Circling the crater of a volcano, Mount Bromo
Trip Start
Jul 01, 2008
1
4
7
Trip End
Ongoing
Probolinggo,
Indonesia
Thursday, July 10, 2008
After about 9 hours, we arrived in a hostel about 3km from Mount Bromo. I was exhausted and went to bed early because I had wake up around 3:30am the next morning for the sunrise. I have paid for a jeep to take me to the viewpoint located on the highest hill so I can view the crater of Mount Bromo during sunrise. However, by the time I got to the viewpoint, there was huge crowd of at least 100 people. I had two problems, I had no clear view of the crater and I didn't know which direction to look since everything was still dark. I found an opening and immediately set up my camera and tripod. It was annoying to have these many people on one spot all looking for the same thing. I remembered eight years ago when it was just me and 3 other people. I saw the sun breaking through the cloud of mist just below the horizon. Slowly, the orange color penetrated through blanket of black and gray
Sunrise
. It would have been a peaceful moment but the overlapping sound of the crowd's conversation stole it from me. I waited patiently for that amazing light 5 minutes before. But as it turns out, I was on the wrong side to view the crater and it was too late for me to switch location since there were many people blocking the view. I gritted my teeth and waited until the crowd disperse. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to take a photo of the crater when the light was still decent but I hated the crowd. The jeep then took me to the bottom plateau and I had to walk the rest of the way to the top of the crater. There was small temple used for ceremony to honor and please the mountain. Visitors can also please the mountain by throwing a bouquet of flower in the crater. The same crowd that was up at the viewpoint are also now on the bottom. Many walked along side with me while some hired a horse to take them across the deserted plateau. I saw the guide with their horses and they were competing to get fares. The price for the ride is 75,000 rupiah or about $7.50. I knew that they were will be many people at the top and realized that I had to comeback later in the afternoon for the sunset to avoid the crowd. Thus, I concentrated to taking photos of the horses as they gallop wildly across the dry terrain and their guides. Later, I made arrangement to have someone drop me off and pick me up in the afternoon.I was dropped off back on the plateau around 4:30pm and I walked to the rest of the way
Mount Bromo
. This time I was by myself. I hiked up several small hills and finally got to the stairs leading to the top of the crater. There were over 200 steps and I wished there was an escalator. I remembered these stairs from long time ago and I though that they were stairs leading up to heaven. It was not bare as before but now has BNI logo all over it (Bank National Indonesia). I finally got to the top and saw the white puff of smoke from the mouth of the crater. I walked clockwise around the edge of the crater. I finally got to the highest point and I realized I was by myself. For a brief moment this place and moment is mine. I felt like standing on the top of the world but within inches from the edge of the universe. I thought if I fell no one would find my body. It's a good way to go, fast and painless. The air was cool. I sat down watching the sky melting. Eventually, darkness has slowly descended on the plateau below and the hills have become miniature shadows in the distant. I saw the steady stream white smoke from the bottom. It's as if God was puffing on his pipe. I continued to circle the mouth of the crater and ended up where I started. To be so close to nature's wonder such as this is breathtaking. I remembered a song by Incubus, "Wish you were here." P.s. I started reading Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho, a story about love and choosing your own destiny
From the horse' perspective
. So far it's a good read and highly recommend it. "I stood for a long time by the roller coaster, and I noticed that most people get on it in search of excitement, but that once it starts, they are terrified and want the cars to stop. What do they expect? Having chosen adventure, shouldn't they be prepared to go the whole way? Or do they think that the intelligent thing to do would be to avoid the ups and downs and spend all their time on a carousel, going round and round on the spot? . . The roller coaster is my life; life is a fast, dizzying game; life is a parachute jump; its taking chances, falling over and getting up again; its mountaineering; its wanting to get to the very top of yourself and to feel angry and dissatisfied when you don't manage it . . . If I had fallen asleep and suddenly woke up on a roller coaster, what would I feel? Well, I would feel trapped and sick, terrified of every bend, wanting to get off. However, if I believe that the track is my destiny and that God is in charge of the machine, then the nightmare becomes something thrilling. It becomes exactly what it is, a roller coaster, a safe, reliable toy, which will eventually stop, but, while the journey lasts, I must look at the surrounding landscape and whoop with excitement." Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
Comments
Semeru
Try Semeru Man! You can see the top Bromo from there, its beautiful