DESTINATION DREAMLIFE

Beauty in the chaos

Mount Agung, an active volcano and the highest mountain in Bali, has been on our list to climb for years. A steep seven-hour climb that you start around midnight. You reach the top when the sun rises. It must be a breathtaking view, magical, indescribable, and unforgettable. Bali bliss to the fullest! Here in Bali, they believe that Mount Agung is the home of God, this dark and oh so powerful and impressive volcano. That’s why they also consider her sacred.

Almost two months ago, we were about to go back to Bali. We had spent a few months in Europe and were still enjoying the warm September sun. Eve and Steph had already booked their tickets, but Pris had not yet. We found it quite exciting because Mount Agung was very restless. We heard a lot about it in the news; thousands of people around the volcano had been evacuated because they would not be safe if an eruption were to occur. Every day we checked the updates to determine if it was wise to go. Of course, we didn’t want to get stranded in Singapore and then make a cumbersome journey via Java to still arrive in Bali. In the end, we decided to get on the plane because, well, this could take months. Steph had at least bought masks for all of us, including for the girls in Bali because they were sold out almost everywhere. You should wear the masks as much as possible when an eruption occurs, so that the ash particles that are spread do not end up in your lungs. For a month and a half, it was calm, people could return to their homes, and everyone resumed their daily activities. Until last Saturday. Mount Agung came fully to life and erupted. The bizarre thing is that we didn’t notice anything here in Seminyak and only found out on Sunday morning. Indeed, via the Netherlands. Crazy how quickly it becomes world news and we were completely unaware.

Bali is in turmoil, our WhatsApp group with all the Bali girls is buzzing. Fortunately, we keep each other well informed: everyone sends the latest updates and gives each other tips. The streets are quiet, the restaurants empty, and you see many people driving with masks on.

Credits image: Eyes of a nomad & Bezumaxx

It’s such a mixed feeling: the photos and videos that appear on social media are truly breathtaking. At night and when the world wakes up, the most beautiful pictures are taken. Photographers, bloggers, and the press drive 2.5 hours from Seminyak in the middle of the night to capture the gigantic volcano. At night you see the glow of the magma illuminating the ash and the horizon looks ghostly. How small you must feel, powerless, astonished in the deepest sense of awe at the foot of this restless, commanding, powerful, and fire-breathing mountain.

Credits image: Bezumaxx & Shakuto

So incredibly beautiful for people to capture the eruption in photos, yet such immense fear and unrest must exist among the local population living and working around the volcano. We really feel for them. There is a desperate need for essential supplies for all those affected by this disaster. Masks, dust goggles, blankets, baby food; you name it. Food banks have been set up and central points where people can donate. The threat has become very real, people are becoming displaced from their belongings. What a sadness. Fortunately, there are effective organizations that help these people.

You would almost want to go there to see it with your own eyes and to help. We are not afraid, but we are cautious. We also sometimes wonder what this eruption could mean, what kind of change it brings with it? What does it mean for us?

The overflow of the magma is likely to happen, but when and with how much force, only nature knows. In any case, we have prepared well in case it comes to that and want to share the following tips with others:

• Wear a mask as much as possible, cover your skin with long clothing, and ride as little as possible on the scooter.
• Seal the gaps in your house so that the ash cannot come in.
• Cover your AC with a garbage bag so that the ash cannot get into your AC and damage it.
• Make sure you have enough water and food at home.
• Stay away from the danger zone and do not panic!

We keep getting messages asking if it is safe to travel to Bali, but that question is of course very difficult to answer. The airport in Denpasar has reopened, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. This is purely because the wind is blowing in a different direction, allowing planes not to have to fly through the ash cloud. In the Seminyak area where we are currently staying, it is okay. We are 70 kilometers from the volcano, but others closer to the volcano are not. We are doing everything we can to support them and pray every day that this big mama will cool her jets real soon.

Stay safe, Bali!

Credits image volcano in main image: Rjbrowntown