Months after we returned from our trip to Yogyakarta (Jogjakarta) in Indonesia, the memories of the place don’t seem to fade out. In fact my husband and I have already started our research and are planning to combine the spots we missed out in Yogyakarta with another trip to Java. It is strange but we cannot exactly pinpoint what was the one thing we liked most – maybe because it was not something tangible-yes the mountains, the volcano, the river, the temples, the palaces and the people have all made a huge impact but it was something more – the intangible allure- the smell of nature, the hint of danger, the folklore and beliefs – all which create this magical aura about the place and makes you yearn to go back!
Resilience in the Face of Adversity- Mount Merapi
Maybe this is the reason why hundreds of people still choose to live on the foothills of the active volcano, Mt Merapi even though signs of its destructive trails are everywhere till date, 8 months hence after its last eruption- in October 2010. It is actually fascinating and scary to see the people doing their daily chores, rearing cattle, farming, bringing up children in villages flanking the towering volcano- which is still smoking deep from inside its belly. A grey cloud of smoke at the top of the mountain is visible from a distance which looks pretty harmless but reminds those native to the land to always remain vigilant! The rivers are blackish grey with the volcanic ash flowing in its midst, there are heaps of volcanic stone and debris all around the meandering road to the top of the volcano. In fact the dark hue of the volcanic ash and stone contrasts sharply against the white and green of the landscape making it breathtaking….almost making one forget that this stretch of Java is on the Ring of Fire. Falling on the Eurasia and Australia plates makes Java very susceptible to earthquakes like the one witnessed by Yogyakarta in May 2006 and is home to many active and dormant volcanoes including Mt Merapi which has regularly erupted since the 16th century.
Yet, the people of Yogyakarta/ Merapi are smiling, resilient and always talk in reverence of the volcanic mountain which has given them the most fertile soil in this part of the island…..the soil rich in minerals, where any seed can find life. Also ironically, the dangerous Mt Merapi has been attracting tourists and giving the villagers another way of earning their living. Stories abound of how when Mt Merapi erupted last October, the villagers refused to leave despite warnings. The Sultan appealed asking the people to go to safer places, promising to buy the cattle in a bid to stop the villagers from returning to their homes. If anything, the looming danger has made the people hardier, humbler and more enterprising. It has also made most people self- proclaimed weather men as they have learned to gauge the direction of the wind because it is this wind that decides to carry the lava to them or away from them when the volcano erupts.
It will not be wrong to say that in the face of adversity, the people of Yogyakarta stand as tall as the gigantic Mount Merapi. And as their indomitable spirit becomes one with the breathtaking but rugged landscape, it is hard to leave Yogyakarta behind- & even after you return to the hustle-bustle of city life, the intangible allure of the place lives on…and on!
This article was first published in my blog: Creative Musings in 2011.
