Hard Boiling Eggs in a Volcano

After spending 2 nights in Ubud and experiencing my first earthquake before getting bitten by a crab-eating macaque at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, I decided my vacation needed a little more adventure. Word is, you can climb the only active volcano on Bali and watch a sunrise from the summit… breakfast included. Take my money!

Just across from the Om-Ahar Guest House in Kintimani is an establishment best suited for drinking Bintang Pilsner whilst staring in awe at the south face of Mount Batur. Ask for Yoman. If you’re lucky enough to find him, you need look no further for a world-class driver, tour guide and trusted friend. Any hotel in the area can arrange transportation to base camp and a guide to the summit for 65 to 75-bucks a head; Yoman can hook you up for half that and throws in water, bananas and fresh eggs.

At quarter-to-four in the morning, dozens of squinty trekkers muster in the parking lot for orientation. It’s a typical boilerplate info session: keep up, don’t fall and drink lots of water. An hour into the climb, the lactic acids are building up in my leg muscles, my endorphin levels are giving me feelings of euphoria and I’m sucking fire into my lungs. I’ve never felt so alive. This is when we hit the volcanic ash soil which gives way with each step. These last 100 meters to the midway checkpoint are the most challenging so take some inspiration from your guide who’ll seemingly glide up this part of the mountain like a human gondola. Show off.

As day begins to break behind Mount Agung, the stunning detail of Batur slowly reveals itself. The caldera starts to take shape, the summit becomes more defined and plumes of volcanic steam appear through small cracks and vents in the mountainside. The reality of this place sinks in; Batur is a living, breathing piece of the Earth. “Awesome” is an understatement.

As weary hikers file past the finish line, the most surefooted guides scale down the face of the caldera to place eggs into the steam vents. After about ten minutes they collect the eggs, place them into serving baskets (presentation is everything) and hand them up. By this time, the sun has broken off from the horizon and illuminated the entire mountain valley and lake below. What a view! As billed: one midnight hike, a summit sunrise and volcano-boiled eggs. It’ll be hard topping this one but perhaps a scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef is up to the challenge. Next stop – Australia.