It was quite sobering to visit Mt Merapi, the site of the massiive volcanic eruption in October 2010. Even though the land has started to regenerate, with lots of greenery and tress growing across the volcanic ash, there were still many signs that this was a disaster zone. The makeshift warungs and houses along rhe main road up the mountains seemed hastily half built as a place of shelter or a spot to sell water and snacks to toursists.There was also the somber reminders of the deaths that occurred when the volcano erupted, with just the shells of burnt down houses sitting on the land that was once a family home. There were also burnt out vehicles which have been left on display as a bit of a toruist attraction, chunks of metal retrieved from the smouldering land, and showing just how intense the forceful the eruption must have been. There was evidence of the lava flows, and bare patches of land that were still left without tress, lifeless and grey expanses where the volcano had expelled its bowels onto the earth.

There was humour too, finding the light hearted side of life, in inevitable Indonesian style on the resto menu and some warung signs, as well creative things for sale such as eidelweiss. And  there was the famous ingenuity making the most of the volcanic activity that had occurred. through small tour guide businesses set up by locals to get income by running motorbike or jeep tours.

It was an interesting way to spend a morning, and it rally brought home just ow powerful and unpredicatble nature can be.