Inspiring Indonesia: Part One

Indeed…it has been quite some time. Life has been tumultuous, with plenty of joy, sorrow, struggle, triumph, and plenty of coffee. Coffee is the stagnant pulse through my veins, my soul, and the ground upon which I trot. And here I am…two years later still feeling this unrequited passion for the beloved beverage.

After a reflective year and a half, I was gifted the opportunity to visit Indonesia, the fourth-leading coffee producing country in the world, for a grand adventure. I felt so lucky to board the plane, I first arrived in Singapore where I indulged in a variety of beautiful specialty shops (Apartment, Homegrown), ate plenty of food at Hawker Centers, and departed to the lush archipelago to the east.

I first arrived in Medan - the bustling metropolis of Sumatra. I was greeted by a large coffee estate representative and the rest of the day included plenty of driving, talking, coffee, and some fried rice in the mountains. We arrived at the coffee estate as the rains arrived and the sun set. I saw baby coffee saplings, fighting to live and become trees. I fell asleep in the staff quarters, awoken twice by flying cockroaches, only to awake in the morning feeling somewhat rested.

After a breakfast of fruit and coffee (normally nasi goreng - fried rice with egg - is eaten for breakfast), an agronomist guided me through my first coffee trees in Indonesia - so many varietals, so many sizes and strange pruning methods. The trees looked like willows. But I loved being with these wondrous trees again.

I bid them farewell, and headed to Lintong with another crew who collected me at a busy junction. The roads were filled with street vendors, motorbikes, women wearing hijabs, and plenty of glistening mosques. I learned so much about the Muslim culture, and grew to respect the kind people. We met with a coffee collector, Antonar, who showed us his facilities and guided us around a couple of the farms he works with. The producers were not on the farms, as it was late and they do not live on their farms. It was a strange turn of the day…coffee felt less like a passion and more like a business here. His wife later brewed us coffee as we talked in his home. We then feasted on tofu and vegetables at a local restaurant then off to bed in a cockroach-free hotel.

Sinaga and Semguntak’s farm, Lintong, Sumatra

The morning was warm, I avoided the hotel coffee but craved some pisang, or bananas. My hosts were kind, and we listened to music together in the car. We met with another collector whom I actually recently wrote an article about. His name was Charles and he had so much energy! His wife ran a photo business, so we met him at their home/storefront. We sipped on coffee as he excitedly talked about coffee and the history of Lintong. A short car ride to visit a farm, where a lovely couple greeted us, Sinaga and Semguntak. They were working tirelessly in the fields and gave us a small tour of their compact farm that was once a rice field. Coffee was proving to be more profitable, and the lush trees were teeming with potential.

A quick visit to Charles’ facilities, where we met his staff who had some exotic bird in a cage (wow) and off to lunch. I sipped on some juice as we all talked (I merely listened as they spoke in their native tongue). Charles requested that I invite him to my wedding. I agreed…but I knew this event would not occur for some time.

The drive back to Medan thus ensued. I was tired, but from what?! Just sitting and riding around, talking, and looking at coffee. We passed by Lake Toba, the largest freshwater lake in Indonesia, where the Batak people live. We were also greeted by hungry monkeys. The sun began to set, and I wondered about coffee and this unusual place. Back in Medan (finally) and I rested in my too nice hotel.

I was collected in the morning by a kind woman I had been speaking to for nearly a year in my work. She was so sweet and wonderful. I met another man who was the lead Q-grader for the exporting office I was visiting. Our morning included a beautiful cupping of Sumatran coffees, some from Lintong (they tasted citrusy like Kenyans) and some others from throughout the region. We hopped in the car again (joy) for the lengthy journey to Aceh (ten hours…). Aceh was a region known for coffee and for being Sharia Law. We were traveling to Takengon, a village in the Gayo region. I had tasted Gayo coffee earlier, and I was eager to see where it was grown.

At first…I was shy and nervous to talk to this quite cool guy who tasted coffee for a living. I sat in the back, trying to stay awake, typing, listening to music, doing crosswords, looking out the window. We chatted a bit, there was also a sweet driver who was often on the phone. The landscape outside the car transitioned from busy streets, to villages, to endless fields of palm oil forests, rice paddies, and climbing mountains. The skies grew dark as we gained altitude, we supped and arrived at our hotel. It was so dark, I had no idea where we were or what it looked like outside.

In the morning, I awoke to the chanting prayers of the nearby mosque. I learned so much about the Muslim religion during my time in Sumatra. My companions here were all Muslim and were required to pray at certain times of the day. They were pure, kind, and so open! The mosques were all brightly colored, some with metallic domes, all constructed as a shell for people to gather and pray.

I readied myself and met my guide at breakfast where we talked more about coffee, the meaning behind the word ‘specialty’ and made our way outside. The driver greeted us and we began the adventure. I saw that what was pure darkness the evening before, was actually a bustling town bathed in sunlight. Coffee shops, restaurants, markets, Indomarets on every block (the supermaket chain that has a monopoly on the convenience stores in Indonesia) I loved them. They had the best peanuts.

We met up with a group of coffee producers deep in the village. First was Aulia’s house. They guided us through a white metal gate that was adorned with large metal sheets cut out in the shape of coffee beans. I was immediately greeted by the aroma of drying and fermenting coffee. It was glorious. They talked about their processing techniques, the unique Gayo Wine method that was famous in the area (essentially fermenting the cherries long enough in bags to get that winey taste, not too common in Sumatra). I also visited another producer’s house, Aoda.

The next few hours were adventures to visit other homes where coffee was being processed and sorted by the women of the household. This was far different from Lintong, where collectors bought wet-hulled coffee and completed processing. Producers here processed their coffee at home, sometimes with other producers, then one leader would act as a collector to sell the coffee as a whole lot. So much to learn! Really complex.

Lake Laut Tawar, Takengon, Aceh, Sumatra

We then hiked up a trail and gazed out at a beautiful view of the Lake Laut Tawar and the whole Takengon village. It was breathtaking. My guides spoke in their native tongue as I took in the beauty.

As we descended the mountain, I asked more questions about harvest months, processing, and other curiosities that arose in my mind. We drove to another village, Kenawat, the home of the producer who had been guiding us, and we met his family. They were working in the brutal sun, picking chilis and pruning coffee trees. Tomatoes teem with life and there are rice paddies being constructed along the shores of the lake. I loved this moment, walking through the bright and well-organized farm. So much passion and love in these trees and plants. I could feel it.

Kenawat Village, Takengon, Aceh, Sumatra

We said goodbye, and ascended up the mountain to visit with some agronomists, and to see a HUGE dry mill. I was confused about how they kept everything organized…and we spent a significant amount of time talking about how they kept track of everything. Women carefully sorted the coffee by hand, each with their beautifully-colored hijabs and bright smiles.

I had a lengthy discussion with the agronomists about the coffee berry borer, and the many varietals in Indonesia. Seriously, there are so many! Catimor, Timor, Abssynia, USDA, Typica, Gayo, Ateng Super, Tim Tim, and many more. We visited another young producer, Rahman, in Poudok who showed us around his farm, we met his family, and clouds began to sweep across the sky. His farm and the others he works with are known as the Black Panther group, roughly 100 producers.

Finally, the drive back to the hotel, I watched the sky, saw endless spider webs in the electrical lines with massive spiders. Such an interesting place…and I loved it. We showered and met downstairs for dinner. This was a memorable dinner, because it was the first time I had Gado Gado. Basically…a dish of cooked and raw vegetables (spinach, sprouts, potatoes, carrots), mixed with tempe, fried tofu, and lontong, coated in a spicy heavenly peanut sauce. My companion and I supped, laughed, talked about life, coffee, and Takengon. He was a great joy! Showing pictures of his daughter, it was a lovely evening. No alcohol, too! We walked around the town at night, wafts of cooking food, random shops of goods, coffee shops too. Such an adventurous night. Bed time and a long drive in the morning.

I awoke to the sound of the 5am prayer, and got ready for the day. We sipped coffee and hopped in the car. I bid Takengon farewell as we ascended the mountain. The drive is long, filled with great conversation, Mentos, a bit of sickness, some crazy driving, rain, thunder, lightning, and finally back to Medan (10 hours later). My companion and I sup once more, indulging in more Gado Gado, peanuts, tea, and steamed vegetables. Sumatran food might be my favorite so far…

And…my hotel was insane! A huge suite on the top floor of a Marriott, a cozy bed, lavish shower, and large window to look out on the city…

I spent the next day in Medan, getting coffee with the wonderful woman I work with, she brought her family, two cute babies! I explore the city, get a massage (so cheap and amazing), and rest before one final goodbye meal.

Whew! Sumatra was exceptional. The people so kind. I actually cried when I said goodbye to my companion. I felt so touched by the kindness, the trees, the mountains, and the coffee. I hope to be back soon.

Inspiring Indonesia: Part One

Jumping through Java

Guatemala Adventure Take Three