April’s Fool: Leaving Bali, via Surrabaya to Malang, to Probolingo, Cermoro Lawang for the Bromo Vulcano !

Malang Dutch colonial building

Malang Dutch bakery

with Indonesian food ...

On Thursday I was leaving the beautiful and culinary Bali.  Someone from Sangingan Villa brought me to Bali airport where I looked for a flight to East Java.  2 hours later I arrived in Surrabaya airport where I arranged transport to Malang.  Malang still has some colonial buildings left from the Dutch period.  Further I doesn’t have much to offer though I had a nice time there skyping with my niece while finally having some ‘good’ coffee = this great Java coffee but ran through an espresso machine together with some Dutch Pastry.  Friday morning I started my long trip to reach the Bromo Vulcano National Park.  I decided to go for the classic approach, via Probolingo to Cemore Lawang as basecamp for the weekend.  A local bus brought me to Malang bus terminal where I got a direct bus trip to Probollingo bus terminal.  

Probolingo Bus Terminal

Bus trips in Indonesia are very entertaining.  Once you enter loads of locals want to sell you snacks and drinks to keep you from becoming thirsty or hungry.  A television with Indonesian karaoke songs is playing this ridiculous music all the bus trip long … but … nobody sings ??!!!  3 hours later I arrived in Probollingo where could easily arrange my transport by minibus to Cemoro Lawang at the base of Mt. Bromo.  2 hours later … we had to ‘wait until the bus was full’ we  left heading for this little village.  A very bumpy ride later I arrived in Cemoro Lawang, temperature had dropped with more than 20 degrees by now.  Friendly villagers wanted to offer me a place to stay and wanted to sell scarfs, hats, gloves, socks … whatever you need in this ‘cold’ mountain village. 

Friendly villagers

 I decided to take a room ‘homestay’ at one of the villagers but didn’t see the need buying any stuff for the cold … Belgians are used to these temperatures hehe.  I went to a local restaurant and met a Canadian girl.  Nice to talk to some tourist again … sure with a lot of Bintang to spice up the conversations.  I  left at 11 PM, I quickly arrange a motorbike tour to ‘View Point 1’ and  went to sleep.  At 3.30 AM the friendly motorbike driver arrived at the place I was staying to bring me in 1 hour to the view point from where the famous sunrise around Mt. Bromo can be admired.  The motorbike trip was amazing.  It was very very dark with loads of stars.  Only light there was came from the motorbike.  It’s like driving on the moon I guess.  Nothing, only a lot of volcano sand along the very bad path leading to the viewpoint.  The motorbike driver promised me a very nice view at the view point.  The path leading to this viewpoint was only accessible by motorbike … means all the other tourist staying in this village take a jeep drive to another view point with less intresting view on the mountain.  We arrived at 4:30 AM at the view point, got some hot coffee.  Then time was there to wait for the sun to rise and revealing the beautiful landscape of the Mt. Bromo valley.  Together with 200 other people (mainly locals, some Dutch :P) I experienced a stunning sunrise.  Slowly the view onto the valley was revealed.

Magical sunrise ... still misty in the valley

Sun almost there

For more then 45 minutes I stayed there together with my motorbike driver to enjoy the 'magic'.  Bromo vulcano was a little bit smokey this day.  If you take a closer look to below pictures you can see what I mean.

Black and White view at the view point

Complete panorama at the view point ... smokey volcano on the left ...

Valley covered in mist, this time in Sepia

On the way down back to Cemoro Lawang we stopped again at a few spots to absorb the view from different heights.

My funny motorbike driver

View on Bromo from lower view point

Back down at the base of Mt. Bromo in the valley, this one was completely covered in cold mist (as you can see from the pictures I took at the view points).  Back in Cafe Lava Hostel  I chatted with some people about our experiences this morning.  During lunch I met two Belgians (from la Wallonie !).  I decided to go for the hike onto Mt. Bromo itselves.  At 12 the mist in the valley completely disappeared (lucky us !!!).  Walking around in the valley around Mt. Bromo itselves was a very unique experience.  One hour later we reached the rim of the crater ... massive amount of smoke there !!!

Mt. Bromo from the view point in Cemor Lawang (downhill)

little mistake in the panorama ... though .. Mt. Bromo seen from the valley

On top of the crater rim !

After this intense walk ... temperatures climbed again ... we had many beers in the Cafe Lava Hostel.  Next morning a lot of people had more bad luck due to the weather ... bad view on Mt. Bromo and ... very misty in the valley ...  lucky me !  Yesterday I wrote some recipes and had a lunch while awaiting the minibus back to Probolingo.  After saying goodbye to these nice Belgians I met, a funny bumpy minibusdrive brought me in 2 hours back to Probolingo.  In the bus terminal I chatted with the locals for about 4 hours ...   I was waiting for my shuttle bus that would bring me to Yogjakarta.  At 7.30 PM the shuttle was there.  With only the driver, me and 1 other person it was a very quiet and sleepy bus drive !  Wonderful !  At 4 AM finally this morning I arrived in Yogjakarta where I had breakfast (spicy Indonesia) and funny talks with some tourist that were still drinking in the streets.  

3 hours ago arrived in my last hostel for this already super cool Indonesia trip !  Now I'm going into the city for some shopping, to buy an airplane ticket for Jakarta for next Saturday, etc....  

Write to you soon !

Bart