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Our appetites whetted for volcanoes in Krakatau, we next headed towards the sulphur-spitting Mount Bromo – a ‘must-see’ in Java, and in fact all of Indonesia.
The entire Bromo region is like a prehistoric scene – one almost expects to see dinosaurs walking around… It consists of a vast volcanic crater-bowl, 10km across with sheer walls of 300-700m around. At the base of the crater is a dead-flat ‘Sea of Sand’ (volcanic ash), pierced by three volcanic peaks (Bromo, Batok, and Kursi), formed by further eruptions after the formation of the vast crater-bowl itself. Looking down at it from our hotel perched up on the edge of the crater rim was truly surreal.
Another early start saw us speeding by 4×4 across the Sea of Sand north towards Mount Penanjakan to witness the sunrise across the crater. It was already crowded by the time we arrived, with everyone jostling for a good view point, cameras at the ready. There was an air of excitement as the sun peered over the horizon and dawn’s early light pervaded the crater. Long shadows loomed westwards as the sun climbed higher into sky, seeking out the nooks and crannies of the lava flows that formed the volcanos. In the distance Mount Semeru (Java’s highest mountain) puffed up vast clouds of volcanic ash, dormant Batok in the foreground, while Bromo smoked just behind it to the left.
Afterwards, we made our way (again by 4×4) back down to the Sea of Sand and to Bromo itself, so we could climb up to the crater’s rim and walk around. It was a steep but short climb, and horses were available for the initial part of the ascent. From which there are a series of steps to the top. Amongst the inquisitive tourists, were locals making wishes and casting their offerings into the volcano. Most people crowded around the top of the stairs for a quick glimpse into the crater – we wandered further around the rim of the crater. Every now and again the wind would change direction and we would be engulfed by the thick suffocating sulphurous smoke the volcano constantly spewed. Thankfully, it wasn’t life threatening and rarely lasted more than a few seconds. Nic wandered further around the rim to the highest point of the crater (almost half way around) which took 30 minutes. From there the view of the volcano’s crater was clearly visible – almost like a thick cracked pastry pie-crust. Clearly people had been down there at some point as several names were written out in stones. The sides of the crater bore evidence of the force of previous eruptions and were truly mesmerising.
In this day of open-heart surgery, microchips and space flight, it seemed almost primitive to witness people praying to a volcano god and making offerings…
