Instead of the sun coming out tomorrow, it came out after lunch. Too late to retry the hike up Mount Mahawu…visible in the distance…View image… Continued onwards with the Highland Tour. The Japanese occupied this area during World War II (1939-1945), and forced the locals to dig extensive caves near Lake Tondano where they stored food, water and holed up during air raids. There are five different areas in North Sulawesi with caves like this and approximately 50 Japanese soldiers with ammunition took shelter in each cave. Today, the caves are a tourist attraction but very few are open to visit because they are filled with bats.

Pulled up to one and A.J. pulled one unlocked gate back to enter. The other two were padlocked. The inside was dark and spooky and none of us wanted to explore too deeply. A.J. pointed out the air holes in the rock ceiling and places in the walls to hang kerosene lamps. (Watch the video…) Backbreaking labor for those poor Sulawesi people to tunnel into the very hard rock.

inside a Japanese cave from World War II, Sulawesi
The Dutch colonial period ended in 1949 but old houses remain in the entire area. They still grow coffee, cloves and coconuts near the lake.

cute Dutch-style house outside Manado, Sulawesi
Each village had its own specialty. Gardening centers…View image…corn…one grew nothing but peanuts…and Pulutan Village made pottery….

pottery for sale along the Manado road, Sulawesi
Gorgeous Lake Linow is a sulphur lake that changes colors depending on the weather. The water comes from one of the volcanos and today Lake Linow was an exquisite green. Colors range from dark blue to turquoise to green and even yellow. We could feel the steam and smell the typical rotten eggs sulphur coming from vents on the other side of the road. Stinky…

intensely green Lake Linow/Leno in North Sulawesi 

volcanic activity still going on at Lake Linow, Sulawesi