Mount Merapi

Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi in Indonesian language, is a conical volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This fire mountain remains one of the most active and dangerous volcano in the world. It can be seen from its name – Merapi from Javanese world Meru means mountain and Api means fire. The latest eruption

In the early morning of Saturday, July 11, 1998, at 4.59 a.m, the volcano erupted again after days of ominous rumblings and minor tremors. At once, following the explosion, a black smoke rose up to more than 3000 m above its peak, spewing heat clouds and volcanic ash and debris several kilometers away. The ash hit the area as far as 60 Km away on the West of the mountain. Many surrounding towns were blanketed with white ash. The most dangerous killers are the heat clouds. This 3000 0 Celsius heat substance should melt and burnt easily anything found on its way. "Luckily, this cloud blew to an uninhabited area west of the mountain. In 1994 sudden eruption, 66 people of the South-West slope have been killed by this heat cloud.

The local people call this heat cloud in Javanese Wedus Gembel (Wedus – a sheep; gembel – thick curly hair), as it looked like. Usually the local inhabitants should flee from their villages only after seeing the emergence of the "curly sheep", as considered the real menace of the "Merapi Rulers". In 1997, thousand of Merapi villagers have been evacuated when it began spewing ash and lava.

The worst eruption was in 1930 which killed about 1300 people. People did not know exactly how many thousand or even million times, Merapi has been erupted since its birth. In the 10th century, its ashes had buried totally a temple 15 km southward. Probably its unbearable activity had pushed eastward the Hindu Mataram kingdom from Prambanan, central Java to East Java in the 10th century. But Merapi does not act always as "a bad guy", most of the time "it is a good guy", handsomely gives tremendous fertility to the land, stands strongly guarding the nature.

When Batik is Worn

Batik dresses are worn for several purposes, such as ;
1. Informal Dresses
It is a free choice, usually for daily casual wear.
2. Formal Occasions
In some parties, as a state banquets, receptions, etc, the invitees are requested to wear batik. Long sleeves shirts for the men and 'kain batik' (long batik to cover the lower body) for the women.
3. Traditional Occasions
It is worn to present the traditional wedding ceremonies, special ceremonies for the Royal families, etc.

In a wedding ceremony the bride and the bridegroom wear the same motif of batik Sidomukti, symbolizing a happiness and prosperous life. Using the same motif symbolizing the togetherness. The parents of the bride and the bridegroom wear batik with motif of Truntum, symbolizing the advice of the parents to the newly weds to enter the new life with full of love and confidence.

Traditional Dress
Women's traditional dress, especially in Yogya and Solo court families, consisting of :
1. Jarit or Tapih or Sinjang
A 'kain panjang' (long cloth of batik) measuring around 2 m x 1 m to cover the lower body, tightened with stagen (large waist band)
2. Kebaya
It is a traditional long sleeved shirt (the material used is not from batik, usually from silk and other fine materials).
3. Selendang
It is used as attractive piece of clothing to compliment the traditional dress. The 2 m x 0,5 m selendang cloth hung over one shoulder.
4. Kemben or Semekan
It is special for ceremonies in Karaton (palace) or Royal family ceremonies. Instead of wearing Kebaya, to cover the upper body, a kemben is worn.

Men's Traditional Dresses
1. Jarit or Bebed
Men kain panjang, tightened with stagen.
2. Surjan
Men traditional long sleeved shirt (only for Yogya style) and the material is not batik.
3. Beskap
Instead of wearing surjan, the men wear a coat (beskap of Solo style or Atila of Yogya style), the materials is not batik.
4. Blangkon
It is a headgear made from batik.
5. Keris
The dagger is worn at backside of the waist, as a compliment to the dress.

The Process of Batik Making

Batik, in Javanese means 'To Dot'. Basically there are two kinds of batik; Batik Tulis (hand drawn) and Batik Cap (stamped). The price of batik tulis is much more expensive than batik cap. A canting (a pen like instrument with a small reservoir of liquid wax) is applied to the cloth of batik tulis making. The tracing of the desired design on to the prepared cloth is the first stage of making followed by the technique of applying wax and dye substances. At the final stage of the process, all the wax scraped off and the cloth boiled to remove all traces of the wax. This process of repeatedly waxing and dyeing is the batik process, used until nowadays in Java and other parts of Indonesia. So, this kind art of batik is an indigenous to the country. The wax used in batik process is a combined product of paraffin, bees-wax, plant resins called gondorukem and mata kucing. Batik cap, which is also using the waxing process, its process of course faster and easier. But people appreciation of batik tulis is higher, it is really a work of an artist not only a craftsman. It combines the expertise, patience, deep feeling to produce the finest product, and it may take days, weeks and even months to make only a batik tulis. Yogyakarta and Solo are the centers of traditional of batiks, as the north coastal town of Pekalongan is the center of more modern batiks, using more floral and birds motifs. There are some well-known artists of batik design in Yogya and Solo, as well as some big batik manufacturers with famous trademarks. The growing production of batik makes way to the establishment of mori (woven cotton fabrics) factories in Yogya and Central Java. The Batik research Institute was founded in Yogyakarta.

Batik's Motifs

Sido Mulyo




Sido Dadi




Satrio Wibowo




Tikel Asmorodono

Batik - Traditional Fabric of Indonesia

Batik is one of Java's famous and highly developed art traditions, together with wayang (shadow puppets), gamelan (Javanese orchestra) and keris (the dagger - heirloom). Anywhere, batik designed materials are clearly seen as women traditional dresses, shirts, uniforms, sarongs, bags, hats, table-cloths, napkins, painting and decorative items, etc, with traditional color of brown, indigo and blue or more colorful ones. Nowadays, batik is an important industry in many production centers in Java. It is a proof that the people of Java do love the products, long time ago created by their ancestors.

The Symbolic Meaning of Batik's Motifs
The motifs of Batik, especially with old pattern, as in other field of Javanese tradition are symbolizing something. Might be, this is one of the reasons, why people still adore batik up to present date. Some of the motifs are :
1. Sido Mulyo :
Sido (you should be ), mulyo (happy). Symbolizing 'you should be happy and rich man'.
2. Sido Dadi :
Symbolizing 'you should be a man/woman as you wish (prosperous, high ranking position, wealthy, etc)'.
3. Satrio Wibowo :
Symbolizing 'Man with dignity'.
4. Tikel Asmorodono :
Tikel (more), Asmoro (love), Dono (gift).
It is meant the one who wears this batik, should be loved more and more by others.

Borobudur Temple

Overlooking the fertile valley of Magelang and facing the volcano Merapi, 40 km north from the province of Jogjakarta, stands a breathtaking monument that was built during the 8th century by the Bouddhist dynasty of Sailendra. This is the most prestigious monument in Indonesia, and the world’s largest Buddhist temple. The different levels of the monument symbolizes the different levels of wisdom we have to go through during life until reaching the enlightenment of Buddha, symbolized by the spectacular upper terraces. The global architecture (obvious when seen from the air) is actually a mandala (sacred diagrams initiating people with spiritual awareness). Borobudur is the place where you may find a new vision of the world and yourself.
Some said the monument was discovered by the Dutch Cornelius De Houtman in 1817 with most of its side covered with soil but the people of Jogjakarta were well aware of its existence. The Dutch military engineer was deputed by Raffless to investigate this discovery but the first major conservation step was taken in 1874 by draining the sunken area with sand by Kinsbergen. The major conservation action took place in between 1907-1911 leaded by the Thedar van Earp. He reconstructed the upper round terrace by using many new stones. But still, the monument was deteriorating and it was only in 1975-1984 that UNESCO came to rescue and sponsor the restoration and conservation of the monument. This was a huge work: millions stones were taken piece by piece and cleaned carefully. New foundation was put on as well. The result is one of the most ambitious and successful restoration ever. A must to see for any serious traveler.

Prambanan Temple

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples. It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.

The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the precise damage". However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

History of Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta was founded in 1755 and was the capital of Mataram kingdom when the Dutch came along. The Dutch granted the kings by title Sultan of Yogyakarta territory. Yogyakarta was also the scene of Indonesia's most successful rebellions against the Dutch - firstly with Prince Diponegoro who waged a holy war against colonial rule from 1825 to 1830, and also serving as the capital of the newly independent republic after World War II when the Dutch reoccupied Batavia (Jakarta).

People have lived in Central Java and Yogyakarta area since immemorial time as over the centuries they have been attracted by the rich soil caused by the numerous volcanic eruptions. The earliest recorded history dares from the 9th century and was dominated by Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that gave rise to the magnificent temples such as Prambanan, Ratu Boko, Kalasan, Sambisari and Borobudur found in this area. Yogyakarta itself dates back to the 18th century. In the early 18th century, Pakubuwono II ruled the Muslim Mataram Kingdom of the time. After he passed away, there was a conflict between his son and his brother, which was encouraged by the Dutch who were trying to colonize the region on a 'divide and rule' basis.
The Kingdom was divided into two regions namely Surakarta Hadiningrat kingdom under Sunan Pakubuwono III rule, and Nyayogyakarta Hadiningrat kingdom under Sultan Hamengku Buwono I rule. He was the founder of the present line of Sultans who still live in the Kraton and play important role in Javanese culture. The second kingdom was later called Yogyakarta, now better known as Yogyakarta.
After the independence of the Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX and Sri Paku Alam VIII launched a statement that the Kasultanan and Kadipaten (the two royal regions), belonged to Republic of Indonesia as a part of the whole area of Indonesia Republic. Since then, it has been known as Yogyakarta Special Region and was given a provincial status in 1950 in recognition of its important role in it fighting for the independence.

Lake Toba

Located 906 metres above sea level, Lake Toba is the largest lake in the world (100 km long and 31 km wide) and also the deepest at 450 metres. This is the hub of tourism in North Sumatera and the homeland of the Batak People. Lake Toba is the second most populated area in Indonesia after Java. The people are mostly farmers drawn there by the rich and fertile volcanic soil. Parapat, 176 km from Medan, is a booming resort and the main town on the scenic lake. There are many hotels and plenty of entertainment. Activities include, waterspots, golf, fishing, trekking and shopping for wood carvings, traditional textiles and ceramics. The Lake Toba is is the largest lake in Southeast Asia, once created by an enormous eruption less than 100,000 years ago. Th eruption was approximately 8,000 times more powerful than the eruption of Mount St.Helen in 1981.
There are of course legends on how Lake Toba was formed. The traditional Batak canoe, the solu, was 10-15 metres long. All had the same width. The canoes were decorated with carvings, the captain, the chief, sat in front and gave orders. The solu had its own spirit and when a new canoe was built offerings were made for both teh canoe spirit and to Boru Saniang Naga, the Goddess of the water. Batak feared her ad disasters could easily happen when she was angry.

North Sumatra - Places of Interest

Along the length of this province crosses the Bukit Barisan mountains with peaks of numerous volcanoes. In between are several lakes, one among them is the famous Toba Lake. The land has thick virgin forests, lush vegetation, rice fields, mountain streams, rivers, waterfalls and sandy beaches.
It has a rich flora and fauna. An abundance of birds, butterflies, buffaloes, deer, mouse deer, orang utans and many other export commodities make North Sumatra one of the richest provinces in Indonesia, as it produces more than 30 % of Indonesia's exports. The province offers the visitors, especially nature lovers, beautiful tropical panoramas, terraced rice fields, blue mountains, jungle covered hills, white sandy beaches, music, dance and folk arts.
The people are hospitable and warm. The major tribes are the Malays of the eastern coast, the Bataks consisting of sub-tribes such as Toba, Simalungun, Pak Pak (Dairi), Karonese of the highlands around Lake Toba, the Mandailing and Angkolas from the southern part. Nias Island is inhabited by the Nias tribe, off the western coast of the province. Besides them are several ethnic groups who live in Medan and other towns of North Sumatra. Its largest groups are Chinese and Indian, being naturalized Indonesian citizens. Other Indonesian tribes like Acehnese, Minangkabau, Javanese, etc. also live in many parts here. Each of the mentioned tribes as well as the ethnic groups has its own dialect, religion, beliefs, traditional customs, etc. Arts and cultures make this region, a paradise for social scientists. Among the ancient Indonesian cultures which can be seen at Samosir island are the centuries old tombs of Batak Toba kings and a stone-table with its benches, where meetings were formerly held by the Siallagan chiefs.

PLACES OF INTEREST
1. Medan
Medan was once the site of a battlefield between the Aceh people and the neighboring Deli Kingdom. Medan is the capital of North Sumatra Province, a trading center and important harbor. Once Medan was part of the Deli Sultanate. What is historically most interesting is the Mesjid Besar (Grand Mosque) and the Palace of the Sultan of Deli which has been restored to revive its past grandeur. Medan's harbor town is called Belawan, which is the sea link to Penang, Malaysia. Medan, Indonesia's western international gateway maintains regular flight to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Amsterdam and Vienna. Additionally, there are several air connections between Medan and Jakarta, and other destinations in Sumatra.
2. Crocodile Farm
Medan has the largest crocodile farm in Indonesia. Here one can see how the crocodile eggs are hatched, and then reared somewhere else. This farm is located at Asam Kumbang, 5 km from the heart of the city, and has nearly 2000 crocodiles of different kinds.
3. Bohorok
This place is for the adventurous, accessible through Sumatra's inland wilderness, crossing rivers and going over steep hills. The area lies south of the Mount Leuser National Park, a rehabilitation center for orang utans in Bahorok, which was inaugurated in 1973. Orang utans living here are of Sumatra and Kalimantan origin.
4. Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park
Located at Tongkoh village in the district of the Karo highlands, approx. 59 km from Medan. Formerly Tahura Bukit Barisan since 1916, known for its location called Arboretum Tongkoh Berastagi, however since 1989 renovated and renamed Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park.
Found there is the zoological museum and a gazebo with Karo ornaments designed on the top of the roof, painted with various writings of typical welcome greetings in Tapanuli, which is Horas.
5. Berastagi
Berastagi, a tourist town, is another lovely town located in the Karo highlands. The town is known for its plantations and various kinds of flowers, vegetables and fruit, most famous of which is the Marquisa passion fruit. It's 66 km southwest of Medan and is 4.594 feet above sea level. There is a pleasant colonial-style hotel with a golf course. Other new hotels can also be found. From Gundaling Hill a clear view of Mt. Sibayak and Mt. Sinabung volcanoes can be seen.
6. The Village of Lingga
Located some 15 km from Berastagi, is a unique Batak Karo village where traditional houses are still well-preserved and inhabited today. Five to six families live in each house, un-separated by any partition, while each family have their own stoves.
7. Sipiso-piso Waterfall and Tongging
Tongging is a place to see a waterfall surrounded by beautiful sights in cool mountain air. It is 24 km from Kabanjahe, located at the north side of Lake Toba. The 360 feet waterfall is visible from a gazebo at one top of a hill.
8. Rumah Solon
House of Bolon (Rumah Bolon), the long house that belonged to King Simalungun, has now been restored and redesigned into a museum.
9. Lake Toba - Parapat
The town of Parapat is the main tourist resort and lies on the very shore of Lake Toba. This lake is about 50 miles long and 16 miles across, with a depth of about 1,400 feet. In Parapat live Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun tribes, and are happy and easy going people. They are known for their lively and sentimental love songs.
Recreational sports in Parapat are among others swimming, water skiing, motor boating, canoeing, fishing. Golf is at Sally golf course (19 holes), about 5 km from Parapat. Parapat is 176 from Medan and can be reached in 4 hours by bus. The climate in Parapat is cool and dry, making Parapat an ideal place to relax. Many hotels, bungalows, villas, rest-houses welcome visitors. Small shops sell souvenirs such as Ulos (local woven cloths) and specific fruits locally grown.
10. Samosir Island
The island of Samosir is right in the middle of Lake Toba, covering an area of 329 square miles. This island is the original home of the fiercest but kind hearted Toba Bataks. It can be reached in half an hour by boat from Parapat. The villages of Tomok, Tuk-tuk, Siallagan, Ambarita are recommended for traditional Batak Toba houses, and local dances. This island has many hotels, bungalows, and rest houses.
11. Jangga
Jangga is a village of native Bataks, located in the hills, on the main road to other Batak communities living separately there, like Lumban Nabolon, Tonga-Tonga Sirait Uruk, Janji Matogu, Sihubak hubak, Siregar, Sigaol, Silalahi Toruan Muara and Tomok Sihotang. There are monuments of King Tambun and King Manurung, traditional houses, cultural and other historical remains left by Batak kings centuries ago. This original native Batak village has complete ornamentation, and is much visited by domestic and foreign visitors. Visitors can watch young girls or old women weaving the beautiful ulos cloth inside the booths their principle livelihood beside agriculture.
12. Pematang Siantar
Pematang Siantar is the second largest city, lying 128 km to the South of Medan. On the way, you will pass through many rubber, cocoa, palm oil, tobacco and tea plantations. This is the richest part of North Sumatera, because these plantations produce the main export commodities. Then onward to Lake Toba you will see a vast stretch of land covered with thick forests, plantations, terraced rice fields, lush vegetation, green hills and mountains.
13. Pandan Beach
A seaside resort with white sandy beaches where a fishing village can be found 11 km from Sibolga. Here the visitors can enjoy the magnificent view of the Indian Ocean and see fishermen in their sailing boats from the beach to the open sea. The restaurants offer you the grilled fresh fish just caught from the sea. Small souvenir shops selling sea shells, corals, ring-stones, etc. are available here.
14. Nias Island
This island lies off West Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. The villages of Bawomataluo and Hilisimae are curions places to visit, where visitors can see performances of traditional war-dances and thrilling high- jump sports, i.e. people making dangerous leaps over 2 meter-high stones. Typical scenes are dancers clad in traditional costumes with bird feathers on their heads, a hall for the Chief-of Tribe built on wooden logs with stone chairs weighing up to 18 tons. There are daily flights from Medan to Nias island.
15. South Tapanuli
It lies in the southern part of North Sumatra, bordering the provinces of West Sumatra and Riau. This region has a population of about 900,000 and lies on the way to West Sumatra. The sceneries are attractive all the way. Some of the tourist objects are Candi Portibi, Dolok Simago-mago, Pakantan, Husor Tolang, Sibanggor, Adian Lungun Niroha. There are also hot springs and a good hotel available at Tor Sibohi.
This district is known for its ceramics and handicrafts. The Portibi temple is at Padang Bolak, 78 km from Padang Sidempuan, or 518 km from Medan. There are cultural remnants of a Hindu temple of the Kingdom of Panai, founded in 1039 A.D.

History of Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited) stretching along the equator in South East Asia. The country's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade, trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history. The area is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and languages.
Fossil evidence suggests the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by Homo erectus, popularly termed the "Java Man". Estimates of its existence range from 500,000 to 2 million years ago. The modern peoples of Indonesia are of Malay origin and are descendant from immigrants from mainland South East Asia who first arrived around 6,000 years ago. Ideal agricultural conditions and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the seventh century BC allowed villages, towns, and eventually small kingdoms to flourish by the first century AD. Around the same time, the region established trade between both India and China. Fostered by Indonesia’s strategic sea-lane position, trade continued to be one of the most important influences on the country’s history.
It was upon this trade, and the Hinduism and Buddhism that was brought with it, that the Sriwijaya kingdom flourished from the seventh century AD. It became a powerful naval state, growing wealthy on the international trade it controlled through the region until its decline in the twelfth century. During the eighth and tenth centuries AD, the agriculturally-based Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties thrived and declined in inland Java with grand monuments built, including Borobudur and Prambanan respectively. The Hindu Majapahit kingdom was founded in eastern Java in 1294, and under its military commander Gajah Mada stretched over much of modern day Indonesia in 1350. This period is referred to as a "Golden Age" in the country’s history.
Arab traders first brought Islam to Indonesia in the late twelfth century, establishing settlements in the Aceh region. It spread across the Indonesian archipelago, following trade routes. Rather than a violent conquest, it was, for the most part, peacefully laid over and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences shaping what is still the predominant form of Islam in Indonesia, particularly in Java. European traders first arrived in the early sixteenth century seeking to monopolize the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in The Moluccas. In 1506, the Portuguese, led by Ferdinand Magellan, were the first Europeans to arrive in Indonesia; the Dutch and British followed. The Dutch became the dominant traders in Indonesia, establishing the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. The VOC, however, was dissolved in 1798 and the government of the Netherlands established the Dutch East Indies as a fully-fledged colony.
The Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia existed in various forms for over three hundred years until the Japanese occupation during World War II. During the war, Sukarno, a popular leader of the Indonesian Nationalist Party, cooperated with the occupying Japanese with the intention of strengthening the independence movement. On 17 August 1945, two days after the Japanese surrender, Sukarno unilaterally declared Indonesian independence. Sukarno was declared the first president and Muhammad Hatta the vice-president. Over the next four years, a bitter armed conflict was fought as the Netherlands tried to win back its colony; in the face of international pressure, the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence in 1949.
Sukarno's presidency relied on balancing the often opposing forces of the Military, Islam and Communism. Increasing tensions, however, between the powerful Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and the Military culminated in an abortive coup on 30 September 1965, during which six top-ranking generals were murdered in contentious circumstances. A quick counter-coup led by Major General Suharto resulted in a violent anti-communist purge centered mainly in Java and Bali. Hundreds of thousands were killed– the exact figure is uncertain with estimates ranging from 100,000 to as many as two million– and the dominant PKI was in effect destroyed. Politically, Suharto capitalized on Sukarno's gravely weakened position; by March 1967, he had maneuvered himself into the presidency in a drawn out power play between the two. Commonly referred to as the "New Order", Suharto's administration encouraged foreign investment in Indonesia, which become a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth.
In 1997-98, however, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis. This aggravated popular discontent with Suharto, who was already facing accusations of corruption. Popular protests against his now weakened presidency broke out in early 1998 and on 21 May 1998, Suharto announced his resignation, ushering in the Reformasi era in Indonesia. East Timor voted to secede from Indonesia in 1999, following the 1975 invasion and subsequent twenty-five-year occupation marked by repression and human rights abuses, for which Indonesia was internationally condemned.
A wide range of reforms have been introduced since Suharto's resignation, including Indonesia's first direct presidential election in 2004, although progress has been slowed by political and economic instability, social unrest, terrorism and recent natural disasters. Although relations among different religious and ethnic groups are largely harmonious, acute sectarian discontent, even violence, remains a problem in some areas. A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005.