Mount Bromo

 

I went on a sunrise trip to Mount Bromo 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bromo

The Bromo (Javanese: ꦧꦿꦩ), or Mount Bromo , is an active somma volcano, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and part of the Tengger mountains, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 meters (7,641 ft), it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most active and famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. At the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom, which is worshipped by Javanese Hindus.^[2] Mount Bromo is located in the middle of a plain called "Sea of Sand" (Javanese: Segara Wedi or Indonesian: Lautan Pasir), a nature reserve that has been protected since 1919.

I was picked up by the driver in a jeep at 00:15 am and joined a family from South Korea. The Mum was my age, and the Son & daughter 28 & 23. The Dad was very tall so I swapped seats with him in the jeep so he could sit in the front. 

We travelled up to the viewing point in the dark and had to hike up the road for the last part. 

The diver just said, 'You go up, be back by 6 am, I stay here and sleep. Hike takes 50 minutes'                                                  

The family I was with were very sweet, and very excitable. 

They also took ages faffing around preparing to walk up.....so much so that I wondered if we would make it for sunrise.....The daughter said to me 'you should just go' ....I think she was getting exasperated with her parents herself.

I didn't want to leave them, or hike in the dark on my own, but lots of people were going up so I just tagged along.

I needn't have worried - it was just a road, so not really challenging, just a little steep in places and it certainly didn't take 50 minutes.

We also had 2 hours until sunrise!

It was cold up there, and a bit windy, but the stars were beautiful and the lightning show from distant clouds was spectacular!

I met the Korean daughter up there.  She said had to leave them. They all made it up eventually!

It was worth the wait as the view had an almost unearthly feel.

We then went to the crater of Bromo - the small, but active one on the left

It is traditional to offer gifts to the volcano - you could buy dried flowers to throw in as an offering. I could see why as it did sound extremely angry!

There were guys with horses selling rides up to the crater. 

Some of these had died hair !

The scenery was amazing

After this we went to a place they call the Tellytubbie hills......

....I'm not sure they look like the TV ones?

The Korean family:

There were many people taking stupid photos and doing 'tellytubbie' dances and filming them.....I guess for tic tock - people sometimes do my head in! - in such a beautiful place.......

The ride back was pretty nice too

.....its amazing how they can farm on those hills!

On the bus on the way back the Korean mum was talking to me using google translate, as the kids could speak some English but her very little. She wished me a good onward trip etc. 

I had been a little nostalgic all day, seeing them as a family together. It was funny, then, when she wrote this on her phone:

 

It made me laugh!!