Off the Beaten Track

Back to the years of senior high school, I was once spending a night in my best friend's home. While his village is administered to Lamongan Regency, the location was quite far from the capital city and was actually closer to Bojonegoro administration.

I couldn't hide my surprise when spotting the houses as well as the street in the village. They were totally different from I normally see in my neighborhood. The houses looked so outmoded that I almost forgot my whereabouts.

Off the beaten track = very remote (Credit: wirestock/freepik)

I jokingly said to him, "Man, is the village of yours still under Soekarno presidency or what?" He responded with a smile. The objects in the village tended to create a particular ambiance of antiquity. Something very old-fashioned.

In order to get to the place, we had to take a bus and then ride a rented motorcycle as there was no other public transport available. When I had to poop, my friend led me to a large river where a bamboo bridge lay upon it. Yes, I was to sit on the bridge to complete my 'job'. Luckily it was night already that dark shrouded our presence.

Gee, the village was so remote, I reckon. Not only was it separated away from other villages, but the amenities were also scarce, and poor, to be candid. I'm now recalling this memory and referring to the village as being off the beaten track. It's an Australian idiom used to express that a place is far from everywhere.

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