Mount Bromo

Picture perfect Mount Bromo is Indonesia’s best known volcano and is the feature of many postcards, interestingly it is only one of five volcanos that sit inside the huge Tengger Caldera and an eruption of Bromo in 2004 killed 2 people, who were hit by flying rocks. The nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang is the starting point for most visitors and it is littered with hotels catering for the swarm of tourists that arrive every day to see the sunrise over the smoking volcano. The only way to get to the volcano and the viewing point of Mount Penanjakanis is by 4WD or motorbike across the vast “sea of sand” that sits on the bottom of the Tengger Caldera. It seems every person in the surrounding villages owns a restored FJ 40 Toyota land cruiser and has a business as a tour operator, the road side to mount Penanjakanis is full to capacity with cruiser after cruiser, it’s a great sight in itself. I began the ride up to the viewing point at the ungodly hour of 3am, being on motorbike meant I was easily able to pass by the traffic jam of FJ40’s heading up the steep, winding road. The photos that you see of Bromo seem so serene but the viewing area is anything but, there must have been well over 100 people crammed in waiting to see the sunrise. It was worth the wait, the sunrise was spectacular and I managed to get plenty of photos, now it was time to have some real fun, getting down the hill to go for a ride in the black sand and climb Bromo itself.

I met a group of young guys on KLX 150’s, I thought they were locals so I asked if I could tag along for some dirt riding and they were more than happy for me to come. It turned out that they were from Sumatra and this was their first visit to Bromo so none of us had any idea of where the best riding was, nonetheless we set off to explore the sandy trails at full throttle. After a bit of dirt riding we headed up to the smoking crater of Bromo, it was very impressive indeed. As per usual I managed to slip past the safety barrier for some better photos and convinced a very patient Japanese gentleman to take a few pictures for me. The boys from Sumatra headed home when we got to the bottom and I hung around to explore a little more of the sea of sand.

I had to cross the Calderra again to reach the city of Surabuya, this time the bike was fully loaded and a little more unstable in the thicker pockets of sand. It was great fun and after a few km’s I reached a deteriorated road that led up to the top of the mountain. The road was in terrible condition and was more rubble than road but I had a ball riding up and passing 4wd’s crawling their way along. Once at the top the road condition improved greatly and it wound its way through the mountains until it eventually eventually merged with the highway to Surabaya, good bye wilderness hello city traffic. I negotiated the traffic jam into town spending more time on the dirt sidewalk to get around the slow moving vehicles than on the road itself. Surprisingly it didn’t take too long and my friend Yudi organised someone to meet me and escort me to his garage. The bike had a safe place to stay so I could relax, giving the bike a thorough clean and mechanical check was on the agenda but that could wait until tomorrow.

Bali

Bali has been one of the biggest surprises of my trip so far, perhaps I had heard too many stories about the ugly tourist scene in Kuta but I was expecting to arrive at a tourist mecca that offered little in the way of exploring.  What I discovered was a little island paradise covered in natural beauty with a diverse variety of culture and a welcoming attitude from the locals, the beaches fuel a thriving surfing community that contrasts perfectly with the holistic feel of the towns and villages around the forested Ubud area. Ubud was the perfect place to base myself for the 3 weeks I spent in Bali, many view it as the cultural centre of the small island and despite being a tourist hotspot it has a peaceful aura about it. Most travellers visiting the area gladly embrace the local lifestyle and it seems many are on a journey of self-discovery that involves immersing themselves in Ubuds’ yoga and spiritual scene by day and hanging out in trendy bars and cafes at night while waiting for a spiritual awakening. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride the Balinese hinterland with some local friends and I felt as though I got to experience a taste of the true spirit of the island while visiting these more remote  areas, perhaps I was on my own journey of self-discovery, however I was happy to find what I was looking for while riding the dirt roads, beaches and black lava sand of Bali

Not being the type to sit around and relax for too long, I soon set about exploring the multitude of temples that Bali has to offer, each one was as impressive as the next and the task took up more than a few days. As with most other places I have visited having the bike here was a huge benefit, being able to explore at my own pace made the task much more enjoyable and having the freedom to go where I wanted meant that I got to see many of the lesser known but equally impressive sights. As spectacular as the temples and traditional dancing were, I was soon getting concerned that I was having a cultural overload…. the solution? Two days at Kuta beach. I must admit I didn’t over indulge too much in the hedonistic holiday lifestyle that Kuta is known for but I did enjoy more than a few drinks and a little bit of surfing practice. Kuta actually wasn’t as bad as many had described it but after a few days I was keen to get away from the throng of people and traffic and return to Ubud for a little relaxation. I ran into a bit of luck, a friend hooked me up with 2 free nights at Puri Sebatu resort, I believe it may have been where Julia Roberts stayed in the film “Eat, Pray, Love”, I have neither read the book nor seen the movie but nonetheless this was a spectacular place to stay, the bed room had impressive views over the rice terraces and the bathroom was palatial in size, one night alone was equal to a month at my homestay in Ubud.

Life in Ubud was great but I felt as though I was slipping into the routine and comfort of everyday life here, I certainly couldn’t let that happen, it was time to continue my nomadic 2 wheel vagabond existence and move on. It took me a little while to pack my gear because I had gotten quite comfortable in my modest little room but the bike was soon ready to go and I was feeling good about getting on the road again. All I had to do was pack up my bike cover and I was on my way, I was almost done when I smelt a horrendous odour, I looked down and realised I had dragged the cover through a steaming pile of dog turd….. Great! Apparently my landlady had decided that out of sight was out of mind and rather than remove the offending item she just sprinkled sand over it, instantly turning it into a well camouflaged booby trap. After half an hour of cleaning the bike cover as best I could it was time for take 2, I was back on the road and heading for Tulamben for a few days of diving before making my way to Java.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 

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