(A Note from Dieng Plateau) : KAWAH SIKIDANG – SIKIDANG CRATER

Kidang is a Javanese word for ‘deer’ and it is the name of crater I’d visited last Sunday. Sikidang crater is part of Dieng plateau and it belongs to Banjarnegara regency, Central Java. There are actually several active craters which can be dangerous as its poisonous gas in several occasions, but they are also beautiful and worthy to be visited.

I came with my friend, Bimo at around 6.30 am. It was still quiet. Only several persons were there and the souvenir place was still closed. But it was a good chance for us to visit. We didn’t have to be in crowd and enjoyed the crater as long as we wished. Though it was cloudy and little bit drizzled, I and Bimo went to the crater. He said that the soil was so fragile and the crater could move anywhere. Prone to landslide and like living sand… I could feel warmth between coldness.

It smelled much alike your fart (hahahaha). Even my friend said you can release your gas there and nobody will blame you on it. As it smell stronger even than your stinkiest stomach wind. Despite of its wonderful odor, it contains of sulfur for making your skin softer and eliminate your acne. But beware, do not ever try to wash your face there as it is so strong and 100 percent sulfur bonus losing your face too (hehehe).

Bamboo fences are built in order to prevent people get closer to the crater. It is dangerous if you come closer, and I just felt satisfied when I could come there for the first time. Usually when I visit Dieng Plateau, I will visit different places and always in the morning, from 5 am until 10 am. The crater is hot and besides main crater, there are still other smaller crater which can appear anytime.

What I could feel is thankful as I can still visit this beautiful crater. Strong odor had gone and just happiness come. As its name..Kidang/deer, it can move to find out new place. And later when I search on internet, there is a legend related to the origins of the crater. It is much alike other legends which related to curse of a prince to a princess who rejected his love proposal. Let me tell about it later.

Mysterious, dangerous but marvelous.