SURABAYA TO MT BROMO

James had two friends from Melbourne visit, so he organised his driver Rean to take us to Mt Bromo, stopping on the way to see a furniture factory and a cobra snake charmer!!  The main purpose of our trip was to see the sun rise from the rim of the active volcano of Mt. Bromo.

Another golf course under construction. 

Here are two deadly cobras!!  I stood at the door ready for a quick take off.  We were taken to a back room  where literally hundreds of snakes were squashed into one pen!!!  The SMELL !!

Lots of villages on the hill top. How they farmed on steep hillsides is amazing. 

James was fairly conversant with Indonesian language and loved chatting to locals. 

Note the contours on the hillside.  They don't have up to date machinery. 

At last, Mount Bromo. It's an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java.  At 2,329 meters, it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most well known.  It's one of the most visited tourist attraction in East Java.  The volcano belongs to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.  The name of Bromo derived from Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindi creator god. 

MT. BROMO. 

The sulfur  around the mountain is inches deep.  Hence when we road the ponies across to the foot of the 150 stairs leading to the volcano rim, we wore a scarf across our face.  What did it do the lungs of the poor ponies I wonder?   Some of the horse handlers had hacking coughs. 

Outside our bedroom with the four poster bed frame at the village from where we hopped on our horses a couple of hours before dawn. 

A snack on the way 

Smoking nicely

Ready for the trek across the sulfur flats. Some horses were led by owners. I was allowed by myself because I could ride!!!  The horses are owned by the Tenggerese people , an ethnic group who claim to be the descendants of the Majapahit princess.  Their population of roughly 100,000 is centered in 30 villages in the isolated Tengger mountains (Mount Bromo) in the National Park. 

We arrived at base  

The horses remained for our return ride. 

I didn't take a photo from the rum looking in, due to watching every step as there were no railings for safety.  

The wait was well worth the getting there.  What an experience. 

Back, safe and sound and happy

A sturdy patient pony. 

Oops,  the back wheel flew off, right on the bridge above a VERY steep decline into the rocky small creek.  We would have died. 

On our return we walked across a frail swaying bamboo bridge to view this tall magnificent water fall and swimming pool.  All the time keeping eyes out for cobras!!! 

Friendly dogs at the furniture factory where lovely pieces are manufactured from local timber