Through a random act of serendipity, my schedule gave me a full load of Tuesday-Thursday and Wednesday-Friday classes, leaving one Monday open with no teaching obligations - I wasn't on the schedule to substitute for someone on vacation, do a makeup or tutoring lesson, or do placement testing. I decided that it would be a crime to waste such a gift and I was meant to travel that weekend! I considered several destinations but decided on Mount Bromo in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
I took a train from Sidoarjo on Saturday morning to Probolingo. From there, I took a little bus up the mountain to my hotel, Yoschi's.
Saturday's Ramble
It was mid-afternoon when I arrived so I took a stroll to stretch my legs and get a feel for the landscape.
I'd seen on a map that it was about 4 or 5 km from Yoschi's to Cemoro Lawang, the village on the edge of the main crater. I walk daily and wondered if it was feasible for me to walk up to Cemoro Lawang in the morning. I quickly discovered that the road is VERY steep and it would not be a good idea to wear myself out before even starting the main walk to the volcano! (Also, I'd probably have needed to begin walking at midnight.)
So that was a useful conclusion. And in addition to some very lovely and interesting scenery, I also enjoyed a latte and a fried banana with chocolate at a beautiful eco-lodge about a kilometer up the road in Wanotoro village. They had a wonderful art gallery to browse and gorgeous views, although rather expensive prices for my teacher's pocketbook.
Sunday morning - Wow, what an adventure!
I arose at 3 am, threw some cold water over myself, and caught a ride on a jeep up toward Cemoro Lawang. After a few minutes of jolting along the steep, twisting road, the jeep's headlights flickered out! Our skillful driver calmly steered around sharp corners until we got to a village where he had a bit of light to tinker with things. He had it all working but it lasted only another few minutes. In the end, we relied on our own headlights off and on when they decided to work, and the lights of other jeeps and buses in front of us. I was grateful to arrive safely and rather glad to be getting off at Cemoro Lawang instead of taking that jeep all the way to the lookout!
I decided to take a horse out to Mount Bromo and then walk back rather than wearing myself out getting there so I negotiated a price for a ride and mounted, with the guide leading the horse. We started down the steep road toward the floor of the large surrounding crater. The road was slick from the previous night's rain and the horse slipped and ended up kneeling on the road with me standing over him! I dismounted, glad that it hadn't thrown me or fallen sideways but rather shaken and concerned for the horse. The guide checked it over and assured me it was fine but we all walked until we got down to the flat sandy surface of the Sand Sea! The remainder of the ride was fairly uneventful although I admit that I was a bit nervous about every subsequent stumble of the poor horse.
At the bottom of the "Two Hundred Steps" I parted ways with the horse and guide, wishing them safe journey. I'd wanted to walk back and this rather harrowing ride had cemented that plan.
At the top of the steps, I found loads of people waiting for the sun to rise. I chatted with a couple of young women from Scotland and France, four different school groups, and a nice young man from Jogja.
I was an exciting part of the trip for the schoolkids and am now ensconced in all their photo albums. I always smile at how easy it is for me to give back a small piece of friendship to the people whose home I'm visiting - they're so happy to find a foreigner willing to pass the time of day, let them practice their English, and take a photo or two. Meanwhile, they put up with my very bad Indonesian and guess what I'm trying to say, kindly teach me new words, and point me in the right direction when I don't even know I'm lost. I was sad to see some of the other tourists responding rudely to their requests - I've found that a pleasant 'no' is enough if I'm in a hurry or not in the mood.
Anyway, the sun slowly rose with a deep blue light - no brilliant shades of red or purple for us this morning but a lovely, lovely view! And it was a fascinating sight to look down at the billowing steam in the center of the volcano where we all stood!
Offerings
There weren't a load of people hawking tourist stuff here. There were a few people selling noodles, drinks, and other snacks, and there were a couple of men selling flowers to be thrown into the volcano as an offering.
There were quite a few offerings of rice left by the volcano lip, and there were also various areas scattered around the area where offerings were left. I noted several by the roadside at steep areas with sharp turns. These are apparently routine "tamping" offerings to ward off bad luck by the local Tengger people.
I was told that they are descended from exiles of a West Javan kingdom. Others at the time went to Bali and so the two peoples have close ties and share much culture and religion. They have some special traditions including an annual month-long ceremony which includes a large offering to Mount Bromo.
A Long Walk
From the top of Mount Bromo, I went back down the "Two Hundred Stairs". (I never counted to see if the title is right.) Then down to the temple where I was able to peek inside just a small portion. Passing the parking area & toilets, I marched across the Sand Sea, following a row of white pillars by the road.
Then up a steep road (still damp and a bit slippery) to the village of Cemoro Lawang. I didn't tarry long there but headed down the mountainside towards Yoschi's, rejecting many offers of assistance. The guys on motorcycles, especially, could not believe that I really wanted to walk slowly and enjoy the views rather take a ride from them for only about 2 dollars!
The roads are quite steep and I can understand why they were amazed. By the time I got back, my legs were protesting. I went to bed for a refreshing nap and got up for lunch!
It rained most of the afternoon so I had a quiet time reading and contemplating the beauty of the lovely gardens at my hotel. I was grateful that they had some nice shelters for sitting. A delicious dinner and early to bed to prepare for another early morning.
Sunrise, Day 2
Another 3 am rising and off I went, this time with a boxed breakfast from the hotel to fortify me. I had a jeep reserved to take me to 'Viewpoint Number 1' on Mount Penanjakan which is said to be the best place to see the sunrise from. We stopped in Cemoro Lawang and picked up 5 other tourists who were looking for a ride, then drove down across the Sea of Sands and up a very steep and tightly winding road. I was grateful that this jeep's lights were reliable and everything else was in working order.
It was still pitch dark when we arrived so I sat and ate my breakfast on one of the benches. The sky gradually lightened, giving us beautiful deep blue views of the entire group of volcanos with occasional subtle washes of color. There were no bright swashes of orange and vermilion on this morning either but it was completely lovely in a quiet and contemplative way.
There were some little coffee and snack shops here and people selling a few things - mainly warm hats, mufflers, gloves, etc. Our little group from the jeep stopped for coffee & tea before moving on.
Mount Bromo again
On our way down from the lookout, we drove back across the Sea of Sands and stopped for a quick climb up Mount Bromo for those in the jeep who hadn't done it yet. This time the temple was completely closed. And I visited the toilets for the first time. They were clean, had flushable western-style seats, AND had toilet paper! I was amused to note how surprised I was.
Every Good Thing Must End
After returning to the hotel, I had a bit of mid-morning breakfast - it was only about 9:30 am but I'd been awake since 3, remember? Packed up my stuff, took a few last photos of the garden and staff, and caught a little bus down the mountainside to Probolingo. Had a bite of lunch and took the 1:30 train (well, it arrived at 2:00 but who's counting) back to Sidoarjo, arriving around 3:30 in the afternoon.
This was my first trip away from Sidoarjo by myself, and I was glad to find that I felt perfectly safe and comfortable travelling alone. I will plan another trip for the next 3-day weekend I have at the end of May!
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