Thoughts From Another Place

Dieng Plateau: the sulphur effusions

Be careful to not fall into one of these... it was quite impressive to see these bubbles just coming out of the ground.. and man, the smell was awful... It's quite scary to imagine what is actually going on under there that is making this heat come up to the surface! But as Bastien said... "once the bubbles stop, that's when you start worrying and RUN!"

Dieng Plateau: an unknown wonder of the world

There is something magical about Dieng Plateau.. the weather to start: a mix of everlasting epic cloud battles in the sky, violent rains and freezing wind that blows in your ears as if trying to say something. The road up to the Plateau is absolutely gorgeous, as if these mountains led to a second life, second world. The people of the plateau are poor yet give away smiles with pleasure. The temples were quite amazing, even though small. There a more than 1 000 ruins all over the plateau. Basically, one can nearly see the divinity of it all and how it was when it used to be a sacred place.

Dieng Plateau, is a marshy plateau that forms the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng active volcano complex, and is located near Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.

It is the site for eight small Hindu temples from the 7th and 8th centuries, the oldest Hindu temples in Central Java, and the first known standing stone structures in Java. They are originally thought to have numbered 400 but only 8 remain. The Dieng structures were small and relatively plain, but stone architecture developed substantially in only a matter of decades resulting in masterpieces such as the Prambanan complex and Borobudur. The name "Dieng" comes from Di Hyang which means "Abode of the Gods" [1] Its misty location almost 2000 m above sea level, and its mists, poisonous effusions and sulphur-coloured lakes make it a particularly auspicious place for religious tribute. The temples are small shrines built as monuments to the god-ancestors, rather than as a convenience to man.

Farmers of Dieng Plateau

Here are picture of Dieng

Volcan Merapi: the lava tour

Of the 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, Merapi is the most active. The name Merapi means "Mountain of Fire". The volcano is considered sacred and every year a priest climbs to the top to make an offering.High 2968 meters, it is located 25 km north of Yogyakarta. The mountain erupts about once every 5.5 years

Voici des photos de la "lava tour" du Merapi. C'est tout ce que nous avons pu voir vu que l acces au volcan etait ferme. Il faisait tres sombre et nuageux, donc nous n'avons meme pas apercu le cratere. Cependant, la trainee de lave etait tres impressionante. C est ici que l annee derniere un village a ete detruit par l eruption. Une ambiance tres gothique :)