The overall beauty of the mountain is, in short, out of the ordinary. Having escaped from the bustling city and endless workloads to hike this majestic volcanic mountain, although not a permanent getaway, I still felt like the luckiest human being ever.
Waking up to busy traffic and glorious cityscapes every morning, this is the kind of place that makes me feel like a lucky human being to be living in the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. This metropolis is unapologetically urban. Most of the people are usually too frantic for work. Having to catch a glimpse of the architecture and crowd moving like enchanting shoals of fish, every day is eventful for sure.
But the bustle and hustle bringing liveliness to this city that I sometimes would want to live without. Sometimes I wonder if I would go searching for places that are full of trees and surrounded by mountains, just lush greeneries or vast moorlands souring out in a thorough natural world. In the morning I breathe fresh air and at night it is beautiful and magical in its own way listening to the chirping of crickets.
The clouds spread below me, and the world suddenly feel so free and wide that I want to jump. There is no time for gadgets and televisions. In this natural world, I appreciate the blue above, breath-taking sculptures, heady fogs and a right amount of fun. They all intertwine together in a magnificent mess of dream.
THE PRELUDE TO AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE
And it was not a dream anymore. The blown-off cater of this majestic volcano is one of many things to explore around this renowned mountain. Mount Bromo is an active volcano located at The Bromo Tengger Semeru National park, East Jawa, Indonesia. It holds a wide range of destinations from deserts to captivating green hills. The name Bromo derives from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindi creator god, a nod to the volcano’s raw, elemental power.
Taking off from Surabaya Airport to Cemoro Lawang, the nearest village is a home to the fascinating Hindu Tengger community, district from the predominantly Muslim lowland Javanese. The hot and humid weather in Surabaya can be easily dropped to a zero temperature in Cemoro Lawang, therefore clothing is extremely important for this trip.
Travelling from Surabaya to Cemoro Lawang / Mount Bromo took us 3 hours and 30 minutes. One of Indonesia’s most sought views, the topographical condition makes the temperature at Bromo similar to a desert, cold at night but scorching during the day. Even standing at an elevation of only 2,329m, we could see plantations laying at the sideways of the hills. A village situated on a highland, beside a crater and an open area added more fun. The wind could be very strong that it blew our hats away.
SUNRISE AT MOUNT PENANJAKAN
To watch a beautiful sunrise, we had to hop on a local 4×4 jeep from the village as early as 2 a.m. to Mount Penanjakan (viewpoint 1) the most popular viewpoint for a Bromo sunrise. With the accessibility of jeep, we would not have to hike. However, we would have preferred an alternative viewpoint (viewpoint 2) which could take an approximate hour of hike to reach the viewing area.
Viewpoint 1 was a well-built structure with a lot of shop lots around the jeep parking lot, and this was a good time to relax for a while before venturing on. The Mount Bromo itself is located in the 2,770m above the sea surface, while the viewpoint 1 is located right in the west side, still included in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Most tourists might miss the viewpoint 2 because they have already satisfied seeing the sunrise at viewpoint 1. Viewpoint 2 is located in Seruni Village, Sukapura.
Either way, we were well prepared for the journey. Catching the best sunrise at 4 in the morning, the temperature turned fairly low. Hours before sunrise, it may reach 10 Degree Celsius and below. Although it might not as daunting as we expected, but there were few essentials to be prepared for this hike.
Hiking the Mount Bromo requires very convenient arrangement, as long as you are equipped with the necessary gears such as a day hike backpack, mid-cut waterproof hiking shoes or low-cut hiking shoes with gaiters, headlights, face masks, snow caps, gloves, waterproof / windproof / warm jacket, long pants, drinking water and some snacks.
HIKE THE MAJESTIC MOUNT BROMO
Hiking from the parking area of Mount Bromo to the carter will bring you an amazing experience with estimated one hour of slow walk. Walking on the sandy surface especially during the dry season could be intimidating. Bromo is perched on a “sea of sand”, and it gets very dusty. Powdery sand will be flying about through the desert and up the mountain. Therefore, a good pair of mid-cut hiking shoes is a must!
If you plan to see the caldera with your own eyes, you have to climb the concrete staircases (for 245 steps or so) digging into the side of the caldera. Reaching at the peak of caldera, we had to be careful as the space could not fit huge crowd. At the top, we saw smoke coming out from the caldera. With the caldera rise the deeply fissured volcanic cones of Batok (the next mountain besides Bromo) and Bromo, the latter is still active with a cavernous crater from which smoke blows skyward.
We were constantly reminded to be aware while standing at the both sides of the hill. They are sandy and slippery. A strong wind could push you along and affect your balance, you are advised to crouch down to immediately balance out yourself. You may follow the side track walk to the other side to see more sceneries. As long as you feel tired from trekking the track, you can always return the same way and get down to the original place.
Strong wind, and sands blowing into the air, we were fortunate enough to witness a tornado. However, please be sure to prepare a face mask to cover your mouth and nose.
THE BIGGEST INDONESIAN RITUAL
One of the biggest local events is The Yadnya Kasada festival, or commonly known as Kesodo. Each June, the Hindu Tenggerese people of Probolinggo East Java, Indonesia celebrate the month-long Yadnya Kasada festival. On the 14th day of the festival, the Tenggerese make their way to the ridges of Mount Bromo. There, the worshipers hurl their worldly possessions including crops and livestock like chicken, lamb, flowers, vegetable, and money into the mouth of the volcano, in an effort to free the community from disease and natural disasters.
Taking a stroll in the village, every main door of the houses hung a unique decorative flag, some flowers and plants. Starting from midnight, the festival began with the prayer ceremony inside the Luhur Poten Temple in the middle of the sea of sand. We could not see much in the dark, however, you can choose to visit in the day time. The origin of the festival lies in the 15th century when a princess started the principality of Tengger with her husband, and the childless couple asked the gods for help in bearing children. The legend says the gods granted them 25 children, but on the provision that the youngest child be sacrificed in the crater of the volcano.
Unfortunately, the royal couple refused to sacrifice their last child in the end as promised. The gods was upset and created a disaster (volcano eruption) to punish the local people. Therefore, in the month of July of every year, a ceremony had been held to send tribute and throw offerings into the caldera.
Mount Bromo offers phenomenal beauty, especially in the heart of hikers. It is the volcano that holds a wonderful history behind its name. It is the place where Tenggerese conducts the annual ceremony to memorize the sacrifice of their ancestors.
The overall beauty of the mountain is, in short, out of the ordinary. Having escaped from the bustling city and endless workloads to hike the majestic Mount Bromo, although not a permanent getaway, I still felt like the luckiest human being ever.
