I also ran out of drinking water, but luckily had my Lifestraw with me, filled up a bottle with probably pure rainwater, but to be on the safe side, still filtered it.
Day 3: Yogosem, trying to find Syokosimo, ending up having very long day and going back to Kurima.
I suggest starting as early as possible, with the sunrise – then you have time to make changes in your plan, if you fail to find a location or get lost, as I did.
“Yogosem is remote village, far from civilization, mobile service or electricity – They do collect solar energy, but it will last only a few hours, to light their huts.”
Day starts with backtracking all the way to Hitugi, but it is easier this way around . Sun was shining the whole day, which also motivated me a lot – In the other hand I didn’t had any sunscreen, so I burnt my face and hands pretty bad. It is wise to have a strong sunscreen at this elevation!
At some point (shown on the map – locals guided me) when backtracking your way through Hitugi, you have to take a left turn – Walk down a really steep hillside and cross a river, to find your way to illusive Syokosimo. I was already getting tired and couldn’t find the right way in the mud. I must have been on the right path, but made a decision to start moving toward Kurima from different route and find a sleeping arrangement on the way. In these situations you have to trust your gut instinct.
The problem taking alternative route was, that there weren’t almost any villages on it. The one I found, people didn’t understood me (even Indonesian), although I talked about food and sleeping. Not to be mean, but I guess the lady might have been little bit cuckoo – and she also took my valuable peanuts bag (misunderstanding).
Road back this way takes you through many steep ascends and descends, through waterfalls and rough roads. Some of the pathways are really bad and ruined by landslides and rain. This was the worst way to walk after already hiked 5-6 hours. I also ran out of drinking water, but luckily had my Lifestraw with me, filled up a bottle with probably pure rainwater, but to be on the safe side, still filtered it.
In the end with the help of few small kids, who held my hands and directed me to correct route, I found the already familiar final few kilometers to Kurima. All together I walked approximately 8 hours and 20+ kilometers this day – yes, my legs did hurt little bit next day 🙂
In Kurima you can get a little bit more modern accommodation, just near to military post. They had laptops and more electricity. You get food and nice room to sleep, also for 100 000 rupiah.