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Residents hope fossils give area exposure
Time stands still in the remote Muara Gembong area, 60 kilometers north of Bekasi
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Time stands still in the remote Muara Gembong area, 60 kilometers north of Bekasi. Late morning finds the men sitting around, smoking and chatting with their friends, while the women are cooking or sweeping in front of their houses.
Children are seen running around partially clothed during the rains or wrestling with small cattle in the mud.
Signs of life in Muara Gembong began to appear 20 kilometers past the main gate which features a large shrimp statue. Most of Muara Gembong's residents work as fishermen who catch and sell shrimp for a living.
MYSTERIOUS SCAPULA: Adj. First Insp. Sugeng of the Muara Gembong Police holds up a fossilized bone suspected to be the scapula (shoulder blade) of a large, ancient animal. The mysterious remains were found by a local resident while digging a fish pond. (JP/Hans David)
Muara Gembong was recently put on the map when remains of an ancient and very large animal were discovered, drawing media attention to the area.
The police and the Muara Gembong subdistrict office are still trying to coordinate with the archeological department to investigate the remains.
Until now they only know that the largest of the bones is 42 centimeters long, and they think that the animal was somewhere between six and six-and-a-half meters long.
Speculations outside Muara Gembong have arisen regarding the kind of animal the bones belong to. Some speculate that it was a dinosaur, some say a prehistoric gigantic man, others think it was a giant crocodile.
Village chief Bi'i said that despite the media hype, most of the local residents were not surprised with the find.
"We all know that this area used to be a thick forest, so finding an animal's remains is not really that strange," he said.
Bi'i said that contrary to the outsiders' beliefs, he and most of the locals assumed that the bones belonged to an ancient wild boar rather than a dinosaur or a prehistoric man.
"This must be the animal's thigh bone," the elderly chief told The Jakarta Post, while picking on the largest chunk of fossilized bone.
According to him, although the bone is bigger, it has similar characteristics to a modern wild boar's thigh bone.
"I used to hunt boars when I was young. Even then, the adult ones could be as big as a calf. If these bones came from a more ancient time, it is no wonder they would be bigger," he said.
Bi'i hopes that the media attention will eventually uncover the real issue in Muara Gembong.
"I hope all the media that comes here realizes what Muara Gembong's real issue is -- transportation -- not some mysterious ancient bones.
"You can see for yourself. During the rainy season the roads are bumpy, muddy and slippery. These dangerous conditions increase our daily expenses because of increased transportation costs," Bi'i said.
Going to Muara Gembong is not an easy task. No public transport is available after the Pasar Suka Tani terminal in Bekasi, so the choice is to go by private vehicles, taxi or ojek (motorcycle-taxi).
Large holes and bumps cover the road to Muara Gembong. Some parts were smooth and cemented, but most parts were still muddy and when it rained it became slippery. On the way there, the Post saw several motorcycle drivers go down, and at some places deserted, upside-down trucks.
Tiwi, a local shopkeeper, said she had to pay an extra Rp 500 (4 US cents) for a bottle of mineral water compared with those who live in Bekasi.
"Rp 500 might not mean much, but I buy in gross for my shop and eventually the costs have a significant effect," she said.
In addition the kerosene price is higher compared with other places, she said.
"We have to pay Rp 8,000 per liter for kerosene. The distributors charge us extra because of the road conditions. It is very hard for us to save money with these high costs just to meet our daily needs," she said.
The residents have heard rumors of a highway project to begin through Muara Gembong in 2010. They all hope it will breathe more economic life into their area.
"With a highway we may have more visitors and they can finally see that Muara Gembong has something to offer.
"There is an annual beach festival here, and the fishing area is famous among Bekasi anglers. Only the dedicated come here on the weekends. Had we a better road, more fishermen would come to our village," Bi'i said.
Counting the recent fossil, in the past 26 years there have been at least five incidents drawing the public's attention to the remote area.
"I think it was 2003, a 12-meter shark was stranded on the shore," said Adj. First Insp. Sugeng from the Muara Gembong Police.
Two of events were tragedies. A Bouraq plane crashed in Muara Gembong in 1982 and then last year the Levina ship sunk in its waters, killing two reporters.
And one more has occurred after the fossil finding -- last week fishermen found a suitcase containing a headless body. (hdt)
