Dieng, Such An Open Armed!

So, it started when I met Laily and we were destined by uniting us in a same class, so we did massive talks and later I found that we have a quiet similar hobby.

On a hot day in late January, we talked too much and accidentally we thought that going outside sounds perfect. Ding! I remembered that Laily had ever visit an extraordinary place called Dieng, and somehow I felt like thunder against my tummy and I have to go there.

I won’t write about how to get there or what places you can discover there, because Laily had write about it all on her blog. (go there!https://munzilalaily.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/the-extraordinary-dieng/) There are something that really caught my attention beside the fact that we surrounded by om om (what it called? uncle uncle?) along this journey, that is how host there treat us (tourists).

If we turn back the time, then we’ll find that in the 7th century, this place was under the reign of Hindu-Buddhist empire, that is proved with the discovery of several temples around this area. Those are Gatotkaca, Bima, Srikandi, Arjuna, Semar, and others temples that gathered in one huge complex called “Arjuna Temples Complex”. Then it affected to the people’s behavior that really reflect into Hindu-Buddhist cultures and they keep it until nowdays.

That was my first thoughts about them, but then I realized that I was completely wrong.

They keep the cultures, but they don’t reflect it into their daily behavior. I mean, most of the Dieng’s native inhabitants are moslem but the cultures remaining stably hand in hand with their activity as moslem. For example, they don’t believe anymore with Gimbal kids as “Bajang” are the descent of Dieng’s ancestor itself called Ki Ageng Kolodhete, but there still some Bajang kids alive and they considered it just for preserving culture without any beliefs that the kids are the descent of Ki Ageng Kolodhete.

Now, Dieng reincarnate become one of most hunted place to discover not only for Indonesian people but also for foreign tourists.

Of course that all make sense, beside the beauty of golden sunrise or others tourist attractions, Dieng’s native inhabitants are also very kind and friendly typed so I think those are one of factors, we could come back and missing this place.

Why I say so, because I’ve been there and now I’m missing this place.

At a time when me and Laily walked through The Arjuna Temples, we met some natives who want to work on their gardens. They gave us their biggest smile and just say “Hello”, then we asked them “Hey, where would you work? Whether its time to harvest?” and they answered us with laughs while pointing their gardens.

At the other cages, when we want to heading the Sembungan Village, we found another problem. It’s 7 km away from Dieng which that means, we have to order an ojek but our money couldn’t enough.

Luckily, we met Mr. Didin, who happily drove us toward Sembungan Village, even we have to triceng (It called when there are 3 people on a small motorcycle). So we could pay him just half-priced. This is not make sense but yeah, It happened because of him and his kindness.

That was a small piece of our journey which proving the kindness of Dieng’s native inhabitants, there are so many types of their kindness that really inspiring me and make me prouder with my culture as an Indonesian people.

Ah, one more, I really appreciate because when it was almost dusk, I heard Quran verses resound beautifully in Sembungan. That was so beautiful.

Now, I told you how open-armed Dieng is.

Not only the people, but also the nature that make Dieng so special.

(This article were posted by me on tumblr)