What to See, While Hiking Mount Rinjani
What to see, while hiking mount Rinjani, Mount Rinjani National Park is located in a major transition zone (Wallace), where the flora and fauna of Southeast Asia make a dramatic transition to the typical flora and fauna of Australasia. The park has a wide variety of plants and animals, although it may be difficult to spot due to its vast terrain and forests.
In the mornings, you might spot black monkeys, called ebony, or locally lutung. Long-tailed gray macaques and older males and seen on the crater rim. Deer are forest dwellers and can sometimes be seen along the hiking trails.
Deer around Mount Rinjani bark in a smaller voice, or deer have different barking sounds, such as dogs, wild boars, which forage in the middle of these forests, or also porcupines.
A wide variety of birds live in the forests of Mount Rinjani National Park. Perhaps the most famous icon is the sulphur-crested cockatoo, which is not found in the western part of Lombok.
Many forest-dwelling insects, birds, civets and monkeys depend on wild fig trees, or fichus benjamin trees, which provide food and shelter.
The pine-like Casuarina species, phon Cemara, characterizes the grassy, higher slopes. Orchids are also characteristic of grassland areas, as is the Edelweiss, or Eternal Flower, which grows above the tree line is a beautiful garden icon and one of the most famous sub-mountain plants.
The summit of Mount Rinjani (What See in Mount Rinjani)
The people of Lombok believe that the summit of Mount Rinjani is the residence of Dewi Anjani, the queen who rules Mount Rinjani. To the southeast of the summit of Mount Rinjani is a sea of dust called “Segara Muncar”, an invisible palace belonging to Queen Dewi Anjani and her followers, the spirits.
According to the story of spirit queen Dewi Anjani, she was the daughter of a king who would not allow her to marry her lover. In the spring, called Mandala, she disappears and transforms from the real world to the spirit world.
Mount Baru Jari (What See in Mount Rinjani)
Gunung Baru Jari is the name of a new volcano that appeared in the middle of Segara Anak Lake. People believe that if Mount Baru Jari erupts, it will not harm the people of Lombok unless the eruption comes from the top of Mount Rinjani.
Mount Baru Jari once erupted in 1994, which was caused by spirits who were building something because the rocks that erupted were neatly and attractively arranged at the foot of Mount Baru. (Around September 2004, Mount Baru Jari erupted again).
Segara Anak Lake (What See in Mount Rinjani)
Segara Anak Lake is so vast that it looks like an ocean with its blue water, the name Segara Anak lake means son of the sea. Segara Anak Lake holds many mysteries and supernatural powers. Many people feel at home in this place because of the many communities of spirits that live around the lake.
Local people believe that if the lake looks wide when viewed from a distance, it is a sign that they will live until old age, or if the lake looks narrow, it is a sign of a short life.
So, in order not to be pessimistic, people immediately purify themselves by raising their spirits, calming their souls, and looking at the lake with satisfaction. In the area around Segara Anak Lake, it is forbidden to have sexual intercourse, complain, or utter obscenities. We must be patient when facing problems.
Aiq Kalak
Aiq Kalak means hot water, which is usually used to cure various diseases. One of the hot springs is called “pengkereman jembangan”, which means a place to soak. The water coming out of this spring is very hot. Weapons such as krises, swords, large knives and spears are dipped into the spring to test their strength.
If the weapon dipped in the kalak water becomes crooked, it means it is no good and has no magical power, but if it remains unchanged, it has magical power, and its power will increase.
People also use hot springs to make medicine from coconut milk, they dip a bottle of coconut oil into the hot springs, and if the liquid becomes clear and oily, it can be used as medicinal oil. This medicinal oil is used forever and is called “Siu satus mono”, which means it can cure many kinds of diseases.
Cave
On Mount Rinjani there are caves consisting of Gua Susu, Gua Payung, and Gua Manik, one of the most sacred is Gua Susu. Gua Susu is a place of contemplation and is often used as a place to meditate.
People who have dirty and envious minds will find it difficult to enter Gua Susu because it has a narrow entrance, but people who have noble and holy minds will easily enter this cave.
Inside the cave, water drips from the tip of a rock shaped like a nipple, so people say that the water from the Milk Cave has a special flavor. In the hot cave, there is a lot of smoke that resembles cooking steam, so people call it a hot house or roentgen room.
