Merapi, which means “Mountain of Fire“, is Indonesia’s second most active volcano. On average it erupts on a small-scale every two to three years and on a bigger scale every 10-15 years. Over time Mount Merapi has changed its surrounding landscape by creating slopes, killing a few thousand people and destroying their homes. For the superstitious Javanese, Mount Merapi plays a significant spiritual role. They believe that when a volcano erupts, it is the result of angry spirits, discontented due to an insufficient number of offerings or those living nearby showing a lack of respect. The last eruption here expelled millions of tonnes of volcanic material in to the river, drying it out, but creating new jobs mining for lava sand.
