TRUCKS, MOUNTAINS & AWESOME BAD WEATHER

We were picked up from a surfing town just after midnight. We threw our bags onto the roof of the vehicle and pulled a tarp over it to protect our equipment from the rain. We tried to stay awake during the long drive as the bumpy roads lulled us into a slight daze.

Our Indonesian friends spoke limited english and communicating with them using improvised sign-language was slightly ambiguous at best; especially in the dark. We did not know where we were heading to.

At 4am, we finally turned off the paved roads and headed up the mountain. As we approached the campsite, we were greeted by an ocean of sleeping Land Rovers. The rain had subsided. The ground was damp and the air was fresh.

Thank God for trucks, mountains and awesome bad weather.

As we settled down, our local friends were quick to welcome us. They eagerly brought us on a tour, giving us intimate introductions of their vehicles. Each truck, set up almost completely differently from the one before.

These Land Rovers were customised to adapt to the climate and terrain, rather than to survive it.

We gathered around the communal camping area, where the smell of local spices, flavourful condiments and Land Rover exhaust fumes came together in a rather strange, but comforting oneness — this, perhaps, is the familiar fragrance of the unifying love for the tropical outdoors.