The Ring of Fire

-Gunung Rinjani (Mount Rinjani), Lombok, Indonesia-

Every morning, as we sat on our fluffy cushions in our breakfast hut on the beach, we would watch the sun eat away at the morning mist which covered Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani). Rinjani was just one of the active volcanoes which we could see from the safety of Gili Air, a small island off the north-western tip of Lombok.

This monster of a volcano, 3,726 m (12,224 ft), rests on the island of Lombok and is the second highest volcano in Indonesia. Its first recorded eruption was in September of 1847, yet most recently it has erupted in 1994, 1995, and 1996.

- Gunung Agung (Mount Agung), Bali, Indonesia-

Mount Agung (Gunung Agung) is the highest point on the island of Bali, 3,142 m (10,308ft), and as such made for a great backdrop against the eastern sky as we sat on the deserted beach to watch the sun set every evening.

While it is dwarfed by Rinjani, its neighbor the the East, Agung still dominates the island of Bali greatly influencing the climate. Agung ensures that the rain remains in the west, rendering it lush and green, while the east is dry and barren. While Lombok's massive volcano has erupted as recently as 1996, Agung has not erupted since 1963-64. Yet Bali's volcano does not lay dormant, it is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally emits smoke and ash.

-Agung, Bali, Indonesia across the Lombok Straight-