Mount Bromo offers glorious sunrises, magnificent terrain<\/p>\n
By Grace Segran<\/p>\n
BROMO, East Java (JP): Mount Bromo National Park in East Java
\nhas been described as \"a vivid holographic portrayal of science-
\nfiction landscapes straight out of a Bradbury or Asimov story\".
\nIt consists of beautiful highlands, but it also boasts of desert
\ntourism. During the night and early morning, the temperature
\noften drops to close to freezing point.<\/p>\n
Three mountains in its center are still active: Semeru (the
\nhighest mountain of Java at 3,676 meters high), Bromo (2,383
\nmeters) and Tengger (2,770 meters).<\/p>\n
We recently visited Mount Bromo. Mount Bromo is a crater
\nwithin a crater. It is one of four mountains that have emerged
\nwithin the caldera of the Tengger volcano.<\/p>\n
We had reservations at Bromo Tosari. There are two major ways
\nof getting to Mt. Bromo. Initially we took the Probolinggo route.
\nHowever, when we got to the Ngadasari checkpoint, our Kijang van
\nwas deemed unsuitable by the guard to continue the last couple of
\nkilometers into Tosari. We had to backtrack and approach Tosari
\nvia Pasaruan, taking another four hours.<\/p>\n
At 3:30 a.m., our phone rang. There was no one on the other
\nend of the line; it was the wake-up call to adventure. After a
\nnice warm shower, we put on sweaters that we normally use for
\nEuropean winters, and good walking shoes.<\/p>\n
Our guide, Pak Imam, met us in the lobby. He checked out
\nclothing to ensure that we were warm enough for the brisk
\nmountain air. He himself was dressed in white overalls, and
\nreminded us very much of an astronaut about to go to the moon. We
\njumped into a private jeep and sped to Pernanjakan (The
\nPromontory) for what is considered to be the best place to watch
\nthe sunrise.<\/p>\n
The journey took about 45 minutes. On the way, we saw pockets
\nof Tenggerese, with huge baskets of freshly harvested vegetables
\non their backs. They walked briskly, silently in single file on
\nthe side of the road in pitch darkness.<\/p>\n
Soon the Bromo and Semeru peaks came into view. Clouds hugged
\na portion of the mountains but the peaks stood out regally above
\nthem. Against the light of the full moon, the view was stunning
\nand postcard-like.<\/p>\n
The jeep drew to a stop and we weaved our way in the dark
\nthrough dozens of other vehicles. I suddenly realized that there
\nwere going to be quite a few other \"pilgrims\" on this early
\nmorning outing.<\/p>\n
The walk up to the promontory was steep. At the top, there
\nwere well-lit stalls selling hot beverages and cup noodles for
\nthe cold and hungry. There were also shops that sold souvenirs
\nsuch as ikat, postcards and paintings. Here was where you could
\nrent jackets for approximately Rp 10,000 a piece if you couldn't
\ntake the cold any longer. A flight of steps led to the viewing
\npoint.<\/p>\n
The view from the promontory was breathtaking. Above the thick
\nlayer of clouds below us we could see the reddish skyline. We
\nwere afraid that the sunrise would not be as glorious as we'd
\nwanted it to be because of the clouds. But we were not
\ndisappointed. The sun rose majestically above the clouds. It was
\nblood red and it inched its way out of the horizon, blinding us.
\nAfter huddling together in the cold for half an hour or more to
\nwait for this gratifying moment, everyone clapped when the sun
\nappeared.<\/p>\n
After we had ensured that the sun had safely risen that day,
\nwe made out way back to the jeep. We stopped along the way to
\nwarm our hands over a fire. Some stopped to return the jackets
\nthat they had rented. From the promontory, we made our way to the
\nBromo crater.<\/p>\n
After about 30 minutes, there was before us the huge brown
\nexpanse of volcanic ash and stones which was the Sand Sea. It
\nlooked like a scene out of Indiana Jones as jeeps sped along in
\nboth directions on the dirt track. Friends had told me about the
\nsea of sand but this was not like anything I had imagined.<\/p>\n
The Sand Sea has a diameter of 11 km. The Bromo and Batok
\nmountains rise out of this desolate landscape. Dramatic walls --
\nsteep and craggy -- rise up to between 200 meters and 600 meters
\nmarking the rim of the large caldera.<\/p>\n
As we approached Mt. Bromo, our nostrils were hit by the odor
\nof rotten eggs; sulfur fumes from the steaming craters permeated
\nthe air. The jeep stopped a short distance from the foot of Mt.
\nBromo near the temple where Tengger priests offer sacrifices each
\nyear to Joko Seger, the spirit of Bromo.<\/p>\n
In days of old, humans were thrown into the gaping abyss of
\nMount Bromo as a sacrifice to appease the god and to appeal for
\nfertility in the land. Today they practice a modification of this
\nancient ceremony and offer live poultry, money and flower petals
\ninstead. Each year, thousands of devotees ascend the mountain at
\nmidnight under a full moon, chanting mantras, to offer their
\ngifts to the ancestral spirits.<\/p>\n
We made our ascent on pony, winding our way over cinders and
\nash. A steep concrete stairway, of about 273 (depends on who is
\ncounting!) steps at the foot of Mt. Bromo brought us to the lip
\nof the smoldering crater.<\/p>\n
Atop Mt. Bromo we were rewarded with a magnificent view of the
\nSand Sea and Mt. Semeru to the south. The lunar-like landscape of
\nMt. Batok to the left has symmetrical furrows resembling a
\ngigantic orange squeezer.<\/p>\n
We descended the mountain after we had our fill of the mystic
\nbeauty of the terrain, and rode silently back to civilization.
\nTelling ourselves that we should soon return to celebrate the
\nsunrise and explore the enchanting terrain.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mount-bromo-offers-glorious-sunrises-magnificent-terrain-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}