Bledug Kuwu

Bledug Kuwu mud volcano - darkometer rating : 2 - Now here's an obscure sight you won't find in the usual guidebooks at all: a highly active mud volcano in Central Java, Indonesia , whose bubbly flatulence is definitely a curious sight to behold. And it has dark secrets too, apparently. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: Mud volcanoes are an odd natural phenomenon, one more often found around the Caspian Sea, especially in Azerbaijan (see Qobustan ) but also in other seismically and volcanically active zones elsewhere on Earth (see also Iceland ), and Indonesia scores top marks on that front all round, of course, so it has a few of these bubbly beasts too. The much better known mud volcano on Java is the one that led to the disastrous Sidoarjo mudflow , and it's still not entirely clear whether that is a man-made catastrophe or a natural disaster (or both). The mud volcano at Bledug Kuwu, on the other hand, is most definitely a natural phenomenon – though a very odd one indeed. There are constant mud eruptions between every ten seconds to every three minutes or so. The big bursting mud bubbles releasing plumes of white steam are a fascinating spectacle to behold. In addition, there are also local myths of some sort attached to the site. I can never remember such esoteric fantasy details well … but I think it may have involved some kind of dragon with supernatural powers. But the question in our context is: is it a dark site in reality too? Well yes, even if the grimy, dark-brown muddy splattering alone doesn't count (I think it does), there is also a tragic side to the site.