This incident happened to us in Bandung, a city in West Java. Bandung is about 3 hours car ride from Jakarta and it is a hot spring tourist spot. We asked Alice's uncle from Jakarta to book a hotel room so that we can spend a day or two there. Luckily we did not stay... or big problems!
It was around 4 p.m. when my friend Alice and I arrived at a hot spring hotel located at the outskirt of the city. It was said that this hotel would be fully packed during holidays, so you can imagine that the rooms were in great demand and charges would not be cheap. However, not many people would visit the place during normal time as it is somehow isolated from civilization.
Luckily or otherwise, when we arrived at the place, there was no tourists around perhaps it was a Wednesday and a working day.
After the taxi driver dropped us off and double confirmed of the time we were to check out, he sped off. I started to become worry because the surrounding was a little too quiet until so much so that I could even hear my own breathing sound. Further the place looked desolate.
Since the hotel reception was quite a distance away, Alice and I had to carry our luggage to the reception. Just a few steps we started to walk, Alice tripped off and fell. She broke her knees and I suddenly felt someone or something was staring at us. My only intention was to get Alice some first aid and leave. Well, with Alice's broken knees we couldn't hike too far away as well.
So, I managed to seek the receptionist's help to cancel our room booking and called up the taxi driver who was exiting the hotel compound. Suddenly I felt the need to visit the toilet. Alice wanted to use the toilet too. So we went together while the taxi driver waited outside.
Now the exciting part...
As we were exiting from the toilet, I caught a glimpse of a big black hairy creature lingered in the right upper corner of the ceiling.Feeling curious, I fixed my gaze at the creature, it slowly floated towards the left corner of the ceiling.It is kind of difficult to describe it... it looks somehow like a giant stingray or a tent like sort of a creature.
Though somehow trained in magic rituals, I felt panicked as I did not have anyhing protective amulets with me. So I could only urge Alice to be hastened but she just limping slowly.
As soon as we were out from the hotel, heavy rain started to fall. My only thought then was to leave the place ASAP.
Upon returning to Jakarta, Alice suddenly suffered high fever until she was admitted to the intensive care unit. Then the next day when I visited Alice in the hospital, my left thumb was crashed by the closing taxi door...
As if that was not enough, I too suffer from fever and bedridden for a few days.
Finally, Alice's uncle told me that the hotel we visited was known to be haunted at night. He has not heard of any haunting cases during day time. Perhaps both of us were having bad luck.
After I have returned to Malaysia, Alice called me and said that she too 'saw' the creature but she has choosen to keep silent in fear of the worse.
Later my Indonesian friend said that the creature I saw maybe some sort of guardian spirits kept by local folks that has run loose. Perhaps he is right and I have no intention to return to find out.
Many people believe Mount Salak located in West Java is a mysterious place still. I had a chance to hear some of the happenings happened to my friends when I visited Bogor recently.
Before I continue with the tales,it is good to have an overview of this volcanic mountain. Mount Salak comprises of a few peaks labelled as Salak Peak 1 and Salak Peak 2. Both peaks are above 2000m above sea level (ASL) except the Sumbul peak which is around 1900m.
An interesting or else funny story told by my mountain hiker friend, Abu. His somehow bizarre story was that when he and his fellow hikers fell asleep at night after a day's expedition at around 1800m ASL.
In the dream, Abu dreamed of a very pretty lady came to him from a house located at the mountain peak. The mysterious pretty lady invited Abu to go to her house to have a cup of tea. Without too much hesitation, Abu agreed and follow the pretty lady to her house.
There, Abu saw there were many pretty ladies in the house smiling and greeted Abu. After a sumptuous meal, the pretty ladies started to dance around Abu and seduce him to take his clothing off. As expected, after rounds of horrific seduction attack, Abu ejaculated and only to find himself had a wet dream.
When Abu told his companions about his wet dream last night. Other folks also said that they too had the same erotic dream!
Later, the group learnt that the place where they camped for the night was not so far from the site of airplane disaster some time ago.Were those restless souls of air disaster victims? No one has any answers.
Another mountain hiker, Ali also claimed that he once broken the taboo of the mountain causing he just walked in circles after he felt it was time for home.Before the hike, Ali was warned by local folks of not to pluck any wild orchids as orchids are the mountain spirit's pet.
Perhaps realizing his mistake, Ali threw away the orchids and prayed. As soon as Ali finished praying, suddenly the road in front of him cleared and he was able to go home.
In another Mount Salak hike, Ali claimed to have come across an old grandma with very thin clothing. Ali offered to send the grandma home worrying of her safety as it was approaching evening. But the grandny declined and said that she would rather stay in the mountain.
According to the granny,the deeper the night, the more food she would be able to get. As recalled by Ali, the old grandma has spoken in ancient Javanese language with a very low and thick accent. After that the strange grandma bid Ali farewell and advised Ali to descend to the mountain base as soon as possible or bad things might befallen upon him.
Strangely too, the usually stubborn Ali somehow complied and he turn his back and went down the mountain.On the way down, Ali heard very loud tiger roar at his back. Though feeling strange, his instinct told Ali to run for his life.
As soon as Ali reached the mountain foot, landslide happened behind Ali missing him by a close distance! Until today, Ali believes the odd grandma was a tiger spirit which has spared Ali's life due to his help offer.
Those were the strange tales from Mount Salak I could recall for now. Believe it or not?
