The Overturned Boat

CCXXVI

The air was thick and hazy when Amelia awoke on the morning of June 22^nd.  She felt a bit better --- at least she convinced herself she felt a bit better --- and her first task of the day was to get down to the airfield. Even though she knew she was grounded indefinitely (however briefly) she insisted on inspecting her Lockheed which was sitting patiently in a hangar. No, no word yet on the repairs. 

What to do?  She left Fred Noonan behind when she ascended Tangkuban Parahu, an active 13,000 foot volcano famous for its bubbling hot springs and for the fried eggs that hawkers prepare for tourists on the heated rocks. 

The caldera of Tangkuban Parahu. A very popular tourist destination, the crater is accessible by car, just as it was in 1937. The mountain has long history of eruptions, and the Indonesian government occasionally restricts access to the peak

Tangkuban Parahu (“Overturned Boat” in Sundanese) was legendarily created when two demigods, the beautiful Dayang Sumbi and the handsome Sangkuriang met and fell in love. They decided to sail away together. Sangkuriang built a mighty boat for them to travel in. About to consummate their relationship, Dayang Sumbi recognized Sangkuriang’s unique birthmark, realized that he was her long-lost son, and ended their relationship. In despair, Sangkuriang capsized the boat, the hull of which formed the mountain massif.  

Of this unique place, Amelia wrote:

At 5,000 feet the trees began to dwarf and the vegetation became less dense. At 6,500, only scrub trees persisted. I could smell sulfur fumes for some time before rounding the last curve leading to the lower edge of the pit. Hundreds of feet below, emerald water had collected in a pool at the bottom. Here and there jets of yellow-white steam issued from crevices . . .