This active volcano never stops erupting until now, Merapi displays a menacing beauty. Towering 2,968 meters above sea level, it becomes one of the most important landmarks in the north of Yogyakarta. Then the disaster came in November 5, 2010, the largest in a hundred years. It sent a plume of pyroclastic flow (known as wedhus gembel) reaching 15 kilometers from the summit, with an ash column reaching 16–18 kilometers high, killed 385 people. Hundreds of people around the summit had to flee for safety. They lost their houses, families and livelihood.
Some villagers then tried to make something new : Jeep rides around Merapi. It turned out people love this. The community of these villagers grew so fast that now the Jeep (and Land Cruisers) owners have collected hundreds of vehicles. Three main favorite destinations are the bunker, the mini museum (the house that was heavily hit by the 2010 eruption), and the Tebing Kali Gendol view point.
The bunker is the closest point to the summit that people can reach, around 4.7 kilometers. The southern crack of Merapi is visible from here. The view makes you feel like you are in the Jurassic era. The bunker itself keeps a sad story of two volunteers died when trying to find shelter in it during the 2006 eruption. It’s been forbidden to be used as a shelter anymore since then.
The mini museum is another highlight of the Jeep tour. Hit by the eruption in 2010, it was previously a house used by one big family. They keep all the remains of the destruction in the house and all the properties inside. This is a reminder for all of us on how devastating a volcano can be.
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