Jeff's Travels: Indonesia

Monday, April 13, 2015

Indonesia - Mount Merapi

When we bought the flight tickets to Yogyakarta, I had every intention to hike the fiery Mount Merapi. I did some research about the possibilities of hiking to the peak and it seems to be doable. When we reached the city, there are even tour packages that will bring you to the top of the mountain. However, the weather was not really conducive for such an adventure, what with the regular rain during our stays. Hence, the hiking expedition was cancelled.

Mount Merapi

However, we did ended up going to Mount Merapi, admiring the majestic mountain from a safe distance. We departed early in the morning with a hired car recommended by my friend. It was quite a deal to rent a whole car plus driver if you come in a group. We decided to rent the car service for half day, starting our journey at 7 am.

Maximum capacity of the Jeep, excluding the driver, is 4 persons

Our first destination was Mount Merapi. The driver, Saiful, brought us to this tour agency,Jeep Extreme Adventure, that offers Jeep ride, as advertised, up to the mountain. It was quite reasonably priced, I think, for a 3 hour Jeep ride and much fun than I expected, heading up the rocky terrain with the vehicle. It goes without saying that the journey was a bit bumpy which was rather exhilarating, to say the least.

Mount Merapi serving as our background

We made a few pit stops along the way to the highest possible point before reverting back. We noticed that we were not the only group who explored Mount Merapi in a Jeep. Apparently, it is quite a popular activity and a preferred way of going through the terrain of the volcano.

Cloud has decided to gather by the mountain, a cue for us to go

When we reached our final destination, Bukit Glagahsari, the view of Mount Merapi is simply majestic. We stood there admiring it. Of course, while absorbing its beauty, there is the background music of shutter clicking non stop, of which I'm the guilty one. We spent about 10 minutes plus before heading back down as clouds began to gather around the mountain.

What Left of My Possessions Museum, loosely translated from its Indonesian

Before we reached the base, we made a last stop. It is a museum of sort, one that showcase the aftermath of the eruption of the volcano few years back. All the items on displays are what left of it, melted to its irregular shapes and sizes. Some still retain its original looks while some rendered before recognition, leaving us wonder what these items were back then. It was quite depressing to see how life can make a twist to the worst in just a matter of minutes. Entrance is free but donations are welcome.