Mortars have repeatedly been found in Batujajar, West Bandung. The rounds fired from these small artillery pieces are believed to be remnants from the Indonesian War of Independence.
Lake Toba can be likened to a bowl on a table: a large bowl with a chip on its eastern side. Because of that chip, Toba is only half filled with water, spilling out to the east. The water that spills out becomes the Siguragura Waterfall and flows down into the Asahan River.
At one conference in Chile, several participants from Madagascar approached us—delegates from Indonesia—while speaking Javanese. Some of our group who were from Java admitted they couldn’t fully understand their Javanese, because many of the words came from an older form of the language. They greeted us warmly, as if meeting long-lost relatives. Their facial features also closely resembled those of Indonesians. They shared stories about their ancestors from Java, even though they had never set foot on the island.
On Sunday, 23 November 2025, residents daringly crossed the Regoyo River bridge in Sumberlangsep, Jugosari, Candipuro, Lumajang, even though it was buried by volcanic debris from a secondary eruption of Mount Semeru. The severed road access temporarily left 137 families in the hamlet isolated. The Regoyo River bridge is the only route connecting Sumberlangsep to the outside area.