Kelimutu lakes, the palette of the gods

Kelimutu lakes, the palette of the gods

Nestled in the highlands of Central Flores, the three colored
lakes and stunning scenery of Kelimutu National Park make it the
island of Flores' premier natural tourist attraction.

The draw of the park is the incredible view of the crater
lakes, but it is the cool misty air and the unique moon-like
landscape that make a morning atop Kelimutu memorable.

Although the switchback roads through the mountains of Flores
make any travel an adventure, part of the attraction of Kelimutu
is how easy it is to reach. A short truck ride from Moni deposits
visitors for an easy 10-minute walk from a picturesque lookout,
from where it is possible to see all three lakes, and look out
above the rugged, lush countryside.

Despite being advised not to bother getting up at four in the
morning, I was glad that I was at the lookout before sunrise. It
is a surreal feeling to be in the thick of clouds as the morning
slowly comes alive beneath you.

The reason I had been warned not to get up so early was
because the thick clouds, common at daybreak in the mountains,
meant that seeing anything, including the lakes and their
different colors, was impossible.

Standing at the viewpoint about 1,500 meters above sea level
watching the majority of tourists leave shivering and
disappointed amid the clouds at 7 a.m., I was thankful that I was
wrapped inside a large ikat cloth and a thick wool blanket I
borrowed from my guesthouse in Moni.

Finally, around 8:30 a.m. the clouds began to clear and the
spectacular contrasting colors of the lakes became visible. It is
a unique sensation being completely engulfed by clouds, and
feeling the mist rise away from you and watching the rocky shores
and the colors of the lake appear. "It is as if you are on the
moon," said David Ziegler, 28, a visitor from France.

Beneath our rocky perch, the colors of the lakes became richer
and deeper as the sun slowly climbed in the sky. It soon became
clear that the smallest of the three lakes was black, but it was
not for another hour when the sun's rays rose above the crater
wall and shone directly on the surface of the lake that the rich
turquoise hue of one lake and reddish brown color of the other
became apparent.

The three lakes could all be seen from one viewpoint, and the
reddish brown and turquoise lakes are barely separated by a 15-
meter-tall rock wall. The lakes look like pools of paint or ink,
and up against each other the colors contrast sharply.

The namesake of the park, Keli Mutu, (in the local language
keli means mountain and mutu is boiling) is a passively degassing
stratovolcano capped by the three crater lakes.

Like 85 percent of the 1.4 million people living on Flores,
the people of Lio Ende are Roman Catholic, but older animist
beliefs are still an important part of their lives. To these
people, this mountain is holy, and a token of God's blessings
that provides fertility to the surrounding lands.

While there are varying local explanations for the colors of
the lakes, including a local legend that the souls of the dead go
to the lakes, scientists ascribe the different colors to the
varying oxygen levels in the lakes that mix with the different
minerals in each lake. All three of the lakes are fed by a
similar volcanic gas source, but due to the differing
subterranean routes that the gas takes it creates different
chemical "expressions" in each crater lake.

Just like blood, when the lake waters lack oxygen they look
green, or in this case turquoise. Conversely, when they are rich
in oxygen they are deep red to black. This mixture of oxygen and
minerals, and the colors of the three lakes themselves, are
constantly changing. Twenty years ago, the small black lake was
white.

From the lookout area a variety of paths meander around the
edge of the craters. A walk along the reddish brown lake reveals
rich red hues in the shallow water that become more pronounced
once the sun has risen above the crater's edge. This footpath
runs along most of the turquoise water and ends along the eastern
edge, where it joins the path toward Moni. The 12-kilometer trek
down from Keli Mutu is pleasant, as the air becomes warmer and
more comfortable as you descend.

One clear morning is enough to take in the paths and unique
views of Kelimutu, but if the weather does not cooperate, the one
street mountain village of Moni, which can be reached by bus or
car from Ende and Maumere, is a comfortable place to spend a few
days. There are hot springs close by, handmade ikat sarongs and
shawls to check out, and lots of clean fresh air to breathe in.

-- Jock Paul