Today was a day of exploration. We left early this morning to visit Volcano Merapi, an active volcano located approximately 30 km away from our residence. The journey to the volcano was beautiful. The streets were narrow but they were surrounded by lush green trees. Along the way, we passed many workers tending to their rice paddies. As we got closer to the volcano, the land had lost its greenery as a result of the 2010 eruption. The volcanic ashes, which reached 800 degrees Celsius, had destroyed everything in their path.
It was impressive yet heartbreaking to witness all the damage the volcano had done.
Once we reached the volcanic compounds, we got out of our car and relocated into a jeep. The driver took us down a steep and rocky road. At first, it didn't seem like there was much to see because there were rocks and sand everywhere- everything was the same. A few kilometres later, the driver stopped at a house. At first this house looked like all the other houses that had been destroyed, but in fact, the house was a museum of different artifacts that had been ruined. On display there were cassettes, clothes, skeletons, a tv, cutlery, utensils and a motorcycle. After touring the museum we made our way to the bunker. The tour guide explained that in 2010 there were a few eruptions soon after each other. Although the bunker was a place of shelter, two people died in October but over a 100 died in November. This illustrates that volcanic eruptions are all different, since some are more intense than others. I felt emotional as I walked around because I found it hard to imagine how so many people could fit into such a tight, narrow and dark place.
On our way back to the parking lot I thought about all the people who had lost their homes and those that still chose to live close to the volcano, knowing that they were jeopardizing their lives.
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