An Indonesian island's lakes are said to be the resting place of souls
The souls of sorcerers, the people of Flores say, live high in the mountains of their Indonesian island home, in a lake where the water looks black. The green lake close by is the home of sinners' souls, and the souls of virgins and infants rest in a third lake coloured a much paler green.
The three lakes lie more than 5200ft (1600m) up, cradled in the craters of Keli Mutu, one of Flore's many extinct volcanoes. The island also has 14 active volcanoes - and frequent earthquakes.
Lakes of improbable colours lying side by side are surprising enough, until you hear that not many years before, their waters were a different trio of colours - black, maroon and blue. In the 1960s they were cafe au lait, red, brown and blue. Thirty years before that the colours were much as they are now.
No one has yet discovered the reason for the lakes' colours, let alone why they change. They lie enigmatically in once fiery hollows while unknown proceses brew up the next colour change.
The three lakes lie more than 5200ft (1600m) up, cradled in the craters of Keli Mutu, one of Flore's many extinct volcanoes. The island also has 14 active volcanoes - and frequent earthquakes.
Lakes of improbable colours lying side by side are surprising enough, until you hear that not many years before, their waters were a different trio of colours - black, maroon and blue. In the 1960s they were cafe au lait, red, brown and blue. Thirty years before that the colours were much as they are now.
No one has yet discovered the reason for the lakes' colours, let alone why they change. They lie enigmatically in once fiery hollows while unknown proceses brew up the next colour change.
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