Baduy, Trips With a Know Your Local Culture
PLACE has always been a prominent tourist destination for a vacation. For those of you who
like to travel, try a trip to the Baduy village Cibeo In, Banten.
Cibeo village is one of three villages in Baduy Inside (Baduy Kajeroan). Cibeo addition, there
is still a village and Village Cikartawana Cikeusik. Located approximately 120 kilometers
from Jakarta, the villages that still maintain strict customs.
Baduy villages situated at an altitude of 500-1200 meters above sea level and located in the
Mountains Kendeng which is Ciujung River headwaters.
Ciboleger Village, District Leuwidamar, Lebak District, Banten Province, is a Baduy tour
terminal, which opened in 1992 and the last place the vehicle is allowed to enter.
The main entrance to the Baduy inside the Baduy village in the Outer Kanekes. Keter Kadu
village pathways may also be tried because the mileage would be faster to Kampung
Cibeo. Return we can try another route that the distance is doubled by passing more
villages, namely Cipaler, Gajeboh, Babakan Marengo, and Babakan Balingbing.
Or conversely, begin the journey of the last terminal, Ciboleger. This path will go through
Ketug Kadu village, Babakan Balingbing, Babakan Marengo, Gazeboh, and Cipaler, Cibeo
new entry. Given the long journey, it is advisable to rest in the village closest to the border
between the Baduy inside and Baduy Outside , which is Babakan Balingbing, Marengo, or
Gajeboh. The distance to get to Gajeboh takes 1 hour 30 minutes with a very relaxing trip.
I always chose the village as a resort Balingbing first. In addition only 45 minutes away from
the terminal, one of the residents in this village, Kang Sarpin, have a big house and a
bathroom plus a water closet (by local custom, actually building a bathroom and WC is
forbidden!). The trip to Cibeo continued the next day.
After taking a five-hour drive through the trail across the hills, rivers, and several Baduy
settlements Outsider, we arrived at Kampung Cibeo. Delimiter is entered Kampung Cibeo
tassel tied around the big tree. Entering the area means that any restrictions imposed
customs, prohibition of photographing one of them.
There are 90 houses on stilts or thatched suhunan lined up face to face with the same
shape. Factory-made iron nails and never used, all suhunan simply tied with a bamboo
fibers or dipasak. Glasses and buckets were made of bamboo. There are no dishes in this
village. Bedouin society in the only allowed to use a bowl.
Baduy society, which has the confidence Wiwitan Sunda, is known a simple philosophy,
"pondok teu meunang disambung, lojor teu meunang dipotong" (which must not be spliced
short and long must not be cut). Meaning, the Baduy are essentially receiving nature as it is.
Baduy society has become a symbol of simplicity and honesty. Building a very simple house,
the clothes they wear, the food they eat and together they built no more than a form of
gratitude to god for what they receive from the Almighty.
No television, no phone (especially cell phones!), No Internet, no electronic equipment or
anything that smells of modernity. In Bedouin society is only possible using household tools
that have been regulated by custom, of which glass to drink is made from bamboo, a bucket
to transport water-also made of bamboo. They cooked with traditional fireplace, with boiler
and steamer, and many more that distinguishes them from modern life.
Clothes they wear are not factory produced, but sewn by hand. Cain is also the result
instead of weaving his own pants. The Bedouins are generally uniform in dress: wearing a
white shirt and blue cloth with a white headband (for men) and bracelets made from tree
roots as the starting rope reinforcements (calamity deterrent). And none of them are using
sandals as footwear.
Daily life Bedouins spent much of the field, especially by the women. But not many of them
planted. Only rice and several kinds of fruit trees that are allowed by custom only, one of
which tubers and fruit durian.
In addition to the fields, Bedouin men spend more time with making handicrafts such as
bags, bracelets starting reinforcements, accessories made of woven bark. Most of them
went into the woods looking for bees to make honey or make palm wine (red sugar). Do not
ask what it is like honey in the Baduy, steady guaranteed!
In his spare time Baduy women weave cloth sarong or shawl. This scene can only be found
at the time of waiting for the harvest or planting season was over. From spinning yarn to
weaving done by women in the Baduy community terrace house.
Once finished, Baduy scarves and gloves are offered to travelers. The price varies between
25,000 to 30,000. With more materials, woven fabric glove offered at a typical Baduy
Rp70.000. The price was not expensive at all. Understandably, chemicals to dye yarn
obtained from the city, and the fare to the city for them is quite expensive. Work on cloth
shawl, let alone her wrapper, it takes time for approximately two weeks.
Not just what they wear is governed by custom, the hair until their homes were
determined.Men's hair should not be in the Bedouins and their heads cut off any special
cloth must be tied. Their house must stand upright parallel without windows.
They do not eat any food. They planted rice must be organic (without fertilizer). All plants
Baduy do not use fertilizers. Cattle are allowed to eat Baduy people just chicken. In any
traditional ceremonies such as weddings, birth, circumcision, until death, the chicken into the
main dish.
Three Days Kawaluh
Chickens and eggs were treated differently at the time Kawaluh. Within a year, according to
the pattern of their calendar, there are three particular month which they call the holy
month. Each day one of their three months of this special use for fast, including abstaining
from eating chicken and eggs. Day and date indeterminate, depending on the instructions
indigenous elders. That Kawaluh.
Kawaluh not as complicated as the rules of fasting Muslims during Ramadan, for
example.They fasted from morning till evening on certain days and only forbidden to eat their
main foods: chicken and eggs. Rules on other foods remain in effect. Chickens and eggs are
special rules for special days and special month for them.
On the third day of fasting in the holy month of it all becomes clear. At the time of breaking
fast Kawaluh third day of fasting is required precisely Baduys eat chickens and eggs.We
also learned that chicken and eggs will become the main menu at the top as well as the
closure of the holy month Kawaluh.
In a variety of beliefs, food, drink, or something fun should dipantang at certain moments as
a path to holiness. In the various beliefs also exist when humans celebrate certain days that
are considered important. These two things together in Kawaluh with chicken and eggs.
Outer Baduy
Outer Baduy basically have custom rules that are not much different from the Baduy
inside. Only the rules here a little more loose.
Foreign Baduy children are now allowed to wear jeans, t-shirts, and sandals like city
kids. Social networks like Facebook is also well known. That is, the modern culture that had
been enjoyed by people of the city has begun to be felt by the Outer Baduy. Mobile phones,
radios, shorts, shirts, sandals are now becoming a trend of young Baduy.
However, the customs which they believe is still strong in their daily lives. The building
houses made of wood and bamboo and large furnaces have not changed. The simplicity and
togetherness they have not changed much.
Sarpin, father of two children of Kampung Balingbing, Outer Baduy, deliberately building a
house with a huge size to provide the travelers who want to enjoy a life of Bedouins without
pay a dime. Not only that, Sarpin also built two bathrooms available to the public in his
backyard.
The travelers who will lead Bedouin In general, stopped one night in the Bedouin village of
Foreign Gajeboh, Babakan Marengo, or Balingbing. For those who are not used to go to the
river and in need of a decent bathroom can only meet the basic needs in the bathroom
residence of Kang Sarpin.
Reading & Writing
Baduys are not allowed by custom to get an education from the school. Baduys children
educated from childhood to farming. It was evident from their game, ngasek paddy
(rice).These games need a compactness and accuracy in the division of roles. Some boys
with a wooden peg soil and girls to spread his seed. Some other boys accompany this
playing with angklung music and drums.
They only hear and see. Even so, some Baduys could read, write, and arithmetic
(calistung). If they insist on formal education, they are required to leave the customs and of
course had to get out of the Baduy residents.
Perhaps because of the customary prohibition, just high enough interest in their learning.Any
newcomers (local tourists) they enthusiastically ask even taught to write and read to learn a
foreign language (English).
Mulyono one of them, young men aged 16 years this responsibility has a tremendous
interest to learn English. Throughout my experience to the Baduy in (Cibeo), Mulyono not
infrequently asked the question with the English language being learned.
Mulyono is one example of Baduy Foreign citizens who break the paradigm that does not
mean that no school can not read and write.
Magical and Tombs
When the eve of the Baduy villages in total darkness. No lamp, no kerosene lamp, torch,
especially fluorescent lights. Baduy community is not allowed to use the energy gained by
such advanced electricity. They also do not want any fires in the village. Therefore they
chose bergelap darkness at night.
With the strict custom rules, with a quiet village, dark night becomes magical. Magical
atmosphere definitely ready to attack any who visited the Baduy, especially at night. It feels
just like magic we find in a spooky cemetery, which is often depicted by the films of national
as forming the atmosphere of horror.
With the modern perception and tend to have misconceptions, I then asked the local
residents, the location of the cemetery where Baduy people who have died?
"No," replied my travel companion. Of course this is surprising.
"Burned?" Chase me.
"The people who died were buried in the family fields respectively. But when the seven days
have passed, the cemetery was again allowed us though. We used to cultivate plants that
we grow in the fields. "
The answer was convincing because it proved during the day I can not find the cemetery
complex as settlements in other places. It seems they are well aware that the birth, life, and
death is a natural cycle that does not need to be bothered, "What should not be short-jointed
and the length should not be cut." It's simple.
The proof, without even their graves still magical. Quite simply they remain resilient.
Towards Baduy
How to Baduy? It's easy. For those of you who have a personal vehicle is recommended
through the Jakarta-Merak toll, exit east and pass through toll Attack Attack the City to
Rangkasbitung. Private cars can be entrusted to local residents in Kampung Ciboleger last
terminal.
Users should use the public transport rail-Rangkasbitung purpose Tanah Abang. For this
department the price of economy class train ticket Rp2.000, economy class express
Rp4.000. This train journey takes two hours. From the train station to the terminal Aweh,
using public transport in red with the cost Rp3.000.
From the terminal Aweh Ciboleger need time to travel for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes,
depending on vehicle speed. Tariffs imposed any different, depending much or at least the
passengers. The lowest price Rp13.000, when full of passengers; prices can change into
Rp15.000 to 25,000 disesuakan by the number of passengers. Also, public transport is
operating at 5 am to 3 pm only.
Arriving at Ciboleger, you should see Lurah or Jaro Daenah to sign the guest book for
visitors. If you arrive late at night and do not wish to continue the journey, Baduys with
facilities providing shelter spurious. It could also stay at home eating only one in Ciboleger,
Yati Mother restaurant, also with spurious facilities and voluntary fees.
But if you still continue the journey, you meet Baduys with volunteer will assist a porter.They
will bring your luggage to your destination with minimum commision.
Usually travelers will choose Gajeboh Village as the first port of call for this ward is the last
village that borders the Baduy inside and Baduy Outside, only separated by a river and
suspension bridge made of bamboo. But not a few travelers who choose to stop at
Balingbing Vilage. Given this village is the first village encountered after traveling
approximately one hour on foot from Ciboleger.