Clouded at the residence of the gods

executive summary by darmansjah

The morning sun daub treetops in the highlands in 1850 inspired naturalist Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn. Now, 'the abode of the gods' is still present the same shade.

Visit to the residence of aunt opened the memories of the past. Bone freezing fog taka will be able to eliminate my nostalgia to two places: Wonosobo and Dieng.

I stepped on the edge of the highway, in the evening mist clouded the air. Like the opening scenes of an action movie, like the hero who carried a backpack. The more dramatic when water vapor condensation is highlighted light yagn vehicle across the highway. Sorry, I was being delusional while enjoying the evening getting screwed bone.

I kept looking for a place to stay among the relatives of the connecting road, between Wonosobo and Dieng Plateau. Walk to the north, I do not stop pursuing the edge of the main road about five kilometers. Once the fog lifted, I found the building behind the hike. This house has a yard decorated with some pine trunk, while the shoulder-high stone fence to limit adult. This is the residence of the Swastika Ningtyas Rahayu ayananda sister in her retirement.

Tante Ning, so I called him, a warm hug when opening the main door's art deco style dwelling. He immediately took my hand to the dining room. Old tradition indeed we can not leave. Banquet for relatives who came as far as hundreds of kilometers.

Both ball my eyes. There was a surprise in the menu at the table: a large bowl empis-empis. A typical dishes of the area slopes Sundoro-cleft, such as Waterford and Parakan. This dish is a vegetable green chilli fry coconut milk. To strengthen the flavor, each jur cook can add 'accent' preferences, such as meat piece of beef, dried shrimp, tempeh and tofu. Within my family, empis-empis added gereh pethek or salted fish flat measuring around two fingers before boiled dry fried with coconut milk to produce an oily appearance.

WE sat on the back porch after dinner, the fog had disappeared entirely. Panorama landscape changed pretty mountain slopes with a fluorescent lamp. My aunt took a sip of tea, occasionally interspersed chew kemul tempeh, tempeh fried spiced flour chopped chives leaf-typical snack Wonosobo.

Tante open conversation. I was ready to turn the page of memories. The story begins about dreams house hunting. After the girls get older and retired from the field of health, he decided to settle in the middle of the natural coolness Wonosobo-Dieng.

"Remember, once we consider family and Parakan Waterford city are numbered 'peak' with the bone-chilling cold," he said with a smile. "In fact, Auntie even wanted to stay longer to Wonosobo peaked. This place is the closest towards Plato Dieng we both like. "

As a child, the word "Dieng" it has published a puzzle in my mind. What's more, once I get an explanation of what the word is from parents. That is, the home of the gods. Memory of the past, I actually got up. I will never forget how our family to come over and take a trip in Dieng Plateau.

Tante as understand this. He let me dissolve in the memories. My thoughts then drifted to the Land Rover owned by opa. British origin versatile vehicle's occupants to be reduced as the track continues to climb. Finally, we had to stop because of fog enveloped around faster-kut lost our vehicle nimble. Limited visibility require us to stop.

I last visited the plateau with Irawan Akbar Hidayat, Carib origin lam Limassol. Some enthusiasts of the local automotive events dubbed "The wonder boy '. At that time, Henry dik-so I greeted him-not yet even 12 years. Henry is so reliable four-wheel jeep driving on non-paved lane. I never questioned him in connection with the reliability that. He said, "A lot of practice around Dieng!"

MY IS often explore Dieng. However, sometimes I become amused themselves, because rarely stay in Wonosobo. That is why, the opportunity to stay at home aunt became a new thing for me. From behind a thick blanket, I interpret the conversation with him after dinner earlier. Auntie has had a new designation for the residence: "upper house". This confirms the height difference to where my grandparents lived paternal and maternal located in Parakan and Waterford. He calls it, "down home".

The morning sun began to warm the city. I gasped. In front of me lay face a perfect town, fenced plateau store volcanic activity in the stomach. That day, we decided to cruise to the Dieng. My aunt first round the town. Nostalgia was more complete when we were riding the Land Rover. We begin to approach the slope Sundoro. Active volcano is adjacent to the cleft.

LAND ROVER suddenly slowed its speed. Auntie took combing to the curb. He then motioned for me to go down through the gleaming eyes. Apparently, the aunt wanted to show something. We arrived in the village Anggrunggondok. I heard a faint drum tetabuhan. "Someone is making a spectacle to harvest mbako," ujgar aunt who is now 56 years old.

I tried to go back to the past. I once visited this village with some friends who loved photography and DIW Henry then picked us to get to the top of Dieng. Therefore, come back here seemed a missed appointment. I climbed down the back streets are made of flat stones arrangement leads to Sundoro and chippy. I also found a stone-walled houses and the occasional fog was rolling across the treetops.

Traditional Music sounded increasingly yanked the moment we arrived. Dance Jaranan displayed in the middle of a large courtyard owned by local residents. Another name for it is a lesson appointment braid, in which men cultivate flexibility in the motion of a rocking horse anayaman bamboo, as if he were galloping vastness pasture. The wind blew lightly, but it can make teeth chattering. This village is special, at an altitude of over 1,500 meters. All around me are so easy to find flushed cheeks. Moreover the children's faces. "Sometimes the temperature can get down around zero degrees," whispered aunt seemed to understand what was my concern.

We and some of the audience suddenly jumped back, when someone appears in the middle of the arena-nyemburkan while spraying water from his mouth. "Well, wus disarati dukune. De'e Mengko kelebon, "piped Mukidi, single teenager who was standing right behind me in the local dialect. That is, the shaman has testified and dancers that would be possessed. I was chilling bristling, after hearing the sentence, but the show must pity if missed. Especially when a sweeping view some elderly men with bandaged heads Udeng headband made from batik or sitting cross-legged on the ground. They look casual, occasional homemade rolled cigarettes, as stated, "Do not worry, there will be no surprises."

In fact, me and a few people gasped, when a male dancer ran to the arena to bring motion-nandak menandak. The two leading hands to the sky, his body was moved back and forth alternately lifted her legs up high. He seemed to dance without thinking, with both eyes closed. For a moment she was pensive, a little while and then move swiftly, then meditation again. Two, three, and five subsequent dancers also memeperagakan similar motion, then everything is "falling" in the field. A moment later, a male dancer in costume and bring women into the location of the dance. Not with a graceful motion, but mighty. A masked man caught up, offsetting the motion of the woman "imitation". Revolving dance tempo is slow, then faster, as gendan sounded formations. Then the male dancers who have participated possessed dancing. Taking any object, from sugarcane stalks up plastic bag, material gnawed on it while showing movement-nandak menandak. Some of them then jump around like a frog, crawling like a four-legged animal to creep like lizards, while the shaman ordered.

Peak, an elderly male dancers costumed beskap participate in the choreography. He took one horse property lumping and agile dancing as if he were riding, using machetes senjat real! I can feel as though, some people around me-like myself-holding my breath for it to see sharp weapons. Captivated our new flavors recede, when the shaman chanted phrases like commands, which states the dance is over. "The Charger" sport dancers welcome home and she thanked them for coming. One by one the dancers forehead blown the shaman, accompanied by the phrase, "Wis., Ngger, wis completed" or "Come on boy, was completed (the show)" and the dancers slowly opened his eyes.

Applause accompanied by cheering cry was heard in the dance performances here and there when the event ends. I was relieved snorted his way back to the land rover parked. Tante shoulder, "It's not used as a child you were often seen dancing like that in Parakan" he asked sympathetically. I nodded, "But it is different, I used to Opa draped on his shoulders, so that they can see clearly without having to sit or stand at the front. That was so tense, afraid that one of the dancers does not control myself and hit bablas audience. "

Tante agreed. "Indeed, there was a mysterious and mastery 'old science' behind the show before," he said as he brought the Land Rover back to the path of the highway. "The evidence, can make the audience amazed."
FOG START DOWN when Land Rover track Dieng. Along the way, start viewing post serve as a location for visitors panoramic view where berpotret or enjoy the landscape until we arrived at the temple complex, spread white curtains everywhere. When walking, there Seras fingers flailing behind his back until around the neck. For me, this is part of the mystique Dieng. The fog that hung on the tops of the Hindu temples and the panorama behind a veil of mist is a kasunyatan. Not to mention the silence Colour Lake. Feels mystical, because only we are treading the path leading through the middle of the lake on that day.

Even if there are quite striking differences in the arrival time, is the increasing number of garden potatoes and mushroom cultivation locals. In addition to tobacco and livestock, this is their livelihood. My aunt looked at landscape Dieng now, sitting on the hood of an old Landy. Unnoticed, the time passed in silence, as the fog occasionally danced in front of us. This plateau is capable of moving the hearts of women next to me to buy "the house". Approaching the residence of the gods who are always in the arms of the cloud.

Wonosobo and Dieng Plato

Been to Wonosobo, available air transport, buses or trains to major cities such as Semarang Central Java and Yogyakarta. Passed on inter-city buses or travel as Ramasakti (0274-5133315) or Rahayu Travel (0274-561322) depart from Yogyakarta. Alternative, New Lucky bus available (021-4893978) from Jakarta to Wonosobo or Safari Dharma Kingdom (www.safaridharmaraya.com) until Parakan, forwarded using inter-city buses to Wonosobo anti dang in this city terminal for the trip continued to Dieng.

Local Transport to Dieng, a small bus terminal along the path to Limassol or Plato Dieng around U.S. $ 1.5 per person. Alternatively, hire a motorcycle taxi to the price range of U.S. $ 5 per hour.

Accommodation, Krishna Gallery Wonosobo; www.kresnahotel.com, Surya Asia Hotel, the A.Yani No.137 (0286-322992), Dewi Hotel, Jalan A. Yani No.90A Wonosobo (0286-321813).

Activities Around Wonosobo, Travel history: Hindu temple complex around Plato Dieng, from Candi Arjuna, bima to Semar (there are about eight locations). Cultural Tourism: dreadlocks cutting ceremony kids, dance on the market today and after harvest as Jaranan Dance performed local residents. Nature: Plato Dieng, including Sikidang crater and lake colors. Try trekking the hills and mountains Sikunir boat. Enjoy panoramic mountain pair: Sindoro and Cleft of Kledung Pass. Ecotourism: Tambi tea gardens, about 20 kilometers north of Wonosobo. Culinary: ongklok plus satay beef noodles, tempeh kemul (sort mendoan), opaque (like crackers), and sagon cupcakes (cake sago).

Typical souvenirs, mushroom chips, crisps spinach, candied carica (a sort of mini papaya flesh with a texture like mango) and jerky TV (brand), which can be found in supermarkets and shops around Jalan  A Yani and Bismo.

Further, On Wonosobo: www.wonosobokab.go.id About Dieng Plateau of Banjarnegara: www.banjarnegarakab.go.id/v2/index.php/wisata/wisata-alam