Multiple Eruptions in Bromo

  Guning Bromo, Java, Indonesia
Monday, May 11, 2009

So we bid a farewell to Jogja and land our minibus with Yassim and Mena (French Moroccan) who are part way through their honeymoon. To be fair, we couldn't have a better couple for a 10 hour haul.

Bromo

Usually the minibuses are full to bursting for journeys but ours just had the four of us so we could stretch out across 3 seats each. Quite a luxury!

Bromo

Travelling in the daytime does have some benefits (we had no option in this case) as you do get to see the 'real' parts of a country. You also get to sample roughly 10 near death experiences per hour. Road rules Indonesia =

· indicate left to mean turning left, turning right, may turn left, may
stop suddenly, dog in road, phones ringing, dropped my cigarette

· indicate right - as above

· horn -  indicates driver has a horn on vehicle

· overtaking only allowed uphill and/or on blind bends

· if you need to stop suddenly slam the brakes, stall the vehicle and worry about tourists in windscreen after.

Bromo

All in all not that bad a journey. A bit of fun, a lot of squeezing eyes shut in anticipation if hitting the truck coming towards us, nice chat with new folks, spot of lunch and terrific views.

Bromo

So far I've found it hard to compare Indonesia with anywhere else in SE Asia. It reminds me a little of travelling through rural Vietnam by views - mainly paddys - but with added mosque's. The food obviously has it's own influences as well as Malay and Papua. Fantastic place whatever.

Bromo

We arrive well after sunset into Probolingo, the jumping off point for the Volcano (Guning) Bromo. Transferring from minibus A to B we belt through a terrific storm into the winding climb to our guesthouse for the night, right next to the crater!

Bromo

On arrival the first thing we notice is the temperature!  The only time we've been in less than 25 degrees is in air-con! It must be about 10 degrees. Freezing and the locals are wrapped up in everything.

Bromo

We watch the smoking volcano for a bit, grab some scran and crash out ready for our 3am wake up call.

Bromo

3.30am and our jeep takes the 4 of us off upto a viewpoint with 20 other jeeps. We have borrowed jackets from the hostel to keep warm!  Cracking view and sunrise is a little covered by cloud and haze but the view offered a good look over the volcanoes. Bromo is actually in the crater of a much larger volcano alongside a few dormant others.

Looking into the Bromo Crater

Back to our jeeps and onto the bottom of the crater where you can hire horses (we walked) to climb the edge upto the lip. Not too arduous but a good hour's uphill pounding, including about 200 stairs with stupid tourists stopping dead in front of me for a picture, at every other step.  Soon skittled them off the stairs.

View from the bottom

The top offered the best views by far into the crater and pics just don't do it justice I'm afraid. You'll have to take my word.

View from the guesthouse

Back for breakfast and a piping hot shower before the drop back into Probolingo and our next bus.

Back in Probolingo we bade farewell to our French friends and wait for our coach to Bali. As it's Indonesia, it's delayed by another hour.  Best thing here - every single trip by whatever means is at least 150% of quoted time and at least an hour late. Pinch of salt though eh?

Time on my hands I can't sit still and move to get lost in this tiny town. Showing itself to be the most friendly place I stopped and spoke to just about everyone. Had so much fun just wandering.

Using the Internet in someones kitchen for 10mins (we realise now it's gonna be a late arrival in Bali so look for accommodation in advance but fail miserably) I'm lost when I come out. Until a chap pulls up next to me points to the highway, I walk the wrong way and he summons me onto his moped. 10mins later and he's dropped me on the main road near our bus stop, bless him.

Move back to meet Cath at the shop where the bus collects us at 1230pm. Not too bad for an 11am original collection we agree. Load up and the bus pulls round the corner 100yds and stops at the main bus station for lunch. We piss ourselves and sit back for 20mins. As we leave we stop to collect some more tourists from a guesthouse, fill up with fuel and finally pass our original pick up place at 13:45. Class. This is Indonesia. And we love it.