One Volcano After Another
BROMO
Greatest Moment: While at Bromo, our entire experience was worth the blood, sweat, and tears of the bus rides to and from. We woke at 3am to rent coats and get ready for the jeep that took us up the mountain to view the volcano for sunrise. We knew this was touristy, but our legs were still recovering from Merapi Volcano. So into the jeep we went, and by the time we got to the viewpoint it was still dark. We rented coats and bundled up as best we could, as the temperature was 5 degrees Celsius. Everyone crowded around the side to see the beautiful sunrise, and when it did come, it was gorgeous. We however, stood perfectly in front of where you could view the volcano, and as the low hanging clouds shifted, the wide, stumpy volcano was seen. It was gorgeous the way the fog crept along its base and crawled along its side until it hid Bromo from our sight, only to restore the prospect to us as it moved along its course. It was a sight that brought peace and unrest together in one moment, as we heard it growl deep from inside the Earth.
It did not take long until we were brought to the base of Bromo, no longer watching it from a safe viewpoint but trekking its very terrain. Ash and fog filled the air and we walked towards the volcano, and it made us feel as though we were in a misty desert. We could see nothing around us but the occasional horsemen and the shadow of Bromo itself in the distance. It was an incredible experience, where time stood waiting and the air thickened with every grumble from under our feet.
We reached the top of Bromo and the view was equally thrilling. Its crater was lined with dark rivets, and merging toward the spot where the grey and white smoke of eruptions took place. The growl of the volcano was louder than we expected, and the ash filled our nose and throats. We viewed the clouds pass us at eye level, allowing us to view the top of the neighboring inactive volcano. Moments like this come once in a lifetime, and as we found out, are even fleeting for a day. After we got down from Bromo they shut the path down because Bromo was becoming too active—so our timing was perfection. Meant to be!
Worst Moment: To get to Bromo from Jogja we had to take a 10 hour bus ride, and with transportation here, one can add an hour to most estimates. Ours, however, turned into a 13 hour bus ride, so that by the time we reached Bromo, we only had 4 hours till we had to wake up at 3am. Bromo obviously proved to be worth it, but it was a quick adventure. After breakfast we took an originally planned 8 hour bus to Bali, which ended up being the worst bus ride yet. The A/C cut deep into the bone, making it so cold one could not even sleep the relentless slow passage of time. It ended up taking 13 hours to get to Bali, and if we would do it otherwise, we would fly. Plus, we missed a lot of Java taking long buses, and Java was an island that I should like to know better.
Lesson Learned: FLY INTERNALLY. Patience is a virtue that we can ill afford at times.
Cultural Insight: We sat and at breakfast while we waited for our bus that was to take us away from Mount Bromo. Here we sat with locals, who talked with us about the volcano. They laughed at our concerned looks as we looked onto the volcano from where we sat, and saw larger clouds of smoke burst from the top. We knew Bromo was active currently, but we didn’t know if it could take a quick turn for the worse. They assured us that it was small eruptions, and that they are notified quickly if Bromo is to erupt on a larger scale. And small eruptions are good for a volcano, and one starts to get worried when there isn’t any activity for too long, as if bottled up for a more damaging and larger-scale eruption soon.
“How far in advance do you get notified of an eruption?”
“1 day.”
From what we found out, they are notified up to a day in advance to get the heck out of dodge. After that, they must wait three months before they can return to their homes. This is to wait for the ash to settle and clear. During those three months, they are given a living by the government. We were in awe! And in the back of our minds, wondering, well then why do people live here?! The answer came to us as we hoped into the van and drove down the mountainside. We had no idea how beautiful this place was, and how so many crops and farmlands are along the side of volcanos! We saw this in Java, but at Bromo it was so beautiful. This hillsides were as rolling as the tea plantations in Malaysia, and of lettuces and cabbages as far as the eye can see! But the houses were colorful, and the region well-kept and decorated. Who knew so much life bordered so much destruction!
