Bengawan Solo, as the longest river in Java is very special, even its history is longer than its length of river. Long time ago, this river was the life vessels of most of the Java Island's dwellers, even once as the landing place of an iron bird.

BENGAWAN SOLO

Cruising the Longest River in Java

The adventure began when the sun was still sleeping on the back of the horizon. While waiting for the boat, we sat on the river bank watching the people starting their activities. The boat crossing route, Kampung Sewu-Bekonang, where we would start the exploration started to be crowded. A large wood boat back and forth transported the merchants who want to go to the market and the dwellers who want to visit the neighbor villages. A small wood boat moved closer to the harbor slowly. Wow, it was the boat that would take us to explore the river that shaped four million years ago. Just a little move will shake the boat. But after couple of paddles, the feeling became more relax. Paddling in harmonizing rhythms took this boat parting the river water and sliding smoothly over the calm flow. The light from the sun cracks the dawn.

About hundred meters away, the river started crowded with the dwellers doing their morning activities. The politeness of friendly local people could be felt immediately. Some of them were watering their crops on the field on the river bank, tending their goats or ducks, or even gathering on a dike talking and joking each other. Long time ago, Bengawan Solo was famous as the fresh water fish heaven. Even there were 30 kinds of fish living and proliferating in this river. However, there are only some of them still surviving such as Jambal, Gabus and Putihan today.

A Ferocious Monster Saves a Garuda Bird

 Under its calm water ripples, Bengawan Solo lays down powerful forces. In the rainy season, the water level increases rapidly, so it overflows to the settlements. The deterioration in the upstream area makes the water from the rain pours down directly into the river and causes shallow and overflow Gajah Mungkur reservoir. If the reservoir overflows, the areas in the downstream such as Solo, Ngawi, Gresik, Bojonegoro and Lamongan will be flooded.

However, the high water is not always causing disaster. YogYES remembers back to the year 2002. It was on January, the peak of rain season. The water level of Bengawan Solo was extremely high. Garuda plane with the flight number 421 from Ampenan to Yogyakarta almost arrived in the destination, Adisutjipto airport. Passing the dark clouds, suddenly both of the plane engines died. The pilot had no choice instead to make a sudden decision, do an emergency landing. The pilot saw Bengawan Solo vessels, so he pointed the plane there and making an emergency landing on the river surface. The depth of the river and the high water level saved all 54 passengers.

We didn't realize that the sun has risen high. The distance of Kampung Sewu-Juruq that usually took 5 minutes by motor or car, took one and a half hour by boat. After stopping for a while under Juruq Bridge for a rest, we came back to Kampung Sewu. Apparently, this trip was harder because we had to paddle against the current. It was a long and exhausting trip, but the experience that we got was extraordinary. In fact, Bengawan Solo is still the life vessel of most of the dwellers. Fishing, planting near the river and tending livestock become their regular activities. Not to mention the ferocious, this legendary river can’t be separated from the dwellers living along its currents.

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