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Thread: Kelimutu Lakes, Indonesia (tourist attraction)

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    Veteran Member rashka's Avatar
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    Default Kelimutu Lakes, Indonesia (tourist attraction)

    Wikipedia article (here) mentions the lakes being a tourist destination but it does not mention anything about not being allowed to swim in them.

    Then I found this article when I googled swimming in Kelimutu.
    http://www.anysomewhere.com/kelimutu...s-of-the-dead/

    "Staring at the milky blue waters I could see why some people were tempted to dive in as if goaded by an invisible spirit to swim in the beautiful lake, slipping off their sandals and jumping to their deaths in the poisonous volcanic water.

    Walking up steps and along a path, with a final climb up to the main viewing area, called Inspiration Point, we arrived somewhat out of breath, but pleasantly warmed by the 30 minute hike. Up at the top, the weather was cold, with a strong wind blowing.

    I was blown away by the sheer enormity of the three Kelimutu lakes. Having seen photos prior to my trip, and having visited various other volcanic lakes in Indonesia, I hadn’t expected them to be so expansive. A sign states that the black lake covers 4.5 hectares with a depth of 67m. However, my guide believed this to be inaccurate due to the difficulties of measuring the lake’s size.

    The lakes change colour from time to time, and were black, turquoise blue and lighter blue on my visit, all colours opaque. Each lake has a name: the black lake is called Ata Bupu, the light blue Nuamuri Ko’ofai, and the turquoise lake is called Ata Polo. The transitions in colour are believed to be caused by the concentration of minerals entering the water, which being in a live volcanic crater, has a high sulphur content. In some places I could see some bubbles at the water’s surface and the wind created ripples across all three lakes. Steep, high cliffs surround the lakes, and it is certainly a very long way down.

    Besides science, the lakes play a significant role in the traditional beliefs in the Kelimutu region. Local people believe that a dead person’s soul enters one of the three lakes; there is one lake, Ata Polo, for the souls of people who have committed evil, a second lake, Ata Bupu, for the souls of old people who have died and a third, Nuamuri Ko’ofai, for the souls of those who have died young. As a result of this, offerings are made to the spirits residing in the lakes.

    My guide told me about people who have wilfully jumped into one of the lakes, without intending to commit suicide. He described one visitor who was with friends at Inspiration Point before decided to walk back down towards the car park alone, while his friends were still admiring the view. Later his sandals were found, which had been taken off, showing that he had jumped and not fallen into the lake. Apparently several people have died in this way, and it is believed that they were tempted into the water by the spirits of the lake. Indeed the milky blue waters can appear deceptively inviting.

    In fact, the poisonous waters are thick with minerals and sulphur, and therefore extremely dangerous. Several people have died in the lakes over the past few years, including locals. It is very difficult to retrieve corpses from the lakes, because they are pushed and pulled around by the volcanic strength of the bubbling magma underneath.

    Returning to the parking area via a different path, I was relieved I hadn’t dived into the black or blue water, and I could understand why Kelimutu has such a powerful pull for local people and tourists alike."



















    Last edited by rashka; 08-25-2013 at 04:50 AM.

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    卍Descendant of a Simurgh and Garuda卍 Shah-Jehan's Avatar
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    The water is so blue...Makes you wanna' jump right now
    The Indo-Aryan Languages--------Beautiful Bengal--------Kashmir: Paradise on Earth--------The Nord-Indid Phenotype--------Ethnic Groups of Southern Asia

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    Veteran Member rashka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shah-Jehan View Post
    The water is so blue...Makes you wanna' jump right now
    When I first saw them I thought they were actual lakes for swimming.

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    Veteran Member rashka's Avatar
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    "The effusions from the lake are poisonous; however, there are still Indonesians desperate enough to mine the sulphur from the lake and are suffering from the hazardous conditions. "

    Mining a volcano in Indonesia. Most of the crater’s base is occupied by a lake of turquoise water (38.000 million cubic metres which in reality is a lethal mix of hydrochloric and sulphuric acids. The temperature of the water indicates the volcanic activity. In the days before an eruption, the water reaches the boiling point.

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