Kerinci Seblat National Park-Kajo Aro

Kerinci Seblat is one of the biggest national parks in Indonesia and the biggest in Sumatra,it covers an area of 1200 square Km;home to Sumatran Rhino,Sumatran tiger,Sumatran elephant,bears,tapirs,dears and many species of birds;kerinci sprawls through four provinces making it sumatra largest national park;it has a magnificent scenery dominated by volcanoes,lakes,deep jungles,rivers,waterfalls
Kajo Aro is an area of Kerinci,is the first place you encounter when driving from Padang to Sungai Penuh;it is a vast tea state plnatation and cinammon trees at the foot of Kerinci volcanoe;there are two main hamlets that I have been to in this area,Pelompek and Kersik Tuo

Kersik Tuo has a good array of homestays to overnight and Pelompek just 20 minutes drive from Kersik Tuo is the main entry to go up the Lake Gunung Tujuh,the fresh water lake at more hight in all south east asia;it is a 5 hours walk inside the rainforest and uphill;itids located at 2200 meters from sea level;it is an authentic eden;the sensation of peace there is something out of this world

Kajo Aro is the perfect place to spend 1 week just to relax and surrounded by incredible nature  

This a waterfall at the foot of the lake Gunung Tujuh 

Behind that ridges is Gunung Tujuh lake

This is the road from Padang Aro to Kajo Aro

This is what remains from a Amorphophallus Titanum flower;it reaches when in full bloom almost 3 meters high the flower

Another Amorphophallus Titanum;we were not lucky this day as this flower was just finished blooming a couple of days ago

The road to where the Amorphophallus flower grows

Waterfall on the way to Kajo Aro

Here we get some delicious Padang food;that is Om Jon our driver and my good friend Dally

This is Minangkabau palace owned by Ibu Ross;she says she is realtive from the old king Adityawarman from Pagaruyung

Some bautiful scenery fulll of cinammon trees;the ones with red leafes

Our room in Kersik Tuo

Incredible lake gunung tujuh

After 5 hours trekking we arrive to paradise

On the way up to lake gunung tujuh

Behinh that mountains is gunung tujuh lake

A Chamaleon we saw on a bushes

This was Andika,one of the few fishermen that lives by the lake;once a week they go down to the vilage to sell their caughts;unfortunatelly he was die a year ago Andika;Rest in peace 

On the way up

Some of the flora we saw on the forest on the way up the lake

That was Pak Ahmad,our guide

First sight of the lake when arrive at the top after 5 hours trek 

24 December 2011 Travel to Kinali

On the 24 December 2011 I decided to
acompany my nephew Fandi and his friends to Kinali,Northeast of Padang in the regency of West Pasaman;we went to his friend Jon parents house;they own a palm oil plantation there,several hectares of plantation;they sell the palm fruit to local factories that manufacture the oil
We used a Toyota Kijang from my wife's uncle and I drove from Padang to Pariahman for around 2 hours;then once inside Pariahman some local police saw me driving;they stopped
me and asked for my license;I showed them my International license but they
keep telling It was in english and they did not understood;after a while of arguing with them they let us go not after giving them Rp 50,000(around 5$)
So if you are a Bule(westerner) better do not drive in Indonesia
After that we departed again for Kinali
on a 2 hours more drive but this time my nephew driving the car

This is the road from Pariahman to Kinali and full of Palm Oil plantations on both sides of the road

One of my friend sister's

Palm Oil fruits ready to send to the factory

This is my friend's plantation with his parent's house at the bottom

My nephew and his friends Ilham and Audi,they are all agrobusiness students at  Andalas university

My friend's sister with her baby

Then we take a cup of tea with watermelon

Finally we got some delicious river fish cooked at Pariahman style

After lunch we decided to go to the river to take some pictures;this is the small pathway to the river and this motorbikes are special to bring palm oil fruits through the small roads through the plantations

An incredible place at the foot of Pasaman mountain 

Finally what a bad luck for me;I slipped over a musk rock and fell down on the  rocks that can be seen here
on the right side of the river;I broken my right humeral head and had a big cut on the forehead

The last photograph I took that day before fell down

On the way to find a hospital

Finally in the hospital Rumah Sakit Jamil they told me I had a humeral head fracture,a fours pieces fracture and need operation and pins insertion to join the pieces;I was really worried,I had an insurance that cover all expenses but I decided to go to a traditional healer called Singsei(chinese traditional medicine man);his name was Om Sinyo and he was known to heal broken bones,even doctors consultation him;he told me not to do operation;he treated me with some plasters on my shoulder and massages;after a few days I went back to orthopedist to hospital and he told me i would not be able to lift my arm higher than my ears if not make operation before 15 days are passed;at the end I decided to follow the tradtional healer and after 1 month and a halve I was lifting my arm almost completely;I do not mean anyone in medical needing not to go to hospital but this was what I decided
Nowadays almost one year later my arm is almost fully recovered with just a few degrees lost of lifting

Bukittinggi part II

This is a view from the window of The Hills hotel in Bukittinggi;we can see the Singgalang Mountain,a dormant volcanor with an elevation of 2877 meters
There are 2 lakes at the summit, named Dewi (Goddess) and Kumbang (Beetle)
In front of the volcanoe we can see Ngarai Sianok canyon that leads to Koto Gadang,a small hamlet known for it's silversmiths at the Singgalang foot

Jam Gadang clocktower,the emblema of city of Bukittinggi

 It is located in the centre of the city, near the main market, Pasar Atas, and is a tourist attraction
 The structure was built in 1926 during the Dutch colonial era, as a gift from the Queen to city's controleur. It was designed by architects Yazin and Sutan Gigi Ameh. Originally a rooster figure was placed on the apex, but it was changed into a Jinja-like ornament during the Japanese ocuppation. Following Indonesian independence, it was reshaped to its present form resembling traditional Minangakabau roofs.

Maninjau Lake view from Matur

 Lake Maninjau has an area of 99.5 km², being approximately 16 km long and 7 km wide. The average depth is 105 m, with a maximum depth of 165 m. The natural outlet for excess water is the Antokan river, located on the west side of the lake. It is the only lake in Sumatra which has a natural outlet to the west coast. Since 1983 this water has been used to generate hydroelectric power for West Sumatra, generated around 68 MW at maximum load.

Most of the people who live around Lake Maninjau are ethnically Minangkabau. Villages on the shores of the lake include Maninjau and Bayur.

Maninjau is a notable tourist destination in the region due to its scenic beauty and mild climate. It is also used as a site for paragliding.

A small isle in the center of Maninjau Lake

Maninjau lake view from the winding road going down to the lake,from the 44 pin

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Rafflesia Arnoldii in Palupuh village;the flower is parasitic and stems off a type of vine tree that we can see also in this picture

Upstairs Ngarai Sianok canyon there are gardens and park full of monkeys like this one

Panther in Bukittinggi zoo;native from Sumatra

One busy street in Bukittinggi

Raffelsia Arnoldii again in Palupuh;a hamlet just 30 minutes from Bukittinggi on the road to Bonjol

This is Palupuh a small valley;on the jungles that surrounding this ricefields grows  many rafflesias

Going down to the lake Maninjau

Along the road that circles the lake

This a Civet or Luwak,the animal who eats the coffe beans and then defecate them and from that is made kopi luwak,the most expensive coffe in the world