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.
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