A unique natural phenomenon is located in Indonesia. Three huge craters at the very top of Kelimutu volcano turned into lakes. Numerous tourists are most attracted by the color of the water. The fact is that the craters are very close to each other, but each lake has an individual color.
Mystical tradition
Lakes of tears, as locals call them, have a beautiful legend. It is believed that it is there that dead souls find last peace. Righteous people of old age after death fall into Lake Starikov of saturated emerald color. It is located more than a kilometer from the first two, as if symbolizing that wisdom and experience comes with age, and not immediately.
Souls that have left very young and have not committed sins live in the turquoise water of the central lake of Young Men and Women. Through the small wall of hardened lava there is Lake Tears and Evil Spirits of brown color with a reddish tint, where sinners with evil deeds find an eternal refuge. Such a small distance, according to the local population, is identified with the line between good and evil, which is very easy to cross.
Color Change Versions: Aboriginal View
The most amazing thing is that lakes of unnatural colors randomly change color. Indonesia is very proud of this phenomenon, to which the natives attribute a mystical raid. Lakes of tears are becoming an object of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world.
Residents of the island are convinced that by changing color, the spirits living in the water show their disposition or, conversely, are angry with their descendants. There is another version, which says that in this way the souls of repose ancestors warn of various disasters in the country.
Magical look
It is impossible to predict when the lakes will acquire a new shade. Green turns into blue and black, sometimes water becomes completely white or raspberry. In the early morning you can observe how steam rises from the surface of the water with a slight haze. And then the lakes of tears look really mysterious, it seems as if the souls of long-living people devoid of the bodily shell soar in a foggy shroud over the mirror surface. By the way, the name of the volcano means "steaming water."
Tourists climb to the top of the mountain for the best view - from there, from the observation deck, in the early morning and at sunset there is a magical sight. The bewitching atmosphere and picturesque view will long remain in the memory of visitors to a unique place.
Color Change Versions: Scientists Opinion
Of course, scientists do not believe in mystical signs and prefer to explain changes in the color range from a scientific point of view. Sulfur gases and hydrogen move up through cracks at the very bottom of the lakes. When they are dissolved in water, a color change occurs under the influence of chemical reactions that occur with the accumulated minerals inside the crater. The result of the combination of two acids (sulfuric and hydrochloric) gives a green color, saturated red appears during the reactions of iron with hydrogen sulfide. By the way, the burgundy color darkens over time, and the water becomes almost black. Surprising thing: 2 Lakes of tears are separated by only a thin barrier, and the shades are so very different!
Lakes of tears are protected by the authorities of Indonesia and are included in the attractions of the national park. Indigenous people are extremely fond of this place, and even put an image of national pride on a local bill.
Russian fairy tale
Admiring the Indonesian beauties, do not forget the famous Colored Lakes in Ergaki Park, located in the mountains of the Western Sayan. And hundreds of tourists come every year to admire the Lake of Maiden Tears, the depth of which plays in iridescent colors on a bright sunny day. By right, it has gained fame as a picturesque reservoir of the world. Those who come here celebrate the incredible purity of water, through the thickness of which the seemingly colorful stones at the bottom are shone through. The surprise is not only its transparency, but also a pleasant taste. Healthy water can be drunk directly from the lake.
For those who are going to visit a unique place, there is an important recommendation - do not come here on a cloudy day, because, unlike the lake in Indonesia, the water here is absolutely clear, and games with color depend on depth, sunlight and layered reflections on the surface of the reservoir .