Hiking Mt. Andong

Last weekend Phil and some friends from school took a hike. They drove to a nearby village in the hills, then hiked a little mountain called Andong.

The smoking mountain to the right is Merapi. It erupted in 2006. It's not a direct threat to our town because its lava flow heads in the opposite direction. That makes me feel all better.

Some villagers taking a break from their farming to see the spectacle of a parade of hikers.

Another shot of Merapi. On a clear day, we can see this volcano from our house. What a beauty!

Looking across a farm at Merapi.

More villagers

The view from the top.

Phil and Dylan squat on the peak of Andong. Our local friendly volcano, Merababu, is in the background. Phil says that even though Andong was a small hike (one of our friends had the nerve to call it a HILL) he was pretty toasted when he was done. He wants to hike Merapi and Merababu in time, but he thinks he has some more conditioning to do before tackling those volcanoes. I decided to sit the hike out, because our one year old weighs 30 pounds... And no one wants to lug that beast up any hills unless absolutely necessary.