Indonesia 2000, Part 9

One of the best days in Indonesua...


MONDAY 3 JULY

The main reason for going to Wonosobo was of course to visit the 2000m high Dieng Plateau, the
collapsed remnant of an ancient crater, an hour or so to the North of Wonosobo. The time spent on
the plateau was to be one of the highlights of Indonesia. 

Managed to get an early start to the day. Took a public horse carriage to the bus station for the
village of Dieng. I think it was only the second time that I’d been on such. Arrived in Dieng at
about 11am. 

Before splitting the previous Wednesday, Mustafa and I had agreed to meet up again in Dieng. The
arrangement was to meet during the weekend but of course I was stuck on the goat train! Went to
the appointed guesthouse but he’d left the previous afternoon. And only later did I find out that
he’d left a towel that he’d had for 16 years!

A great lunch, a map from the tourist office, Zuhr at a local masjid  and I was ready to explore
the wonders that the Plateau had to offer. First up was Telaga Warna  (Coloured Lake). Hiked there
and then around it and the adjoining Mirror Lake, all the time reciting verses from the Qur’an (I
wish I knew more!). Telaga Warna was beautiful, and it was in two different colours – freshwater
and turquoise. Didn’t hold back with the camera (but I’m not sure that they’ll come out very well
as I was using a fast 400 film and so many of the pictures may be overexposed. Shame!). It was a
most beautiful and peaceful site to be. No tourists, I had it all to myself! It fills me with joy
just thinking about it now. 

Some light shopping (food and hats) and very friendly conversations (in Indonesian, believe it or
not!) – everybody was asking if I was travelling alone and found the answer very surprising for
some reason – and I was ready for the next attraction - Sembungan, at 2350m the highest village in
Java. Was gonna walk there but I was feeling so joyous that I took a motorcycle taxi. Didn’t even
bother bargaining hard – a few pence is worth a lot more to the driver than it does to me. My
budget for South East Asia was about 10GBP per day and Indonesia was the cheapest but I still
spent that much per day. You see, because I loved the country I felt like spending more!

Sembungan felt very remote. The lake to the East and mountains all around added to this feeling of
isolation from the outside world. Shared my remaining food with a kid who offered me his bike (for
only a ride of course). It was too small unfortunately. Went for a walk around the lake but didn’t
have time to go all the way round. Met a group of boys playing soccer. Didn’t have time,
unfortunately.

By the time I was walking up the road that leads out from the village, the whole village was
immersed in fog. And it wasn’t to clear ‘til the morning so I missed a great photo opportunity.

Took another motorbike taxi to the best site of the Plateau, Kawah Sikidang, a volcanic crater
with steaming vents and violently bubbling mud pools. Wow, what a site! It was awesome! I’d never
been inside an active crater before and never so close to steaming vents and mud pools. The beauty
of it all seriously took me aback. Only the previous morning I was listening to a song that talked
about “how great the beauty of this world, the wonders of God’s creation”. The singer must’ve been
talking about Kawas Sikidang, I felt. It was the most wondrous thing, I tell you! 


There was one particular mud pool that I couldn’t take my mind, heart and eyes off and it nearly
brought me to tears. It was bubbling away with more violence than I thought possible. It looked so
angry. If someone had told me that there was an angry monster at the bottom of the pool waiting to
come out I would’ve believed him or her without a moment’s hesitation. I was utterly hypnotized by
it. It looked so violent and angry that despite knowing that I was in no serious danger, I felt
frightened. But it was a great feeling; one I wish you could all share with me. While staring in
to it I was thinking of my friends and how they might’ve viewed it. 

It would’ve been a good thing to share, but I think it’s best seen, for the first time anyway, on
one’s own. It allows much more time for contemplation. I can’t remember being moved by a natural
phenomenon as much. I’ve enjoyed other things as much, and more even, but they didn’t make me
think as much nor fill me with so much child-like wonder. It was fantastic, I tell you! 

Took the scenic route back to Dieng village, asking the bike driver to pause for photo
opportunities of the village and the swampy plains in front of it. Prayed Asr at the Big Masjid,
and it was quite big for a small village that has a number of others. Another great meal and I was
on way back to Wonosobo, arriving there before 7pm. Was to stay at the same place but this time in
a cheaper place without hot water.

Was gonna spend the evening writing but there was circus nearby.(But before going there, to mark
Arsenal and France’s victory in Euro 2000, I bought two replica kits of my two favourite teams.
Not original of course but not bad at all, and at less than 5% of the price.). It was the first
time I’d been to a circus since I was a kid. Enjoyed it but tried not to think too much about
whether the tigers, elephants and the monkeys did or not. But humans – trapeze artists, jugglers
and gymnasts - put on the best shows. It was well worth the 50 pence for the VIP ticket!