I am easily amused. It’s not that I don’t take life seriously, it is that I choose to find things that keep me sane and also give me perspective. One of the things that helps me with perspective is the outdoors. I am an avid hiker and even in Phoenix, AZ where I live, the top thing I will tell you that I love about this place is that there are so many amazing hikes within 30 minutes of my home.

My friend Daniel knows that I am a lover of the outdoors. He decided to invite me to do an eco-tourism trip to the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Going on this trip was an obvious no-brainer because I love coffee and I love the idea of getting to see Indonesia from an outdoor perspective,. I had no idea how amazing this adventure was going to be!

When we got into Bengkulu airport, we found ourselves in a drastically different experience that we did arriving in Jakarta. Jakarta is massive, and you might as well bring something to read or do while you wait in traffic. Bengkulu could not be any more different. It is a much smaller airport, and the pace on Sumatra just seems to be much more laid back.

We had a game plan of collecting our gear and meeting with our tour operator. We then piled into the van that would be our chariot up the mountain and headed out. It was an amazing drive out of the city, and all that I have heard about how beautiful Indonesia is was not an exaggeration by any means of the imagination.

A few hours into our trek, we pulled off the main highway and headed out into the back country. The amazing thing about the tour operator is that they actually house you in the home of a local family in the village. This was one of the most unique experiences I have ever had in my life, and it provided more moments of amusement than I could ever write about.

The first was an introduction to the Indonesian word “mandi.” When we got to the home of our traditional Muslim family, the very first thing we did was sit in the large gathering room with the patriarch of the family. This elderly man came in, sat down, and served us coffee and tea. After we had enjoyed our beverage, he wanted to immediately remind us that while we were in their home, we would be family. His generosity and hospitality were genuine. He then proceeded to ask if we wanted to take a “mandi.” I had no idea what a mandi is, and I wanted to be sure of what a mandi is before offering myself to whatever a mandi was. They explained that it was a traditional bath that they take multiple times a day. I let them know that I was fine and that I didn’t need to take a mandi.

This was where it became hilarious to me, because he then said, “Ok, here is your towel.” He led me to the bath room and I understood that him offering me a mandi was a formality. I was going to take a mandi regardless of what my answer had been.

I walked into the room and there was a place to hang my towel, and a large tub of water that was at least three feet deep. Inside the water were a couple of fish lazily swimming around. To the side there was a scoop that you used to draw water out of the tub and dump over your body. Not heated water…nope. This was straight out of the mountain spring water that was cold enough to take your breath away, and then some. I was definitely cooled off from the bath and awake.

After the bath, we sat down on the floor in their dining area and enjoyed dinner. The plan was hatched that the next day, we would head out in the morning to go on a hike to a local volcano. The eldest grandson and I hit it off and he said that he would be joining us on the hike. He was pretty excited about climbing the volcano, and the plan was set in motion.

The next morning, we grabbed some food, and headed out in the van to the volcano. In all my travels, I had never climbed an active volcano. I was pretty excited to check this one off my list, and I felt like I was prepared with the right gear. I turn around and there was the grandson ready to climb this volcano and he is wearing flip flops and pretty much has a pack of cigarettes and a Gatorade. My internal dialogue was having a heyday.

We started up the trail, and it was a pretty strenuous hike. I compare it to hikes in Phoenix, but the altitude we were at added some extra fun. The grandson and I were about the same weight, and we kept up for the first part of the hike. But volcanos get steeper the higher up you go. Whenever he needed to stop and take a break to catch his breath, he would also grab a smoke.

He eventually told me to go on ahead. I asked him if he was going to make it, and he assured me that he was fine. And so I continued to make my climb to the top, and up the stair stepper max push to the top. The view from the top was amazing! I was not only breathtaking to look out, it was awesome to see the steam jetting up from the basin of the volcano crater.

The best view was as the grandson, in flip flops and smoking a cigarette, crested the top of the crater. He had made it. I am not sure how, but he had made an already strenuous hike into a whole new level of exertion. Needless to say, I shared my lunch with him as a reward!

I look back on that hike and the thing I keep coming back to was the beauty of human connection. The guy didn’t care if he had the appropriate footwear to do this hike, he just wanted time together. The most amazing part of Indonesian culture that I most appreciate is that in their minds, we had a family excursion that day hiking the volcano. The specialness of that moment on the top of the volcano is what I remember when I look back on the photo from that day. As well as the bath that I took after we got back to the home…

The amazing thing about eco-tourism is that you get to see a different side of the place you visit, and maybe even get to experience life as a native. These experiences are priceless, and in many ways allow for powerful moments of human connection. I traveled with Wild Sumatra Tours. I felt like the experience with them from start to finish was top notch, and gave me the best memories I have of Indonesia. They arranged all the transfers, gear, food and customized our itineraries with what experiences we were most interested in. You also get the satisfaction that, because they are community-based eco-tourism, that you are also giving back to the communities you are visiting.