Sempu Island 26th July 2012

From Malang we drove in a car with a driver and an Austrian couple south to the coastal town of Sendang Biru. From there we hired a boat with a driver and a guide for the trek through jungle on the island across the sea. The island is called Sempu Island and it hosts an oasis like beach and a few tribes of monkeys. It was a nice walk but much of the track is just washed away and finding the way would be pretty hard without a local guide. The track is covered in tree roots and it winds its way through the scrub, over a few big hills and finally we found an amazing secluded beach. The beach is surrounded by rock wall hills covered in trees, making it enclose. A small hole has been worn through the rock wall on the west side because the ocean on that side is rough and relentless.

We had a massive day at Sempu Island and it felt really special because of how secluded it was and because there was only two other couples there at the beach. We were lucky enough to see some monkeys on the walk back from a distance of about 30 meters. Later that night Ann and I sat across the road from our hotel and ate some Nasi Goreng from a street cart chef. It was delicious.

Gerhard our Austrian buddy and our guide

Me and the local guide who took us through the jungle to the beach

Nasi Goreng on jalan Veteran - across from our Malang hotel

22/07/2012 Mount Bromo, Java

 On the 22nd July 2012 we went on a trip to Mount Bromo, an active volcano in East Java, it is surrounded by a group of other volcanoes creating a spectacular landscape like something from an alien planet.  We were picked up from our hotel at 1am so we could make it to the peak of the neighbouring mountain for sunrise to get the best view. We were told to wrap up warm so I wore my thermal vest and 3 other layers, but when we got to the top it was freezing and the locals were hiring out jackets, so we decided to get one each.

These Jeeps are the only vehicles that come up and over the mountain and are driven by local folk who run and own the tour - Our driver was the man!!! he must have known that we like it fast - cause he drove like a madman, passing everyone on skinny roads and beeping his horn to tell them to let him passed.

So we get out of the Jeep down in the valley and the driver tell us to get on this tiny little horse and it will take us up to the crater. All good except I was bigger than the horse - The whole way I was thinking, how embarrassing if I break this horse, it collapses under my weight and dies... Lucky it didn't, we became good mates and life went on. To be honest the horse did make a few dodgy noises and my panic increased to the point where I was saying to the horse, 'you alright mate' - then I had the realisation that if this horse could understand any human language it is most probably not English.

''I'm on a horse ''

The view from the top of the 300 stairs that lead up to the craters edge!!! Spectacular indeed.

crater

ever seen a goose on a horse?

The big day ended and on our way back little Ann had to have a little nap in the car - actually I fell asleep first but did that thing where you nod off and snore and wake yourself up all at the same time - the driver thought it was hilarious, my neck didn't.