It's a 03:30 start, but i don't feel particularly tired considering I've only had about 2 hours sleep and nearly 12 hours of travelling. What did i say about no more dawn starts! This ones for an active volcano, not a mountain and I'm being driven, not walking. It's a noisy, smelly, cramped 4x4 jeep that takes us to the viewing point. It's with relief that we exit the jeep and walk passed dozens and dozens of bikes and cars, all spewing fumes. We're at about 2800m, it's pretty chilly and the sky is amazingly clear. This should be a trek to the the viewing point not an environmentalists nightmare. Marco a Dutch anthropologist student and i warm ourselves with pot noodle, before joining the 100 plus other tourists (mainly Indonesians) at the viewing platform - all waiting for the first signs of the sun. The view is incredible, two volcanoes on our right are spewing smoke, in front of us is a huge cloud filled crater and to its left is another peak just poking out of the clouds. The sky is now streaked with a fiery rainbow and i just can't believe how good it looks.
The photos aren't too bad i think - but they don't do it justice. I've seen and climbed a few volcanoes and these are the best yet - truly awesome.
It's a short drive and then a short dust-filled climb to the top of mount Bromo. There are lots of hawkers and lots of little horses being hired for the short journey to the base of the steps that lead to the top. This is truly not awesome. A Hungarian guy I've met tells me that this is all new and that 4 years ago he camped overnight at the bottom. Everyone has to make a living, but this is a great shame. The views from the rim of mount Bromo are stunning, we walk around the top as far as our time will allow and quickly leave the mass of spectators. I'd like to go back 4 years, but i have a couple of bus's and a ferry to catch.
I leave very soon for Bali.
