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Words by Rachel. Photographs by Bella.
Every once in a while, our imagination wandered to natural sites as enchanting as movies. That’s why we were excited to hear that Taman Hayat’s friend, Bella was able to live this in real life and most importantly, in Indonesia, somewhere we can access ourselves relatively easily.
Bella, a photographer and traveler, had been venturing natural sites for some time but this two-day trip was the first mountain-hiking experience for her.
“I didn’t know what to expect. Physically, it was quite tough because I was not in my fittest shape. I was just thrilled to arrive at the campsite after a couple of hours. Mentally, I had many ‘what-did-I-get-myself-into’ thoughts, but it was a rewarding challenge overall.”
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Fortunately for us, we were graced with ethereal pictures taken on the trip. These photographs of misty skies were taken during and after a light rain halfway through the hike up. Clouds passed by as the group settled into the camping site. For someone who loves rain and mist, like Bella, this was the perfect weather to observe the outdoors, while for the others, it’s a cozy time to rest and relax.
Although lasting for two days, it seems to us that this trip was many seasons with nature. The group experienced a relatively wide spectrum of moods–rain, sunny morning, green trees, yellowing fields, and the dark brown and moss green mystic elegance.
“These were taken on our way down. I thought it couldn’t get any mistier than the day before, but I was wrong. It felt like something straight out of a movie. The trees displayed a mix of dark brown and moss green. I’m sure that if I hadn’t been walking in a group, I would have stayed there a lot longer to snap more pictures.”
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“It felt like something straight out of a movie. The trees displayed a mix of dark brown and moss green. I’m sure that if I hadn’t been walking in a group, I would have stayed there a lot longer to snap more pictures.”
Self-challenge, adventure, and element of mystery were three interesting words Bella used to describe the trip. This journey seems almost like a fairytale for nature seekers–filled with picturesque scenes and discoveries.
In the literal sense, Bella and her group weathered nature by facing rain, sun, coolness, warmth, and humidity.
Reminiscing about her trip to New Zealand, we asked Bella what distinguishes this Prau trip from her other journeys with nature. Among many others, Bella found that this experience became an exploration of her overall fondness for mountain hiking.
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Descending from Mount Prau, Bella can finally say that she had experienced hiking and camping on a mountain. Starting with a mix of excitement and nervousness in approaching this journey, she finally discovered her physical potential and whether or not she’s a “mountain person”.
For these kinds of views, would you hike a mountain? We are blessed with many ways to experience nature and discover within and outside yourself in the great outdoors. Seize the opportunity when you can!
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