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Our Volcanoes in Java
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Fog, steam and smoke
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April 2002. Nearly all the night a heavy rain poured over the rain-forest of the Gede
- Pangrango National Park. The sky remained cloudy until six a.m. At two
thousand meters above sea level, on the volcano slopes, a drizzle resembling a
very fine dust was still falling when this picture was token. From the covered
bottom of a densely vegetated ravine, high vapor columns wrapping phenomenal
exemplary of arboreal ferns were rising up to the canopy made by the highest
tropical threes. The vapor comes from the Air Panas thermal springs, up to 75 C
warm, may be heated by old solidified magmas intruded at depth during the
1747 eruption. This evocative primeval panorama, it could be said a Jurassic
landscape, is truly one of the few opportunity the visitor of the Park has to
observe something beyond the impenetrable green wall of the |
A path in the rain-forest |
vegetation
flanking the path (11 Km)to the top of the volcanic Gunung Gede-Pangrango complex, 3019 m high. This
forest is just one of the last untouched primary forest still surviving on the
Java Island.
The Gede-Pangrango National Park is for its vicinity to Jakarta, only 70 Km to the
south of the megalopolis, is practically a city park enjoying an unbelievable
popularity between the Indonesian teenagers that flock to it every weekend (for
the access to the paths a trekking permit is requested).
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According to the brochure published by the Indonesian Agency for the Natural Environment Protection
(PHPA) the park is the habitat for many species of interesting animals
between which are the rare Javanese leopard and at least three species of
monkeys including the Javanese Gibbon in danger of extinction. The park is also
home to tropical birds and bugs in great variety. However it is a a very
rarefied and difficult to see fauna.
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A
red dragonfly |
A long-tailed macaque |
Indeed, the forest of the park astonishes for its uninterrupted and unexpected
silence. It is really easier to hear birds and to sight interesting wild animals
in the not distant botanical garden of Bogor or Cibodas, located on the very
populated slopes of the mountain. With some difficulty the monkeys living in the
park can be observed if you are lucky (for some second, perhaps) while those
sheltered by the safer environment of the botanic garden can be photographed
without difficulties. |
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The tourist handbook of the Gede-Pangrango Park suggests you could be more satisfied
if you look for tropical bugs instead of looking for mammals. However it is not
an easy search even with these over-dimensioned members of the animal world. It
seems in fact that all the Javanese bugs ended below glass, in the frames sold
as souvenir at the ethnic department of the renowned Pasaraya Grande Mall.
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To the self-appointed explorers and above all to travel-writers it appeals to
indulge in telling common places, generally in order to refute them with
exemplary anecdotes or to confirm them in a way that turns out paradoxical and
unexpected. The common place about the Javanese is about a supposed symbiotic
relationship between people and the terrific explosive volcanoes of the island.
The always-fascinating opposition between destruction and creation infects a lot
of writing like a virus; it is something that makes a specially good effect if
an eruptions is just occurred somewhere.
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A
fumarole at the bottom of the main crater of the Tangukban Parahu |
Budda statue sculpted from a lava block.;
Borobodur Temple (Central Java) |
Indeed it is true that the most important monuments of the ancient Javanese culture,
the Buddhist Borobodur temple (750-850 AC)and the Indus Prambanan (IX sec.)
one were built with the Merapi lave, one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes
of the world. It is equally true that the Merapi ashes favored the extraordinary
fertility of the fields to which the overcrowding of Java is in part due. The
several thousands of Indonesians that were killed or suffered devastations as a
result of apocalyptic eruptions are only remembered as a frightening large
number. |
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Popular fear and bewilderment are widely metabolized and clarified by legends and fairy
tales, very popular also in the literature for children. Perhaps it is less
known outside Java that the relationship between the Javanese and their
volcanoes is modernly expressed also by a mass frequentation of some particular
volcanoes. This phenomenon is very interesting for the curious traveler. Among
the 57 volcanoes of Java (over approximately 150 of the whole Indonesia) there
are three that in some way are very special, both for the local people and for
the foreign tourists They have been included in national parks or reserves.
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The Mount Semeru at sunset, few seconds after an
explosion.
(26 July 2002, 6.00 AM). |
A stamp represented in a book for children (Folktales from East Java- Dwi Elisa -Penerbit PT -Grasindo;
2000) | Truly
recreational volcanoes are in fact the Krakatoa, the Tanguban Parahu and the
Tenegger Caldera - Mount Bromo complex.
After this short introduction we can start the tour trough our
Javanese volcanoes. Click next, please...
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