9/22/07


Kaliurang is a small town located about 25 km north of the town of Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern slopes of Mount Merapi, an active volcano.
Kaliurang is a resort town, popular as a weekend destination for visitors from Yogyakarta. Attractions include the cool air, views, and an extensive forested park with trails. The town charges a small admission fee to visitors, paid at a booth on the busy main road from Yogyakarta.
The town was the location of negotiations during the fighting between the Dutch and Indonesians in the 1940s, when the houses and holiday homes owned by the Sultanate of Yogyakarta were utilised.
Kaliurang has been an important base for vulcanologists in their monitoring of eruptions of Merapi, especially when the southern slopes of the volcano become active.

slamet mount

slamet mount
ELEVATION : 3,428 metres (11,247 ft)
PROMINENCE : 3,284 metres (10,774 ft)
COORDINATES : 7.242° S 109.208° E
LAST ERUPTION : 1999
Mount Slamet or Gunung Slamet is an active stratovolcano in Central Java, Indonesia. It has a cluster of around three dozens of cinder cones on the lower southeast-northeast flanks and a single cinder cone on the western flank. The volcano is composed by two overlapping edifices. Four craters are found at the summit. Historical eruptions have been recorded since the eighteenth century

9/15/07

kelut mount

Kelud volcanic lake is one of the most active and most dangerous stratovolcano in Indonesia. Many lives were claimed by Kelud eruptions in the past six centuries mostly due to pyroclastic flows, surges and especially lahars, as in 1919 eruption (5160 victims). Before the last eruption (1990) a system of drainage was done to maintain the volume of the lake at low level (2,000,000 m3) and to control the lahars. Hydro-acoustic monitoring is the first system of surveillance that has been performed at the crater lake and has revealed intense gas bubbling a year before seismic precursor records of the 1990 eruption.







9/9/07

sindoro sumbing mount

Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing are one of an active stratovolcano in Central Java, Indonesia. Parasitic craters and cones are found in the northwest-southern flanks; the largest is called Kembang. A small lava dome occupies the volcano's summit. Historical eruptions mostly mild-to-moderate phreatic eruptions had occurred.
Mount Sumbing, which crater lake at its top, is natural boundary of the regencies of Temanggung, Banjarnegara and Magelang. The longan fruit (Euphoria longata), famous for its delicate taste, gross on the slopes of Mount Sumbing.
Mount Sundoro is situated on the boundary of the Temanggung and Wonosobo regencies, in the Dieng Mountain area. The Dieng plateau, with an average elevation of 2050 m and a temperature that ranges between 13 and 17oC not only possesses unique natural beauty, but is also a storehouse of archeological remains consisting of a complex on temples with names of wayang figures such as Puntadewa Temple, and the temples of Bima and Arjuna.

Both of these mountain are bold challenge for climbers to reach the second highest peak in Central Java. The summit of Mt. Sumbing is unique. Coming up from Base camp Cepit, Parakan, the mountaineers shall arrive in the rocky calderas. With many salfataras where sulfuric gas continuously blows. The last climb to the top, is thru narrow strenous stony path. It needs energy and bravery. At last, after a normal trekking of 8 hours, here it is ………. the peak of Mt. Sumbing, with its exotic panorama. (Sumbing means harelip).
Before climbing be sure of the supply, especially water as there is no spring along the trek. Usually it starts at 9.00 p.m., so at about 05.00 a.m., early in the morning, at sunrise the top of Mt. Sumbing is reached.
All trekkers are requested to honor local customs which are positive, among other: Don’t ruin the trees. Don’t throw garbage. Be careful when make fire. Be polite, don’t complain too much. Don’t urinate at certain places etc.

MOUNT GEDE PANGRANGO NATIONAL PARK

MOUNT GEDE PANGRANGO NATIONAL PARK : Gunung Gede-Pangrango, are the twin volcanoes of West Java, is one of the first national parks in Indonesia. It covers a total forested area of 15,000 hectares. This area has a special place in the history of both conservation and botanical research in Indonesia. It includes the Cibodas Nature Reserve which has been the scene of numerous botanical and other studies for a period of well over a hundred years by a number of scientists and naturalists, including such eminent figures as Reinwardt, Junghunn and Wallace.
The park is within easy reach by road from Jakarta and Bandung, and the main entrance at Cibodas is situated about 120 km, or about 2.5 hours by car from Jakarta and 85 km or about 2 hours by car from Bandung. It is also accessible from Cipanas and Pacet through Gunung Putri, just east of Cibodas; and from Sukabumi through Selabintana from the south at about 60 km or 1.5 hour by car from Bogor.Another entrance is at Situgunung, which can be reached through Cisaat, just west of Sukabumi. From these entrances (except from Situgunung) there are trails to the summits of Gunung Gede and Pangrango.

9/5/07

krakal beach


Go to the next beach, about 6 kilometers from Kukup beach, we will find Krakal beach- a white sand beach stretch along 5 kilometers. Krakal beach the longest beach of the junction is located in Ngestirejo village, Tanjungsari district, about 3 km away in the east of Baron-Kukup-Sepanjang-Drini beach junction, has scratching white hill with blue slopes gently to the sea. The beauty of green lime-scratching hill with blue seawater offers a perfect harmony, which is very natural and ideal for sun bathing. Krakal beach mostly is a white sandy beach in Yogyakarta area. There's a development now because of its beautiful panorama of the southern sea. It should be careful here because it has big wave and the texture of the beach which are rocks meet the sands.


Among all the beaches that stretch along Java beaches, Krakal with its white sandy beach surrounded with mountainous rocky hills is the most beautiful one. Krakal is close to Kukup beach and Baron cove. This cove is in fact an estuary of an underground river that comes up exactly at the waterfront. It is interesting to observe the combination of the beach and the cove from the protruding rocky hills that flank the caves on both sides.

kukup beach



Kukup Beach is a white sandy beach lies in Kemadang village, Tanjungsari district, about 1 km away in the east of Baron beach. It has a pathway trough the hill up to Baron beach and also a coral island, which is connected by a senggol bridge. Kukup Beach, grey black sand dunes, treacherous ocean currents and jagged rocks. This beach is located near Baron Beach, only 1 km east.

Kukup beach is rich in sea life and also famous of its various kinds of beautiful fish in sea aquarium or various kinds of beautiful fishes that sold by the merchants along the beach. There are hall (pendopo), cottage and other facilities in this area. Just like in Baron beach, this beach also performs a sea offering ceremony every Syuro. Kukup Beach, see from the Rock Hill Island with a gazebo, at the east part of the areas can access with climb a several set of natural staircase through the bridge along to the rock island.

baron beach


Baron beach lies in Kemandang Village, Tanjungsari district about 23 km in the South of Wonosari city. Baron beach is the first beach that would be found in the junction of Baron, Kukup, Sepanjang, Drini, Krakal and Sundak beaches area. It is a bay with big wave. Baron beach is popular as fish catching area. There is a mouth of Underground River that can be used for bathing after playing in the beach. The visitors can also enjoy various kinds of low prices seafood or fresh fish and Baron's special menu namely Kakap fish soup. There is limestone hill in this area. The visitors can reach that place by passing through a path. The way to go there is very interesting because it passes a place called Pegunungan Seribu (a thousand mountains).


Visitors could have a magnificent view of the beach; about 10 kilometers in the West of Baron beach there are Parang Racuk hill with its mountain slopes. It challenged the visitors to do some adventures. Every syuro month (the first month of Javanese calendar), the fisherman societies organized a Labuhan sea ceremony, to express their gratitude to the God for the abundant fish harvest and for the welfare in fishing.

parangtritis beach

One of the attractive beaches near Yogyakarta is Parangtritis. It is located about 27 km. from Yogyakarta, Parangtritis may be reached in two ways, through Kretek Village or the longer one but more well - established road through Imogiri and Siluk Village. Parangtritis Beach is a lovely beach with many impressing phenomena, naturally and supra naturally. The waves regularly bring in new wood and bamboo, washing ashore from another nearby beach probably. Some wood is picked and taken away by locals to be used for their own house. Parangtritis is an enchanting sloping beach combined with rocky hills, dunes, and a white sandy beach. Besides being famous as a recreational spot. Parangtritis is also a sacred place. Many people come to the beach to do meditation. Up to now, this area is remaining functioned as the place to perform the traditional ceremony called labuhan. Many hotels and restaurants are available for sunbathe lovers.

prambanan temple



Prambanan, named after the village, is the biggest temple complex in Java. There are 224 temples in the complex; three of them, the main temples are Brahma Temple in the north, Vishnu Temple in the south, and the biggest among the three which lies between Brahma and Vishnu temples is Shiva Temple (47 meters high).


These three ancient masterpieces of Hindu architecture are locally referred to as Prambanan Temple or Lorojonggrang Temple. One of its appeals is the wealth of sculptural detail. The well known one is on the inner wall of the balustrade, the wonderfully vital and utterly engrossing Ramayana epic.


Perhaps one of the most majestic temples in the South-East Asia, Prambanan attracts many admirers each year from abroad. Situated about 15 kilometers from Yogyakarta, the top of the main shrine is visible from a great distance and rises high above the scattered ruins of the former temples.


Prambanan is the best seen shortly after dawn or in the late afternoon. However it is still beautiful at any time.

borobudur temple

Borobudur Temple is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. This colossal relic of Borobudur Temple was built by Sailendra dynasty between 750 and 842 AD; 300 years before Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, 400 years before work had begun on the great European cathedrals. Little is known about its early history except that a huge tropical heat to shift and carve the 60,000 Cu m of stone.Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles revealed Borobudur Temple in 1814.

He found the temple in ruin condition and ordered that the site be cleared of undergrowth and thoroughly surveyed. The massive restoration project began from 1905 to 1910 led by Dr. Tb. van Erp. With the help of UNESCO, the second restoration to rescue Borobudur was carried out from August 1913 to 1983.


The overall height of Borobudur was 42 meters, but it is only 34.5 meters now (after restoration), and has the dimension of 123 x 123 meters. The building has 10 floors or levels: Hhumtcambharabudara, the mountain of the accumulation of virtue in the ten stages of Bodhisatva. Borobudur is located 41 km northwest of Yogyakarta, 7 km south of Magelang, Central Java.

tawangmangu maps


tawangmangu

tawangmangu waterfall
Tawangmangu is located 40 km east of Solo, this recreational resort offers fresh weather; scenic views, swimming pools, bungalow style hotels and restaurants. Tawangmangu, a mountain resorts at an elevation of almost 1 km above sea level, which promises a cool escape from the city's heat. It lies on the slopes of Mt., Lawu, at an elevation of 1300 m above sea level. A cool splendid hill resort also on the slope of mount Lawu, at about 1400 M height above sea level. The road from Solo via Karangpandan is a fine trip thru magnificent green terraced hills. Tawangmangu has all kind of facilities, hotel, camping ground, forest tourism, etc. The climate is fresh and one can enjoy the beautiful scenery. Other features include nearby temples, a national park and 40m in high waterfall of Grojogan Sewu.
It is a 100 M high waterfall; the pool at the bottom has very chilly water. In front of the gate to Grojogan Sewu, horses for rent are available to ride around Tawangmangu.

9/4/07

semeru mount and viewing of bromo mountain

semeru 1985

Semeru also Gunung Semeru - is the tallest mountain on the island of Java and one of its most active volcanoes. Known also as Mahameru (Great Mountain), it is very steep and rises abruptly above the coastal plains of eastern Java. Maars containing crater lakes have formed along a line through the summit. Semeru lies at the south end of the Tengger Volcanic Complex.
Semeru's eruptive history is extensive. Since 1818, at least 55 eruptions have been recorded (10 of which resulted in fatalities) consisting of both lava flows and pyroclastic flows. Moderate explosive eruptions (VEI 2-3) have also been recorded with some regularity.

Semeru has been in a state of near-constant eruption from 1967 to the present. At times, small eruptions happen every 10 minutes or so.

Semeru is regularly climbed by tourists, usually starting from the village of Rano Pani to the north, but though non-technical it can be dangerous. Soe Hok Gie, an Indonesian political activist of the 1960s died in 1969 from inhaling poisonous gas while hiking on Mount Semeru

Semeru is named from Sumeru, the central world-mountain in Buddhist cosmology. In legend it was transplanted from India; the tale is recorded in the 16th-century East Javanese work Tantu Panggelaran. It was originally placed in the western part of the island, but that caused the island to tip, so it was moved eastward. On that journey, parts kept coming off the lower rim, forming the mountains Lawu, Wilis, Kelut, Kawi, Arjuno and Welirang. The damage thus caused to the foot of the mountain caused it to shake, and the top came off and created Penanggungan as well















































































































semeru vulcano,july,12004

















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































mount merapi and merbabu



mount merbabu

merbabu viewed from salatiga

Mount Merbabu (Indonesian: Gunung Merbabu) is a dormant stratovolcano in Central Java province on the Indonesian island of Java. Loosely translated, Gunung Merbabu could mean 'Mountain of Ash' from the Indonesian word babu. The active volcano Mount Merapi is directly adjacent on its south-east side, while the city of Salatiga is located on its northern foothills. A 1,500m high broad saddle lies between Merbabu and Merapi, the site of the village of Selo and highly fertile farming land.
There are two peaks; Syarif (3,119 m) and Kenteng Songo (3,145 m). Three U-shaped radial valleys extend from the Kenteng Songo summit in northwesterly, northeastly and southeastly directions.

Two known moderate eruptions occurred in 1560 and 1797 and were rated 2: Explosive, on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. An unconfirmed eruption may have occurred in 1570 [1]. Geologically recent eruptions originated from a North Northwest-South Southeast fissure system that cut across the summit and fed the large-volume lava flows from Kopeng and Kajor craters on the northern and southern flanks, respectively.

Merbabu can be climbed from several routes originating from the town of Kopeng on the north east sideside, and also from Selo on the southern side. A climb from Kopeng to Kenteng Songo takes between 8 and 10 hours.

9/3/07

view merapi




















mount merapi


Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi in Indonesian language, is a conical volcano in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. Its name means Mountain of Fire. It is very close to the city of Yogyakarta, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1700 m above sea level.

Several of its eruptions have caused fatalities. It was erupting from 1992 to 2002, and a particularly large explosion killed 43 people in 1994. It began erupting again in 2006, and scientists believe a large eruption is imminent. In light of the hazards it poses to populated areas, it has been designated a Decade Volcano.

Merapi is the youngest in a group of volcanoes in southern Java.It is situated at a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is sliding beneath the Eurasian Plate. It is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire - a section of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and South East Asia.[1] Stratigraphic analysis reveals that eruptions in the Merapi area began about 400,000 years ago, and from then until about 10,000 years ago, eruptions were typically effusive, and the outflowing lava emitted was basaltic. Since then, eruptions have become more explosive, with viscous andesitic lavas often generating lava domes. Dome collapse has often generated pyroclastic flows, and larger explosions, which have resulted in eruption columns, have also generated pyroclastic flows through column collapse.

Typically, small eruptions occur every two to three years, and larger ones every 10-15 years or so. Notable eruptions, often causing many deaths, have occurred in 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872 (the most violent eruption in recent history), and 1930—when thirteen villages were destroyed and 1400 people killed by pyroclastic flows.

A very large eruption in 1006 is claimed to have covered all of central Java with ash. The volcanic devastation is claimed to have led to the collapse of the Hindu Kingdom of Mataram, however there is insufficient evidence from that era for this to be substantiated.

Merapi continues hold particular significance for the Javanese: it is one of four places where officials from the royal palaces of Yogyakarta and Solo make annual offerings to placate the ancient Javanese spirits.

krakatau again

pumice from krakatau floating on the ocean





sunset and one of the older islands



the island of anak krakatau



the main carter of anak krakatau





krakatau

Krakatau volcano lies in the Sunda strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. In about 416 A.D., caldera collapse destroyed the volcano and formed a 4-mile (7-km) wide caldera. The islands of Krakatau, Verlaten, and Lang are remnants of this volcano. The eruption and collapse of the caldera in 1883 produced one of the largest explosions on Earth in recorded time (VEI=6) and destroyed much of Krakatau island, leaving only a remnant. Since 1927, small eruptions have been frequent and have constructed a new island, Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau). Image courtesy of the Landsat Pathfinder Project.




In January of 1960 a group of scientist visited Anak Krakatau to record its renewed activity and to measure changes in the size and shape of the island. They observed explosive eruptions of pyroclasts from ash to boulders in size. This photograph shows a column of ash rising above the island. Rakata, a remnant of the volcano prior to the 1883 eruption, is in the background.
In 1960, Anak Krakatau had a minimum diameter of about one mile (1.5 km) and was 545 feet (166 m) tall. A crater on the south side of the island was 2,000 feet (600 m) in diameter and contain a growing cinder cone 300 feet (100 m) in diameter and 150 feet (50 m) high. The new cinder cone formed in about a month and can be seen just below the ash column. Verlaten Island, near the top of this photo, is a remnant of the volcano that was destroyed by the 416 A.D. caldera collapse.

Explosive, Vulcanian-type eruptions occurred at 1/2- to 10-minute intervals. The largest explosions produced turbulent clouds of ash and lapilli that rose 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the vent. In this photo a column of ash is rising about 1,500 feet (450 m) above the crater. This episode of activity, which began in December of 1959, ended in 1963. Anak Krakatau has had at least nine episodes of activity since 1963, most lasting less than one year. The most recent episode began in March of 1994 and has continued to at least March of 1995 (last reported observation). Activity is similar to the 1959-1963 eruption.