Remember and Move On

Lava Tour: Remember What Need To Be Remembered and Move On Slowly

It was two days one night trip for travel writing class and we decided to travel around Yogyakarta. Lava Tour become one of the places I wanted to visit most in Yogyakarta. Placed in the slopes of Merapi Mountain, following the lava track which caused by the eruption in 2006 and 2010, this trip is a way to learn about the history of Merapi Mountain eruption and to see directly the leftover.

The sun was still hiding behind the cloud when we gathered around many jeeps. With our own group, our own choice, 3 of my friends and I jumped to one of a green jeep without any cover on the front. With Mr. Taufik, the driver, time to take off to remember what happened several years ago in Yogyakarta. Couldn’t hide our excitement, some of my friends in another jeep preferred to stand while my friends and I preferred to sit since it was our first time in jeep. I could feel the wind blew my hair aggressively tried to ruin my hairstyle. The sun also couldn’t hide its excitement to accompany us seeing the leftover of Merapi Mountain’s lava track.  The journey was quite far from our base camp but it didn’t make us tired since we could also see what Yogyakarta looked like.

The jeep started to dance followed the rocky street also made our bodies up and down, as we went deeper into the track. Left and right there is nothing but tree. Dust flew, forced to make teary eyes and short breath, but luckily we used mask and there was glasses cover my eyes but nothing for my friend in front who several time rubbed her eyes and spit something from her mouth.

First place to visit was Alien’s rock. There was a big stone near the front gate with many pieces of animal bones on it. When we walked, there was nothing but sand and rock. Some decorations were made by people as a photo spot but I had no willing to have a picture in that spot. Not far from the area where we listened the explanation of the place, there was a big black rock that is called as alien’s rock. “There is no rock like that before, but when Merapi Mountain erupted, magically the rock is there,” said the tour leader. “Also if you pay attention on it, the stone looked like a face of human,” he continued his explanation. We gathered around the rock, tried to see if what he said was true or not. But yes, the stone looked like a human face. Amazing, isn’t it?

Time was still running forced us to continue our journey. Deeper the jeeps brought us, crazier its dance was. Mr. Taufik also wasn’t reluctant to escort the jeep to the rockier street. If my stomach could talk, I thought it would shout at me and said “stop the crazy shaking, you human!” Yet, my mind didn’t care about my stomach and enjoyed the fun.

A few minutes later, we stopped in front of a wrecked house. There were 2 bones of animal welcomed us. There were no glass attached to the window like what window should actually looked like. Cry from people who experienced the incident covered the wall. “Museum Mini Sisa Hartaku” is how people called it. The house itself was broken by the incident. The white walls became dull, outside the house I could see the door which supposed to be inside the house and stanchions were standing stick to the wall. Inside the house, there were tables with many things which were broken by the lava on the top. Electronic devices, cutlery, kitchen appliances were covered by grey dust. All of those things became hard and shapeless so there was an explanation to tell the visitor what it was. Pictures of what the area looked like before and after the eruption and how the mountain was looked when the eruption happened were decorating the empty wall. I didn’t know about the other, but I really felt sad and also had a goose bump seeing the things. “It shows the time when Merapi Mountain erupt.” The tour leader said when we were in front of a clock which hung on the wall. Its long hand on the number one while its short hand on twelve, and under the clock a wood board with “Day: Friday” was written in red ink. As we walked around the house, the tour leader didn’t stop his explanation about the incident. I could hear his low voice tried to explain everything in order to make us imagine how sad and fearful the incident was.

Continue our lesson, we went to a dark, not too big bunker where people hid and protected themselves when the eruption happened. There was only darkness and emptiness found in the bunker. I couldn’t imagine, how people could live in a place under the ground. It was cold. Echo. Lonely. Forced me to get out from the bunker hurriedly. On the top of the bunker, there was a big sign of its name, “Bunker Kaliadem”. I thought the cloud also feel the lonely of the bunker. It became dark and cold. It also started to cry little by little, remembering what people might do at that time, crying and praying for God’s favor. 

The rain started to calm down as we left the bunker. “It’s time to go home,” I thought didn’t want to remember only the sad memory, yet the jeep went down to the small river. “Ready for the wet time?” Asked Mr. Taufik as the jeep was in the river. Slowly but sure, water around us, it was ready to erase all of the sadness. The river was full of happy shout from us. There were some who wanted more but some didn’t want the cold water touched them again. Honestly, I really wanted to have more water sprayed on me, but I knew my clothes didn’t help me so much with only one pants. When the jeep started to leave the river, I knew it was really the time to go home.

The way home journey felt shorter than when we departed. It didn’t need long time to finally back to the base camp. “This trip is made since Merapi Mountain is no longer dangerous.” Mr. Taufik said when one of my friend asked. An idea of what people might think after experienced the eruption came up to my mind when I heard him, alsowhen I remembered that the track also brought us from sadness to happiness, “so it’s time to move on little by little. Not only see it as an incident but something that can be useful for people around here.” I know it must be really hard, tearful, and scary for the people who experienced it but I am glad to know they start to rise again. Just remember what need to be remembered and move on slowly.