Mount Merapi of 2,911 meters or 9,551 feet
Our journey to work in Indonesia always went from Atlanta to Amsterdam, Singapore, Jakarta the capital of Indonesia and another one hour flight from the west of Java to Yogyakarta in Central Java.
Then the journey through the mountains, leaving Mount Merapi behind and traveling towards two other stratovolcanoes where we lived and worked in the Dieng area.
BREATHTAKING views, IF you're lucky with the weather.
Usually early mornings!
Yes, Mount Merapi is a very active volcano and has caused a lot of devastation due to eruptions being accompanied by pyroclastic flows. As late as in 1976 and November 22, 1994 and also in 2010.
Husband Pieter took this photo on his 1st trip in December of 1972, with Mount Merapi in the back.
Clearly you can see the terraces they create for growing vegetables and lots of rice, which they can irrigate with water flowing from the mighty Mount Merapi region.
This is the view of such rice fields or 'sawahs' that Pieter managed to beautifully capture in December of 1972.
All formed by young ash grounds and alluvial lands.
Plowing the rice fields 'sawahs' with their buffaloes and you also see ducks in the water.
Still with Mount Merapi in the background.
This sawa is lined by banana trees.
Quite a job... a muddy affair, and that's how we get our rice products!
Must be hard on the buffaloes...
In Java they seem to manage three crops annually, due to their climate right on the belt of the equator.
Has any of you ever seen such tropical rice fields or sawahs being plowed by buffaloes?
Dear Mariette
ReplyDeleteI saw rice fields in Japan.
Your husband photos are beautiful I enjoyed them.
I wish you a nice day.
Dearest Catherine,
DeleteGlad you too got to see this very special crop!
Pieter’s photo’s indeed are excellent, thank you for your compliment.
Hugs,
Mariette
Hello Mariette, How appropriate to show the buffaloes working the rice fields during Ox Year. I usually write a Chinese New Year post featuring this year's animal, but somehow recently have not gotten around to it.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Dearest Jim,
DeleteOf course I did not have Ox Year in mind when working with these photos!
Hugs,
Mariette
Terraces are amazingly beautiful. I am very impressed with the beauty having been made by human's production activities.
ReplyDeleteDearest RTC,
DeleteThank you and at least this photo by Pieter managed to capture that!
Hugs,
Mariette
Great photos. Must be hard work plowing the fields.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Dearest Victor,
DeleteNo doubt very hard on the oxen!
Hugs,
Mariette
Hallo Mariette, prachtig die rijstvelden en de merapi berg. Zware arbeid daar op de rijstvelden. Fijne dag, lieve groet Willy
ReplyDeleteBeste Willy,
DeleteJa het zicht is adembenemend mooi maar hard werk voor de ossen.
Liefs,
Mariette
I've never seen rice fields in person, only on documentaries. Muddy is an understatement! I'm thinking of all the wives and daughters who would have to spend so much time on laundry, and then, probably without the conveniences that we have here, now. Oy!
ReplyDeleteDearest Kim,
DeleteThat might be the muddiest form of any fieldwork.
As for the laundry for the women, on May 10 you can see how that got done during the years we worked and lived there. At least in the rural areas! They had cold water Japanese washing machines on the market in the nineteenth.
Hugs,
Mariette
Olá
ReplyDeleteQue bonitas imagens, muito diferentes do local onde eu vivo, gostei de ver a realidade de outros países, obrigada.
Manuela
Querida Manuela,
DeleteNão há comparação com sua área.
Abraços,
Mariette
Não há comparável
Abraços,
Oh la! I have just been back to look at missed posts Mariette, you have many wonderful photos of your past travels, magnificent sights. Do you think you will do much more travel when and if the world gets back to normal?
ReplyDeleteDearest Grace,
DeleteThose were not travels persé but only on our way to work!
No, both of us are way beyond our working years and this will not be a repeat; mainly due to health issues.
Hugs,
Mariette
Great looking. A wonderful memory.
ReplyDeleteDearest Anne,
DeleteYes, we both have seen such sights so very often throughout all the years we worked and lived there.
Hugs,
Mariette
What an amazing country this is, Mariette, although I don't think I'd like living near so many active volcanos!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Dearest Martha Jane,
DeleteThank you and yes, the danger of an eruption is always around the corner...
Hugs,
Mariette
Me gusta esos terrenos escalonados, que tan buena visión fotográfica tienen.
ReplyDeleteBesos
Querida Antónia,
DeleteGracias y sí, esas imágenes que Pieter tomó capturaron las terrazas tan bien.
Abrazos,
Mariette
What a hard work it was plowing the rice fields with the oxen!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing those very interesting photos by Pieter,and for all the explanations, of course!
Many hugs,
Marie-Anne
Dearest Marie-Anne,
DeleteThank you and of course we both love to share this beautiful country with my readers. We loved its nature so much and the people, food, culture...
Hugs,
Mariette
Such interesting and lovely photos
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
DeleteThank you and it is a lovely sight in reality.
Hugs,
Mariette
Dear Mariette,
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful, and now theses photos become valuable.
Have a good day.
Dearest Tomoko,
DeleteThank you and yes, those are precious photos for re-viewing again!
Love your posts with excellent photos and stories.
Hugs,
Mariette
The terraced land is so pretty and I have never seen a live volcano!
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
DeleteYes, the terraced land looks very artful and pretty.
We both have viewed live volcanoes daily on our ride up the mountains for work, while living in Indonesia. They are part of Java's Ring of Fire!
Hugs,
Mariette
Breathtaking views indeed Mariette, wonderful series of images. That was quite a trip you had to make to get there ✨
ReplyDeleteDearest Grace,
DeleteIt is almost heavenly when you're on the road very early before the clouds pull in.
Indeed, not an easy way for getting to your work but I've done so 23 times and Pieter even more times.
Hugs,
Mariette