INDONESIA: Central Javs's smouldering Mount Merapi Volcano slows tourism

In the shadow of Mount Merapi, a woman selling snacks to tourists visiting the rumbling Indonesian volcano says business has never been this bad. Her food stall, like many others at the Kaliurang Recreational Park on the foothill of the volcano, was empty and simply abandoned as tourists who once thronged the area are too frightened to visit. Trying to make ends meet, the 30-year-old woman now sells photographs of the restive mountain in order to help support her family. "I haven't been doing this for long. I was selling food before but the stalls are now empty so I had to switch to selling photographs," said Andry. Merapi, which lies in the mystical heartland of Java, Indonesia's main island, has always been a big draw on the tourist map. But ever since the unpredictable volcano began spitting out dangerously hot clouds of gas in April, the five observation points and recreational parks around Merapi have been deserted. The areas around Merapi, which means "Mountain of Fire", have been placed on red alert and most villages located 7 km (4 miles) from the peak are considered within the danger zone. Local tourism authority estimated as much as an 80 percent drop in tourist arrivals to spots usually frequented around the volcano. One of the most dangerous volcanoes in the "Pacific Ring of Fire", Merapi has also become more active since an earthquake last month struck the ancient city of Yogyakarta and nearby areas, killing more than 5,700 people. Two people were killed when they were trapped in a bunker by debris from the volcano after it had one of its heaviest bursts yet last week, spilling molten lava and spewing clouds of hot gas and ash as far away as 7 km from Merapi's top. Experts still fear a lava dome, building since April, could collapse, generating clouds of gas and lava flows that could cause more devastating damages and fatalities. More than 60 people were killed when Merapi erupted in 1994, while 1,300 died in a 1930 eruption. "Before going to Indonesia, we were afraid because of the volcano. We don't know if we can come or not, so we have no information enough, so we go and it's okay we're not afraid We think it's wonderful and magnificent," said French tourist Michael, who visited Borobudur Buddhist temple complex some 40 km (25 miles) away from Merapi. One of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, Borobudur survived the 6.3 magnitude quake but continued emissions of gas clouds from Merapi often blankets the temple and forcing tourists to wear masks and temple workers to wash away volcanic ash from the mountain. "It is better to clean the temple now gradually, otherwise there would be more ash accumulating and make it more difficult to clean later on," said Meilianawati, a student chaperon during a school trip to the temple. Built between 750 and 842 AD, 300 years before Cambodia's Angkor Wat and 400 years before work had begun on the great European cathedrals, little is known about Borobudur's early history except that a huge workforce must have been involved to carve the 60,000 cubic-metre colossal relic.

ITN Source | June 23, 2006

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