Kintamani
Kintamani
is a market town perched on the narrow rim of the Mt. Batur crater. Buses still
bring tourists here to marvel at the natural features of the volcanic caldera
and various lava flows. In the limited time they have, the locals swarm upon
them with postcards, trinkets and other useless tat for sale, trying to extract
a few rupiah before they leave for the next point of interest. The tourist
trade has dwindled, and now the town is a rather sad, tawdry, moth eaten
version of its former self.
Occasionally
tourists will stay for a night so they can trek through the lava fields, and up
to the summit of the volcano. While there, they'll probably stay at the one
remaining reasonable hotel - The Lake View. The hotel has installed a second
set of glass doors to the rooms in an attempt to abate the incessant rumble of
trucks hauling sand and gravel from the bottom of the caldera. This will be
used in construction somewhere else on the island.
So
instead of tourist money pouring in, raw materials are pouring out.
The
town snakes beside the narrow road along the crater rim, and in the afternoon a
heavy fog starts to envelope the area obscuring the views and bringing another
worldly feel. It is surreal to be in a tropical paradise where most of the
island is baking in over 30C heat and blasting sunshine, when you are shrouded
in mist. The locals go about shivering even though they are rugged up in ski
jackets.
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