WATU ULO

Watu Ulo Beach
Watu Ulo beach is a very beautiful beach. It is only 33 kilometers to the south from Jember, East Java. When you cross mountainous jungle, either on foot or by vehicle to the west bank, you will find a beautiful white sandy beach of Malikan called “Tanjung Papuma”. The clean and sandy beach is around 2 kilometers long. There are fishing boat and local cafes. Camping is also available on the beach. Usually there are not many visitors. The beach is noisy and very busy only on the special occasions such as at New Year and Idul Fitri.
There is a special thing about the beach which is different from any other beaches in Java Island. It is a big stone on the bank of the beach called ‘Watu Ulo’ (Stony Snake) that is very unique. Local People believe it was a human along time ago who had a very tragic love story.
A long long ago, there were a couple lovers of a very beautiful princess name Dewi Blater and a handsome prince called Aryo Pontang. They came from different kingdom in the neighboring area.
Dewi Blater was a nice and kind young lovely princess. Her beauty was well-known among girl teenagers in the kingdom. She was the center of those days’ life style, clothes, shoes, and even hair styles. She also liked helping people, talking to them, even coming to the house of poor people to share food or just to say hello. She was an idol of all people. Everybody loved her. Many young men wanted her to be his wife because of her good manner and kind- hearted. But that was never happened since the princess was only in love with a young handsome prince Aryo Pontang.
Aryo Pontang lived in a small castle a part of kingdom next to Dewi Blater’s empire territory. He was a strong handsome young man who would be king soon when he was twenty one. His hobby was riding horse wondering around his palace area while meeting the people of his kingdom. He also liked hunting in the wood across the border of his regency. There the first time he met Dewi Blater and felt in love each other ever since.
Aryo Pontang and Dewi Blater liked to meet on the beach. They really liked playing there almost entire days. They forgot that they have a lot of things to do to serve people of their palace, to help parents at home, to study lesson, even to get along with the other members of their royal family when they were together. They were so in love each other that made everybody got jealous.
One of the persons who got jealous of them was a queen of South Ocean called Nyi Roro. She was one of woman leaders who were very well-known of having bad temper and emotional personality in the regencies. There were not many people liked her. Her people obeyed her not because of loving and caring but because they were afraid of being punished. She was very mean. Every day she tried hard to split Dewi Blater and Aryo Pontang, but what she did so far was never worked
One day when Aryo Pontang and Dewi Blater were playing on the beach, Nyi Roro made believe that she was a fisherman who was willing to guide them sailing around the sea. It was a nice and sunny day, so with no doubt at all they both got on a board and sail away. Unexpectedly the sky was getting dark and it started raining. It was Nyi Roro who called the hurricane to drown Dewi Blater, the princes. When Aryo Pontang recognized that she was Nyi Roro on the boat, it was too late. She kicked him so hard several times until he laid down to the sea shore. Aryo Pontang tried to catch Dewi Blater, until then she finally drowned and disappeared. He could not save her. He was very sad longing to her. He gave up everything and stayed on the beach waiting for nothing.
Nyi Roro was really deep fall in love with Aryo Pontang, but nobody else in his heart except Dewi Blater. Aryo Pontang did not care a minute to Nyi Roro, so she lost her temper. “I don’t want anyone to love you anymore” she cried. “If you want to stay, be it. If you want Dewi, go for her. I curse you to be a stone”. Suddenly the sky was so dark and the big explosion heard many times; from the flash was seemed how his body turned into a snake and his head sank into the ocean while a big stone knocked on his tail. He couldn’t move his body. He stayed there ever after.
To memorize the two lovers, there are two villages named after their names, they are Pontang and Kotta Blater. The beach where the story happened called Watu Ulo Beach. There is a myth that local people believe if the couple lovers come to the beach they will break up soon unless one of them drown killed by Nyi Roro.

Written by UMI R