I got up at 4AM and took a motorcycle taxi at 4:30 to near the top of Kelimutu Mountain, then walked about 30 minutes to the top to see the sunrise.
Kelimutu crater
There are actually three lakes, all different colors, but you can only get all three in a photo from a helicopter (not in the budget).
I preferred the option to walk down the mountain instead of taking a taxi, but I didn't want to walk on the road. Karina (from Greece) told me to find the coffee man at the top of Kelimutu, and I could walk down with him. Afelinus (shown below) took me on a path half way around the crater, then down a narrow path through the jungle.
We passed his farm land, where Afelinus fed his cows and cut me a big chunk of sugar cane (shown above). He pointed out to me his coffee and clove plants, cut off a chunk of bark from his cinnamon tree, and threw a stick into a tree and down came two very sweet oranges.
Afelinus' home - it's about as simple of a house as you can imagine. Afelinus walks barefoot up and down the mountain every day selling coffee and tea to the tourists. He also farms his land. As I followed him down the jungle path, I noticed how soundlessly he walks, as I stomped loudly behind him. I'd like to walk through the earth (or life) more gently than I do.
View from Afelinus' house - As we got to his home, he pulled up a couple of ears of corn and his wife cooked them on the fire. He served me coffee mixed with sugar and ginger. Afelinus also raises chickens, goats, dogs and pigs. As we approached his home, the pig came up to me to be pet. Then she rolled over to get her belly rubbed. Really!
Afelinus and his three boys
His wife served me fried rice, fried noodles, and long green beans in spicy sauce, along with a little arak (homemade liquor).
Me with the wife, mother and boys (he also has two girls)
I got up at 4AM and took a motorcycle taxi at 4:30 to near the top of Kelimutu Mountain, then walked about 30 minutes to the top to see the sunrise.
Kelimutu crater
There are actually three lakes, all different colors, but you can only get all three in a photo from a helicopter (not in the budget).
I preferred the option to walk down the mountain instead of taking a taxi, but I didn't want to walk on the road. Karina (from Greece) told me to find the coffee man at the top of Kelimutu, and I could walk down with him. Afelinus (shown below) took me on a path half way around the crater, then down a narrow path through the jungle.
We passed his farm land, where Afelinus fed his cows and cut me a big chunk of sugar cane (shown above). He pointed out to me his coffee and clove plants, cut off a chunk of bark from his cinnamon tree, and threw a stick into a tree and down came two very sweet oranges.
Afelinus' home - it's about as simple of a house as you can imagine. Afelinus walks barefoot up and down the mountain every day selling coffee and tea to the tourists. He also farms his land. As I followed him down the jungle path, I noticed how soundlessly he walks, as I stomped loudly behind him. I'd like to walk through the earth (or life) more gently than I do.
View from Afelinus' house - As we got to his home, he pulled up a couple of ears of corn and his wife cooked them on the fire. He served me coffee mixed with sugar and ginger. Afelinus also raises chickens, goats, dogs and pigs. As we approached his home, the pig came up to me to be pet. Then she rolled over to get her belly rubbed. Really!
Afelinus and his three boys
His wife served me fried rice, fried noodles, and long green beans in spicy sauce, along with a little arak (homemade liquor).
Me with the wife, mother and boys (he also has two girls)
No comments:
Post a Comment