traditional architecture with intricate gold painted woodwork from the south sumatra pavilion limas house. the ornamental balustrade is the one among many highlights in architectural design that captivated my meandering mind and wandering eyes during the day long visit to the vast taman mini indonesia indah in january 2011.

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an intelligent palm cockatoo sit on the perch of a tree branch, showing its whistling skills and parading its good looks while being surrounded by avid enthusiasts. realising that i was nearby, shoving my long lens, it also gave me a nice portraiture to boot. taman mini indonesia indah, jakarta in january 2011.

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a mysterious water monitor poked out its elongated neck through the lush vegetation while looking at an erupting anak krakatau, or might be pissed off at me for blocking the view, either way it befuddles me to this day. the sole scavenging species of pulau sertung, numbering in hundreds and closely related to the common monitor lizard, albeit a bit more slender and arguably uglier, showed no fear towards the visiting humans that we were the ones who needed constant vigilance from being mobbed, much to the delight of our local guides. january 2011.

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during our 4 hour stay at the not quite safe distance of pulau sertung, we managed to observe more than 10 explosive eruptions expelled from the volcanic vent of anak krakatau. this pic, taken at noon in january 2011, was the closest my borrowed lens could capture of the hot gases and tephra spewed by the famous volcano.

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after leaving carita, java 2.5 hours before, this was the nearest (about 1km) to anak krakatau that hascamar, the twin yamaha enduro 40 hp boat managed to bring us and i could capture before seasickness (especially if i looked through the viewfinder) rendered me completely useless against the heavy swells inside the krakatau archipelago. seconds later, anak krakatau unleashed its barrage of eruptions. by then, i was sitting poorly lucky enough not to vomit and encouraged the others to do the same. taken in january 2011.

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this masked lapwing, with its distinctive loud calls, viciously swooped over our heads to peck our eyes out strike and we the intruders, felt threatened and immediately left the bird dome. taken at tmii‘s bird park in january 2011.

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an outside view of the sunda strait coastline from the 4th level of the cikoneng/anyer lighthouse at anyer, banten province, framed by a decrepit glass window. it also exposed a grim history of being in a ventral position to stand witness to the incoming tsunami triggered by the krakatau 1883 eruptions that struck and wiped out the original lighthouse, where the remnant of the old foundation can be seen at centre left. rebuilt at the behest of king william iii of the netherlands, the new 17 floor 40m high lighthouse was completed in 1885.

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a portrait of a lesser adjutant that gave an intense stare with its turquoise eyes, bare head not unlike a vulture. with its long scruffy neck hair and massive bill, the carnivore from the stork family which feeds on fishes, frogs and large insects looked highly menacing in this january 2011 photo taken at taman mini indonesia indah, jakarta.

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anak krakatau from sunda strait, born in 1927, spewed thick plume of ashes, hot gases and rocks intermittently in january 2011. a record breaking growth rate of 6.8 meters per year, it now sits uncomfortably idle, more than 300 meters above sea level on the krakatau caldera, formed from the aftermath of the 1883 eruptions.
the total silence of the periodic eruptions was making me alarmingly dreadful but spiritually at peace even though i was 2.5 km away on the semi comfort of water monitor/snake infested and uninhabited black lava sand, pumice scattered beach of pulau sertung, formerly known as verlaten island. it had a certain sort of grandeur ever willing to unleashed its fury and unthinkable destruction, but not that day. it was also the moment i found out of how miniscule and unimportant i am in the grand scheme of things.

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