Karangetang (Api Siau)

Karangetang (Api Siau) volcano is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. Located on the remote Api Siau Island north of N Sulawesi, it is notorious for building lava domes and producing dangerous pyroclastic flows. Currently on “alert” status level 3 called “Siaga”. The Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center has adopted four levels of alert status: “Normal” (level 1), “Waspada” (level 2), “Siaga” (level 3) and “Awas” (level 4).

Our boat arrived before sunrise on the opposite side of the island. We had to cross the island to climb Karangetang. The whole island is a mountain, so we went up and down. This was our most remote point of this trip. After paying our respects to the volcano we were bound to head back (south) and go home. At this remote island I had to reach (and I am happy to say I did) the age of 2 ( my DOB is 14 July 2010). The terrible twos took a whole new unexpected and unwanted meaning for me. On 14 July 2012 on our way back to take the boat to Sulawesi after a week of adventures, we hopped on the back of a truck full with construction materials - sand, iron rods etc. Going down the mountain vehicle's breaks failed and we crashed into a rock. I was only 2 years old and this was my first trip. Things went south from here.

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