Kinahrejo Dust Blanket – ipadguides

God certainly does not give a disaster just to punish his people. Perhaps, he repeatedly gave disasters, as a warning to others, to always remember Him.

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Kinaharjo Village, right under the foot of Merapi, 3 Oct 2013 [11.00]

Maybe if Sumijo followed Mbah Marijan’s footsteps when he was spitting out his bowels, he would not be able to appear as a Jathilan dancer during Daihatsu Indonesia’s 10,000 tree planting event.

Sumijo is a native of Kinahrejo . In the same village where a courtier of the Jogjakarta palace dedicated himself – and ended his life – as the ‘caretaker’ of Mount Merapi.

“My house was completely destroyed, sir. The cattle also all died. Alhamdullilah, only God and his family are still given life,” said Mas Sumijo.

Currently, the village where Mas Sumijo and Mbah Marijan live is no longer allowed to become a residential area, because it is considered too dangerous. Therefore, he and the rest of the village did village bedmoving from one village to the Karangkendal area – about three kilometers from Kinahrejo.

It is not easy for those who move from the village where they used to earn a living. Moreover, they. All the treasures that they have have been consumed by the entrails of Merapi. However, they had no other choice.

All back to zero.

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The sun is directly overhead, the dust is flying. I entered the lava track in the form of sand with a terios, to test the performance of this hybrid car in off-road conditions. In fact, I underestimated whether this SUV could pass through the hills and bends of the Kinahrejo sand. But it turned out to be not a problem at all.

Two years after the eruption, the natural conditions and the people of Kinaharjo also changed. The villages that used to be where they lived, now only live sand and rocks from Merapi’s vomit. The sand and rocks here are of high quality, so currently the area is full of miners looking for sustenance.

Merapi is one of the most active mountains in Indonesia – even the world. Its unique eruption pattern, which is difficult to predict, has become one of the important studies in volcanology. Its eruption in 1872 nearly wiped out everything around it, as it erupted for five days non-stop. Also in 1961, and in 1994, where dozens of citizens died.

In 2006 Merapi had wanted to throw up his stomach again. However, it turned out that he was only joking to give a warning. It was only in 2010, still fresh in our memories, that Merapi again issued its wedhus gembel to all corners of Jogjakarta. Dozens of people died again. Mbah Maridjan, was one of the victims.

Mbah Maridjan did not want to be evacuated during the eruption of Merapi. Maybe we think that he is very stupid. However, we must appreciate it because it is a form of his loyalty to the trust. The existence of Merapi is a socio-cultural symbol that cannot be separated from the people of Jogjakarta.

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Kinahrejo village, where Mbah Maridjan and Sumijo live, is the outermost area which is directly adjacent to Merapi. For years, residents believed Merapi would never hurt them. This belief made them reluctant to evacuate when Merapi started its eruption. However, in 2010, Merapi again showed its unpredictable nature. The hot clouds headed straight for the southern slopes where many of the residents lived.

However, now kinaharjo has risen. Sumijo may no longer be a farmer or rancher, he can still live by being a jeep driver lava tours. Yes, lava tours, literally. The village which was devastated by the ashes of Merapi has been transformed into a tourist attraction. The debris is not disposed of, they are neatly arranged – into a museum – where visitors can see the remains of the ferocity of one of the eternal peaks of the island of Java.

So that we refuse to forget to always be grateful, and continue to improve ourselves, before being picked up by the power.

Thank you 🙂