The Majestic Bromo

First of all, sorry for the lateness of this post…

Since I am in Indonesia, I should have been blogging more things Indonesian. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that, and that’s bit retarded. I’m really sorry for my slow thinking.

Although recently fortune has been on the low side for Indonesia, there are still good things that made up this so-called “my home country”. One of my favourite spots in East Java [my province] is Mount Bromo, located in the city of Probolinggo.

Before we dwell into what you might find in this peaceful breezy part of East Java, let’s take a look for a second into the unfortunate [refer to picture above]. More than 80 days ago, the natural gas exploration in Porong, Sidoarjo, accidentally hit the source of hot earthen mud instead. As a result, the hot mud burst out endlessly, up to this very day, leaving countless homes and land drowned in this thick smelly concoction. Nature is angry, people are grieving. The only one to be blamed is the group of people conducting this egoistic action that will only benefit themselves. This devastating incident is only to become a lesson that man and nature must live in harmony. In other words, they must respect each other. Otherwise man’s power will always lose out from nature’s will. Thus, I urge everyone, everywhere to preserve their nature. Only then can we fully enjoy what nature provides us. Remember, what goes around, comes around.

Now let’s enjoy a few snapshots that I managed to take from a view trips to Bromo. Some are pictures from a year ago, yet they are still relevant. Some were taken just yesterday. I don’t have much to say, just hope you can all enjoy and appreciate these.

To get to the top of Mt. Bromo, you must rent a four-wheel-drive jeep to get you through the sand sea [literally, it is a sea of sands or dust]. Afterwards, you can rent a horse to climb the steep, stony surface just before the beginning of the stairs. Finally, you will be facing a steep 150-case stairs that will take you to the plateau of Mt. Bromo. Take these steps easily and do not rush. On the 150^th case, you’ll be able to have an eagle-eye view of what’s below you. Which is a magnificent view! Beware of the steep surface and slopes. Also beware not to breath in too much of the sulfur omitted by the plateau!

In preparation of this hike, you must wear a strong pair of sandals and bring a bottle of water with you. Another option that you may take is to walk through the sand sea all the way up to the plateau by foot. I have never done this, but my friend and most other tourists have.

It was by accident that our family came to like this place. First, my friend, who traveled on foot all the way up to the plateau, stayed in this hotel with her group. My curiosity was sparked by its unique name. Thus, on our first visit ever to Bromo, I asked my father to drive us to this ethnic-looking place. We went on and tried the foods in their restaurant. We have been going there often since then. On that first visit, we discovered that the hotel is owned by an Indonesian-German couple and that the name was taken from their names, Yok and Uschi.

Our favorite foods here are European, potato-based dish. There are a lot to choose, from roestis to potato pancake. They also serve Indonesian foods such as “soto ayam” [Indonesian chicken soup] and “nasi goreng” [fried rice]. Yesterday, I ordered their brown sugar, cinnamon and honey oatmeal porridge to fight the cold weather.

Interesting that from this hotel, we adopted our lovely Bonzo. His mom is still around in the hotel, her name is Luli.

The hotel has a lot of small cottages that you can choose, spread out on their spacious backyard. On one spot, they do gardening as well! We found mint leaves, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, murbei, cabbage, and shallots cultivated.

Yoschi Hotel and Restaurant
Jl. Wonokerto km. 2, Ngadisari
Probolingo, East Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62335 - 541018
E-mail: yoschi_bromo@telkom.net

We left when dusk has turned into the darkness of the night. The stars are already sparkling in the sky. They are not just one cluster of stars but hundreds of them forming an endless sea of stars. The height of the location enables us to watch the stars clearly; they seem really close to the surface of where we stand. The lack of electricity gives us privilege to watch the stars without being distorted by scattering lights. Each time I see time, they are each one unforgettable moment…