Last Sep 2016 I visited Ternate with my friend, we had difficulty to find rental car, lucky that our office colleague in Ternate were kind enough to pick us up from the airport. We selected Wings air the earliest flight from Manado to Ternate, although the plane was small, we didn't care. They only allowed us to bring 10kgs luggage, so we could not bring many things. Our Ternate colleagues offered us to have breakfast and check in to the hotel first, but to save time we refused it, we preferred to go around Ternate first.
Sultan Babullah airport at Ternate located at North Maluku was not big enough, only one entrance for departure and arrival flight, anyway the airport was quite modern, although air condition was not operated in all areas. As our plane was small, we had to climb down the ladder and walk to the airport building. The scenery was quite beautiful, we could see a mountain at the side of the airport. While waiting for the pickup car, I saw beautiful black stones created wall across the airport.
Batu Angus, when I told my friend that I would like to visit it, my friend said it's only stone. Anyway we still went there, there's an entrance fee to go to the place, we could drive the car to go through the stone park, there was a nice path ways leaded us to the parking area, next to the beach. Our car was quite big, so the driver needed to be careful as the stone formed sometimes protrudes into the street. In the car I was admiring the phenomenon black lava stone, the park was full of lava that had been turned into stone as if just newly burned. My friend also admired it, he said previously another friend brought him even not entering the gate, just at the edge of the street. No wonder he said it's just stone, he didn't see the real park :-)
Some shelters has been built for visitors to enjoy the marvelous scenery. Although the sun shone so hot, it's windy so we didn't feel very hot. While my friends chatted under the shelter, I went around to take pictures of the beautiful park. Some flowers were planted to decorate the park, the landscape was strangely beautiful with contradiction color of black lava stone and sparkling blue sea. While on the other side you could see Gamalama mountain where the lava came from its eruption in 1673. The unique form stone stretched from the foot of Mount Gamalama up to the beach. My Ternate's friends said that Ternate island is Gamalama which its top was covered by cloud at that time, so people live at the foot of Mount Gamalama. Go around the island was not too far, just around 60 kilometer distance.
There was no fence or stair between the rock area and cliff to the beach, so we had to be careful to take picture. I love the stunning scenery where we were presented the blackened rock, bluish sea and greenish Halmahera mountain. My Ternate friend was brave enough to go down to the cliff, I didn't dare to do it. I took my friend's picture on the black rock, the result was very nice. He said that it's a pity if I didn't take any picture there, he offered to hold my hand going down, so I followed him. After reaching the place he went up to take my picture with my iPhone. He's very kind, he didn't mind at all to go up and down the slope :-). I'm very satisfied with the result where the background scenery was amazing, some ships were sailed on the clear blue sea.
Finally we took group picture using selphy mode in front of the welcome monument at Batu Angus. The welcome space was surrounded by the black rocks with various formation, it's beautiful. If we had much time, I would like to stay longer there, enjoy the breeze while admiring the natural phenomenon of the black rock unique composition. It's worthy to visit, just 10 kilometer from Ternate city.
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