the aluminum café. :-)
Next stop was the train company. The security wouldn’t let us in unless it’s weekday and we have the document for permission. We left the place feeling disappointed. Strike two.
We went to the traditional market before we came to this small restaurant which is famous among Lahat people. It’s just enough for 25 people and it was half full when we entered. Five minutes after we came, many came to dine but only some were lucky enough to get themselves some seats.
Off we left the restaurant, pak Kusri (the driver) took us to Karang Atas where people usually have ‘jagung bakar’ (grilled corn on the cob). We were actually quite full from all of that food in Lahat, but we somehow managed to finish a portion of that salty-hot-spicy-sweet corn on the cob. Talk about the mood for food…. Hahahaha…..
After fifteen minutes, we decided to go back to Tanjung Enim because we wanted to visit the mine. We saw a durian seller on the way to Lahat in the earlier morning and the idea of eating durian was so tempting. The driver then took us to the place where we had seen the small hut of durian, and…. nobody and nothing (the durians) were there. Strike three. *ahhhh
We sadly drove away, thinking there was no hope for durian whatsoever, until…..
There’s a durian seller by the side of the road, another small hut about two kilometers away after the hut we had dropped by. It was not occupied in the morning so finding it was a big surprise for us. My friend shouted and a gesture of what I thought was jumping in her seat. Hehehe. The price of the durians was still quite expensive, Rp 35.000 for 4 durians. It didn’t matter much, though. The idea of a durian party was enough to make us didn’t think much about the price.
So? The final score of the day was just two strikes. Out of so many attractions to visit, two strikes didn’t mean much, right?
We were a bit hopeless earlier that morning because when I called the car pool, there wasn’t any car left for us to use. We thought we were not meant to leave because we both actually have severe colds and we could get some rest instead. But, surprise! We finally got ourselves a car and we’re on our way.
It took us about one and a half hour before we reach the place. ‘Duku’ and durian trees, and of course Bukit Jempol, accompanied our journey.
When we reached the gate of that elephant school, the driver told us that the school had already closed due to financial problem. Too bad. Strike one.
We continued the trip and went to a place by the river. It’s for youngsters of Lahat to meet friends or chat with their spouses. For me, it doesn’t make sense since the roof of it is made of aluminum. It’s gotta be hot in there – in the aluminum café. :-)
Next stop was the train company. The security wouldn’t let us in unless it’s weekday and we have the document for permission. We left the place feeling disappointed. Strike two.
We went to the traditional market before we came to this small restaurant which is famous among Lahat people. It’s just enough for 25 people and it was half full when we entered. Five minutes after we came, many came to dine but only some were lucky enough to get themselves some seats.
Off we left the restaurant, pak Kusri (the driver) took us to Karang Atas where people usually have ‘jagung bakar’ (grilled corn on the cob). We were actually quite full from all of that food in Lahat, but we somehow managed to finish a portion of that salty-hot-spicy-sweet corn on the cob. Talk about the mood for food…. Hahahaha…..
After fifteen minutes, we decided to go back to Tanjung Enim because we wanted to visit the mine. We saw a durian seller on the way to Lahat in the earlier morning and the idea of eating durian was so tempting. The driver then took us to the place where we had seen the small hut of durian, and…. nobody and nothing (the durians) were there. Strike three. *ahhhh
We sadly drove away, thinking there was no hope for durian whatsoever, until…..
There’s a durian seller by the side of the road, another small hut about two kilometers away after the hut we had dropped by. It was not occupied in the morning so finding it was a big surprise for us. My friend shouted and a gesture of what I thought was jumping in her seat. Hehehe. The price of the durians was still quite expensive, Rp 35.000 for 4 durians. It didn’t matter much, though. The idea of a durian party was enough to make us didn’t think much about the price.
So? The final score of the day was just two strikes. Out of so many attractions to visit, two strikes didn’t mean much, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment