NOT even considering a weekend visit (because of the traffic), I set out on a brand new Monday morning for the Puncak area, the rugged western end of the islands 1,100-kilometer-long mountainous spine. The narrow highway, which eventually leads to Sukabumi, is known for tree-root carvings, rattan and bamboo home furnishings, hot springs, and tukang pijat (massage therapists) endowed with mystical and mysterious abilities.

The Puncak was once one