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Published: November 18th 2006
Gunug Batok
...and a horse!From Yogyakarta we took a 10hr hair raising mini-bus through to East Java...our mission...to climb an active volcano called Gunung Bromo...
Gunung Bromo is natures Borobudur, compared with Java's other major peaks, Bromo (2392m) is a proper midget mind! But it's: 'the beauty within its setting'...which makes it Java's best destination...apparently?
"Shuttup! thats just another mountain volcano fing init?"...well no, Bromo is one of three volcanoes that have risen from the guts of a huge 10km crater, Tengger Caldera (in case you were wondering!)
We were woken early (again..grr) at 3.30am by the hired driver...then hastefully shoved into the back of a 4x4. We were also joined by two Dutch dudes, who also looked half asleep. The roads were incredibly fogy and very very steep! It was an eerie drive! After an hour we reached our destination...a high peak overlooking the huge crater that contained Bromo, Batok & Kursi (volcanoes).
Unfortunately for us, the fog was so bad that we couldn't even see the sun!!! This was a massive shame, as the pictures we'd seen of this view were unbelievable...it should have looked like another planet! boo! (I'll put a picture on to give you an idea
of what we missed!)
Nevertheless, onward to the crater. This was also a weird experience driving over an alien grey foggy landscape carved from ancient (and recient) lava/ash flows...with a proper slimey gay Indonesian bloke with crazy teeth. At the bottom were men with horses preying on our evident un-healthiness to carry us up the crater...i said NO!!! I can do it!! (Ally sensibly took the hoarse)
The crater was seriously steep, everyone around had difficulty breathing the heavy sulphuric fumes that gush from Bromo. After struggling up 300 steps to the top, Ally, Dutch guys, and me (all desperately unfit) reached the top! Heerraaahhh!
The views were unbelievable; looking away from Bromo was like looking at the surface of another planet. It reminded me of pictures of remote parts of the Andes, like in Bolivia and Peru!! The crater itself was rumbling at the top as smoke poured out and filled the vicinity. Locals said that the rumbling had only started occurring in the past month. Pretty cool huh! and also quite dangerous I'm sure! yes! The fumes were so intense that after ten minutes it becomes unbearable, then you leave.
Although we didn't see
Inside the Crater!!!
...you could hear it rumble too! the (apparently!!) spectacular view, we still had a great, if somewhat surreal experience!
Yabadabadooooooo!!
...
From Bromo we took a coach to Ketapang Sea Port, where we took a dirty ferry to Gilimanuk, Bali. From Gilimanuk the caoch drove to Danpesar, the capital of Bali. I don't wish to elaborate on this experience other then it was long winded, frustrating, coach was absolutely heaving with people, and I didn't trust anyone (apart from my loyal minion, the beautiful, Ally Von Pugwinkle)....
We were safe, better still, we were in Bali...
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Laura
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MISS YA GUYS!
My time to do all this isnt coming soon enough-year and half wait!...damn englands economy! I miss you guys so much and wish i could be out there with you! Stay on into june/july time would be able to come out the dammit! Ali me dear, Nick me darlin-your an inspiration! xxxx