Chasing the sun at Dieng plateu

By Tarko Sudiarno , The Jakarta Post , Wonosobo |

A silver sunrise. (JP/Tarko Sudiarno)

Dieng plateu holds thousands of natural charms and has a rich ancient heritage. One of the many activities that tourists usually participate in on the plateu, other than indulging in the splendor of ancient temples, is watching the sun rise.

If lucky, in one day you can see the "golden sunrise" and the "silver sunrise". Tremendously beautiful.

Although administratively it is part of Wonosobo regency, the plateu is located at the crossroads between Wonosobo, Banjarnegara regency, Temanggung regency, Kendal regency and Batang regency.

To be able to watch sunrise, you have to be at the Sceneries Shelter at Tieng village, some five kilometers from downtown Wonosobo. It takes less than 30 minutes to get there. If leaving the town early at around two or three in the morning, the morning chill and the thick air will be another challenge to beat for the post sits at 1,700 meter above sea level.

However, the biting air will be compensated for with the scenic view. As we descend to the post, dots of light from Wonosobo and its nearby cities form a dramatic panorama.

Nearest villages like Kejajar and Rowojali look like they are standing behind a curtain of morning mist which is slowly falling from the dark sky. The color of life changes every second. Gradually, Sindoro mountain and Kendeng mountain will also be seen afar.

If the sky is clear sunrise can be enjoyed thoroughly. First, in the darkness, we can see the pinkish sky accentuated with strokes of golden rays of the sun -- really golden. Soon, the sky turns orange and the sun shows its round shape.

In a matter of a second, the chill is replaced with a friendly warm wind, blowing off the mist. When the curtain of mist has been completely drawn, there is a sea of lush green farm around us. You can hear the sound of chirping birds and farmers' chattering in the distance.

But don't get too absorbed in this rare beauty for we have another sunrise to chase at the Dieng temple compound, around ten minutes from the Sceneries Shelter.

The moment may not be as spectacular as the first, but it has an entirely different flavor. The sun rises from behind clusters of temples, which sit 2,093 above sea level. From behind the Hindu temples, if, again, the sky is clear, the sun shines only one ray. It is silvery -- that's why it's called silver sunrise -- and penetrates through the old stones of the temples.