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<\/a><\/p>\nNear the jeep and motor-bike rentals, there was a covered station of a group of women who provided motor-bike rides for\u00a0hire\u00a0to go up Merapi.<\/p>\n
We hiked up the path to a village which had been devastated during the last major eruption in 2010.<\/p>\n Along the trail, we passed several women carrying huge bundles of grass on their backs. We were told they were farmers who hiked up to the high grounds to cut grasses then\u00a0bring them down to their cattle in farms below the mountain.<\/p>\n After a while, we came upon a small farm with some\u00a0chickens and animals. The house belonged to a charming 74 year old woman who lived alone on the mountainside. We were invited into her home and Josh translated for us. \u00a0She had been forced to evacuate during the devastating 2010 eruption of\u00a0Merapi, but chose to return to her family home. She supported herself by making, bagging, and selling charcoal to a supplier in the city.<\/p>\n We went out to see the woman’s charcoal pit and learned how she cuts\u00a0trees, hauls them to the pit, and burns\u00a0them to make\u00a0charcoal.<\/p>\n We continued hiking up to a clearing where there was a snack bar, souvenir stand, and a small\u00a0museum dedicated to the memory of Mbah Maridjan, Grandfather\u00a0Maridjan,\u00a0<\/em>who was the spiritual guardian of Mount Merapi. Born in a village on the side of the mountain, like his father before him, he was appointed as spiritual guardian by the Sultan of Yogyakarta in 1982.<\/p>\n Local people believe the Mbah Maridjan has the power to speak to the spirits of the sacred mountain. In 2010, after\u00a0he led ceremonies to appease the spirits, he refused to evacuate and died during the eruption. Below is a photo of the path leading down to the large lava flow area:<\/p>\n After walking almost four miles, we returned to our bus and rode to a very pleasant restaurant for an outdoor luncheon. I enjoyed the white, yellow, and black rice with satay and bean salad.<\/p>\n Afterwards, we went to the former home of the second president of Indonesia, General Soeharto, to meet with\u00a0several Indonesian veterans who spoke about their experiences during the war for independence against Holland in 1946 to 1949. \u00a0There was a modern informative museum and a veteran’s center.<\/p>\n Jess, one of the members of our group, brought and presented American military coins to each of the Indonesian veterans.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nIn the evening we went to a colorful dance performance of Ramayana at the folk arts theater. This is the epic story of Prince Rama and his wife Sita. Before the performance, we went backstage to see the dancers prepare for their roles.<\/p>\n