THE FIERY MOUNTAIN (MERAPI): Before and After

MERAPI AND ITS SURROUNDING BEFORE THE 2010 ERUPTIONS:

As quoted from http://biancatours.com/beautiful-merapi/

Kaliadem or Cool River at Kepuharjo Village, Cangkringan District
before the eruption of Mount Merapi. Source: wordpress.com

Cangkringan. Source: slametismulyanto.blogspot.com

Cangkringan and kaliadem. Source: wisata.kompasiana.com

Merapi is Java’s most potent mystical symbols of life and is truly one of the world’s most beautiful mountains. It was revered understandably for centuries as a spectacular sight no matter how many time one sees it. For a break from punishing tropical heat of Yogya, race up to the quiet highland resort of Kaliurang only one our by car on good road., refreshingly cool, one can easily spend several days here relaxing.

Merapi Trekking
There are at least three good tracks for climbing the Merapi. They are:

* The Kaliadem/Kinahrejo track on the southern side
* The Babadan track on the western side
* The Selo track on the northern side.

The Selo track is regarded as the easiest and safest, certainly the most suitable or beginner climbers. Those with experience in climbing will need about four to five hours to reach the summit.

YOGYAKARTA, MOUNT MERAPI AND THE LAST DAY IN THE OFFICE

 Epic centre 2006. Source: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

YOGYAKARTA, MOUNT MERAPI AND THE LAST DAY IN THE OFFICE

By: Neneng Tarigan.

I have already decided in mind that the last day I serve my office as a civil servant, I have to go to one of my most favorite place in Indonesia, Yogyakarta. I love this city because people in the city are very committed with their cultural value that is a real Javanese culture. This city is not only best known as always keeping up the Javanese tradition but also as “the City of Student” or “Kota Pelajar”. Many students from all over Indonesia studied and graduated from various universities here such as from Gajah Mada University, Islam University of Indonesia Sunan Kalijaga, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Christian University Duta Wacana, ASRI or the Academy of Fine Arts just few examples of reputable Indonesian Higher Education institutes here around. Many intellectuals, researchers, professors as well as foreign students graduated or at least join a further studies in Yogyakarta, most popular subject among others are: cultural, arts, medical, law and agriculture.

People here live very peacefully and governed by a Sultan as the Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region; the recent one is Sultan Hamengku Buwono X. 

Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Prince Charles. Source: Momolamen.com

INCREDIBLE INDIA?

 The Taz Mahal. Photo taken by Neneng Tarigan.

INCREDIBLE INDIA?
By: Neneng Tarigan
BSD City, 7 September 2010.

Visiting India especially the Taz Mahal is always in my dream. In my childhood we used to have calendars with pictures about interesting places all over the world. Watching the pictures I got the feeling as if I were living there once in the past, because those pictures seemed so close to my heart. Some pictures were about few places in my country but most of them were about interesting and historical places abroad. I wonder if reincarnation is a true story, but as a Christian I would rather trust, that was only because my heart and soul was extremely possessed by the beauty of the places and the history behind it, that was why I feel so close with the pictures. As it proved, I was lucky to have been visited more than 40 countries in the world.

It was 09.00 pm when I landed at Indira Gandhi International, the new airport of New Delhi, India, on 30th  August 2010. The airport is huge and it has just been operational since early of August 2010. The size maybe equal to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok and the floor was totally covered by wall to wall carpet like Changi airport of Singapore. The security check was so tight, may be it happens after India has a very bad experience with the Mumbai terrorist attack. (Mumbai is the second largest city of India)

KISAH SANG PENGEMIS TUA

Sumber foto: http://www.mullie.wordpress.com

PENGEMIS TUA

Tertatih ia meluruk jalanan panas ibu kota

Tubuh tua lunglai... terpanggang terik matahari..terseling hujan ..debu bau-bau sampah kali kotor metroopolitan kota Jakarta...

Terbakar kaki melepuh letih berjalan... terseok....merambat dia melirik kanan kiri menghindar padatnya manusia lalu lalang berkenderaan kencang bak tanpa kendali....

Kaki tua .... sesekali terhenti mengadah tangan mengharap koin dan lembar-lembar kumuh para dermawan baik hati ..... yang muncul tiba-tiba kala bulan-bulan suci menaungi negeri tercinta.

Hujan deras kuyup mengguyur tubuh tua tanpa sanak ....

Tangan kurus ...kotor merambah.... mencari koin nan jatuh tumpah terserak dibawah genangan hujan lumpur kolong jembatan...

Mata tua terpejam terciprat air hujan nan terlindas mobil mewah para tuan dan cukong-cukong yang sibuk asyik bercanda dengan kekasih gelapnya.........

Tanpa henti tangan tua meraba.. mencari koin koin lembar -lembar kumuh yang terkumpul sejak dini pagi tadi ...

Tubuh gemetar menahan lapar tanpa sentuhan sebutir nasi ditengah negara swasembada pangan yang bernama Indonesia...........

Tiba-tiba napas terhenti.... ia terhujam terhenyak terhempas tergelepak merintih meregang dan melepas nyawa tubuh tua lemas tak berdaya terkena senggolan tronton penuh muatan pangan hari raya..........

Tiada lagi ....senyum miris sang pengemis itu di bumi ini.......

Dia hanyalah seorang dari pengemis-pengemis tua tanpa identitas jelas ....walau tetap manusia yang hidup di bumi Indonesia.................

Dia hanya....lah segelintir ....manusia miskin dari mereka yang punya nasib serupa....hidup tua.... miskin tanpa terpelihara.... dinegeri Indonesia dimana kaum tua papa harusnya dihidupi oleh negara.........

Entah....dia pergi dengan damai.....,tapi ia terlepas dari bebannya,.....terlepas dari beban negara......,terlepas dari beban manusia.....dibumi Indonesia tercinta........ditengah kejamnya ibu kota........ditengah kemewahan pejabat, petinggi negara, ditengah mata hartawan dan orang-orang kaya yang seharusnya syarat pada kenyataan yang terjadi di masyarakat kita..............

Akhirnya semua tetap diam bungkam...menutup mata dan telinga... sampai saat pemilu nanti ....dimana nasib seperti pengemis tua..... baru akan berarti. dan suaranya akan didengar dan terdengar sampai lorong-lorong redup gedung mewah para pejabat negara, para cukong dan koruptor yang berlimbah ruah dengan harta... ditengah masyarakat yang penuh rintihan dan air mata.......

NRT

BSD City 5 September 2010

 WAJAH KUMUH NEGERI TERCINTA, MASIHKAH AKAN TERUS BEGINI?

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