Pandoraspace

I had to eat corn to see Gunung Merapi

I read somewhere that to get to the Indonesian volcano I wanted to see, Gunung (the Indonesian word for mountain) Bromo, I had to take a five-hour bus ride from Jogjakarta. Danang later told us that Gunung Bromo is actually much farther than that, i.e., a ten to twelve hour ride to a town beside Gunung Bromo and a two hour trek to get to the viewing point. As we had limited time on our hands, I decided to forgo with the visit to Gunung Bromo on this trip.

As he sensed my disappointment, Danang suggested we see Gunung Merapi instead. I knew nothing about Gunung Merapi but decided to see it.

On our second day in Jogjakarta, LS, Danang and I headed for Ketep Pass in Kaliurang, Jogjakarta. We left town at 8:00 a.m., fell asleep on Danang a couple of times during the two hour drive to Kaliurang and stopped by a Museum before we actually got to Ketep Pass. When we got there, Gunung Merapi was covered by a huge cloud. We took a look around the Ketep Volcano Centre for about an hour before deciding to head on to Borobudur. On the way out, I saw someone selling roasted corn on the street. As roasted corn is one of my favorite food, I told LS and Danang that I would treat them for corn. After pigging out on corn, we walked back to the car.  On the way to the car, I saw Gunung Merapi. It waited for me to eat corn before showing itself. I was extremely pleased and grateful.

Gunung Merapi is not a perfect cone-shaped volcano like Mt. Mayon in Legaspi, but, Gunung Merapi is massive and radiates energy.  Thick smoke plumes are seen coming out of its mouth. I sensed that, anytime, it could explode. I did not, however, sense any anger or negativity from the volcano only passion and fire. I was not, therefore, surprised to learn that merapi is the Indonesia term for “full of fire”, and, Gunung Merapi is just that – a volcano that is full of fire.