"HOLIDAY IN TOPU CITY"

Distance is always a consideration when planning a weekend wanders. Until now West Java is still a favorite place to go for Jakarta residents. Since it’s not too far from the capital city, West Java also has quite a few different views and climates. With relatively fresh air, green paddy fields and tea gardens, this area serves as a comfortable place for visitors from Jakarta, who are daily engulfed by the city’s hectic surrounds.

Puncak, Lembang and Bandung are most the most visited places, even thought there are some other places to go, like Sumedang, which is interesting enough to explore in the weekends. This small city famous for its tofu can be reached in 3 hours from Jakarta. Aside from its beautiful scenery, Sumedang offers a variety of sports, history, and tombs, not to mention its rich culture.

This weekend of yours can start by visiting Kampung Toga, about 3km from the city hall of Sumedang. Here, you can jumpstart your adrenalin by trying air sports, paragliding, or hang gliding.

The land base at Bukit Toga is considered the most ideal for beginners who want to feel a flying sensation in the speed of 15-40 km/hour above the earth. Kampung Toga Resort at Bukit Toga, the distance between take off and the landing spot is not that great, only 600 meters with a height of only 800 meters, which is different to any other land bases in West Java, ”It’s just the right measurement for beginners”.

Even if it is your first time, you don’t have to be afraid on jumping. For beginners there will be instructors ready to accompany you and when the wind is stable you will have the chance to control the direction of the hang glide or the paraglide. To fly in tandem, you’d better come in the weekends, because the instructors are only available during weekends in Kampung Toga, unless you make a reservation first. Syamsudin admits this limitation, for there are only two instructors for tandem in West Java who have completed 2000 flights-quite impressive!

No need of any special equipment for this sport because, unlike parachute jumping, landing with hang gliding or paragliding is a lot softer. The cost for tandem fly is Rp.100,000,- if you are used to doing such flight – at least 60 times in there different places – you can fly alone without being accompanied by an instructor. And if you already have a license, you can easily to fly in this area – for free. There are 7 parachutes available here.

Jumpers have come from Bandung, Bogor, Jakarta and even Malaysia to try it. For a relaxed fly, one had better chose morning time between 9 to 12 AM or after 2 PM.

Unfortunately this sport is dictated by weather. “This kind of sport is dependent on weather with wind being unpredictable” said Syamsudin. “But even if you can’t make it out, at least you can enjoy the beautiful view of Toga hill.”

FROM CUT NYAK DIEN TO DANCING HORSE

Coming down from Kampung Toga, a tomb-site is interesting to visit. Above a small hill near the governmental office of Sumedang is the tomb of Cut Nyak Dien, a women patriot from aceh. Cut Nyak Dien, an Aceh noble descendent born in 1848, along with her husband Teuku Umar, was known for her struggle against the Dutch colonial for 16 years until she was defeated and exiled to Sumedang, where she stayed until her death in 1908.

Cut Nyak Dien’s tomb is continuously visited by Acehnese and other from all over Indonesia. According to the tomb keeper, police troops sent on duty to Aceh usually visit this tomb first “to fray for one’s safety while in Aceh” he said, Besides Cut Nyak Dien’s tomb, at this cemetery there are also tombs of Sumedang’s Royal Family.

From the tomb of Cut Nyak Dien, one can take a historical trip to Geusan Ulun Museum at Jl. Prabu Geusan Ulun 40 (about 50 meters south from the city hall. At this two-hectare area, Sumedang Larang kingdom’s inheritance is stored. There are 6 old regent’s houses used as storage of these items.

Until the year 1950, Sumedang was always ruled by a royal descent. Even the museum is run by royal family foundation. Those who are in it have collected those remainders of Sumedang kingdom to be stored and looked after by Geusan Ulun Museum.

One of its precious inheritances is the Binukasi (male) and Siger (female) crown, made of gold and stored in Pusaka building as proof of Padjadjaran kingdom surrendering its power to Sumedang. So precious is the crown, that the museum felt it necessary to make a duplicate. It’s the duplicate that is used for wedding ceremonies of the royal family.

The museum also allows borrowing royal carts from Kereta building to complete the wedding ceremony. The celebrity, Paramitha Rusady once used the crown and the cart at her second wedding. Every Sunday, children studying Serimpi dance to Gamelan. They practice using still-functioning gamelans that date back hundreds of years.

At the end of the road you can see Kuda Renggong and Kuda Silat show. Actually this show can only be seen the festival on September 10 or a big ceremony. But if you want to put more effort into wandering to one of the villages, you can always find them since there are hundreds of art horses like that in Sumedang.

The show itself is quite interesting Wearing colorful dresses, Renggong horses gracefully dance to gamelan music played by 13 people, while Silat horses act as if human-like making martial art-like movements.

Renggong horses and Silat horses have become the most favored attraction in a wedding or circumcision feast. The circumcised prince will be put on top of the show’s is followed by a Silat horse attraction.

Unfortunately these days, not many people are attracted to come and see this show, and the cost of preserving these horses in quite expensive. “if within a month we only have one order, while those horses get little supplement. The supplement starts from B12, B complex, and extra-blood vitamint injection, eggs and not to mention grass mixture. Every day it works out to about 10 kilogram per horse,” Djuju said, one of the Renggong horse owners. Fortunately Djuju is determined to perpetuate this culture.