The Largest Acidic Crater in the World - Ijen Crater

Mt. Ijen 2.799 mdpl

     I take a one day adventure to Ijen Crater, because my mother won't let me do a night trip to Ijen. I was wondering to see the incredible blue fire, that only exist in Iceland and Banyuwangi. The best to see blue fire is at 3 in the morning. But it was rainy season, and i didn't get permission from my mother and I start hiking in the morning without camp first at night. Flew from Bandung to Surabaya by plane, and accompany my mother on her seminar in Jember. We took 4 hours driving from Surabaya to Jember. 

     In the second day we went to Bondowoso at 5am from Jember, fortunately we only take 2 ours to Bondowoso from Jember because it's usually takes 3 hours. And the road from Bondowoso to Paltuding takes about 2 hours driving, with pine forest as the scenery along the way. We don't need to use Jeep because the road is already paved, we use our rented car from Surabaya (Daihatsu Terios). From the place where we park our car, we need 2 hours walking to reach the crater. There's only one route to the top so you won't lost, and there's also a lot of people too.

      We reached the top around 11 am, unfortunately the fog is so thick and makes it hard to take pictures and also hard to walk because we barely see the road. Wearing mask is the most important thing beacuse the fog is poisonous if we stay there for long time. Actually my mother, father and my little brother stopped in the hill behind the crater and i'm walking alone to the crater. I was planned to go down to see the crater closer, but it's not allowed cause of the fog. It's almost noon when we reached the top so all the miners that brings tens of sulfur from the carter are not there. Only some workers that have another livelihood as sulfur carver selling their work. We have to go back to the parking area before 14.00, because the fog will be really thick and we can't see the way. And also at noon the fog make us hardly to breath. 

         People said that at night, the weather are really cold until it reach 2 degree celcius, but at noon i still can survive by only wearing 1 layered sweater. Maybe because i keep moving, but my little brother still freezing. I go back to the parking area around 11.45 and arrived at 12.45. Yes because it's faster to go down, but still be careful because the ground is slippery. Don't worry because the track is safe, and ramps. If you planned to see the blue fire you better to came to Paltuding one day before you start hiking, build a camp there. They allowed us to build a camp in the field near the parking area. Or you can stay in the car until it's 12am and you start hiking to the carter. There will be a lot of miners working at night, and you have to give ways for the miners. They usually carry 80-90kg of sulfurs from the carter. 

Mountain is not a trash can, please bring back your trash

Peak of God - Mahameru

Mt. Semeru, 3676mdpl

This is an example of my letter permit

      This highest mountain in java has million beauty that's never fade. I'm not an expert in hiking mountain, and i have no experience at all. But Mt.Semeru has made me challenged. It may sounds crazy because this is my first experience, but nothing can drag me down. I was the only girl in the team until we met our guide, I went with 4 of my school mates, my brother, and 2 of my friend's siblings. Because i haven't got my legal identity card (I was 16 yo that time), so I was required to make parents letter permit, that signed by my parent on stamp. Because i'm still an high school student, we take free time after our finals in second year. We start our journey by taking Matarmaja train from Cirebon to Malang, it cost Rp115.000,- for economic class. We leaving Cirebon at 17.00 WIB and arrived in Malang at 06.17 WIB in the next day.  

      When we arrived in Malang, we met our guide in front of the station and heading to Pasar Tumpang by public transportation (angkot). And continue to Ranu Pane with Jeep, it cost around Rp500.000 for one way. 

       We start walking from Ranu Pane to Ranu Kumbolo at 16.00, and arrived around 21.00. We decided to build tent and take sleep instead, because we still have another long journey next day. In the morning we take a really quick breakfast, and taking pictures in the side of the lake, we didn't permitted to swim in the lake. But we still allowed to only clean up our body in some areas.

        We continue our journey at 9.00 with 3 hours hiking from Ranu Kumbolo to Kalimati. We have one more night stay in Kalimati, before we went to the top of Mahameru. 

         As we arrived in Kalimati, we build tents and take a rest. Saving energy for the night, preparing needs such as water because the water springs in Kalimati are far from the camp. After all the stuff packed we take an early sleeping, we will start hiking at 00.00. Wake up at 23.00 wearing sweater, jackets, layered socks and pants because it's really freezing outside. We have to keep ourself warm, or we will dead by freeze. Before we leaving Kalimati we did a little warm up, because the hillside are about 45 degree and covered by sands & rocks. Commons climber can reach the top by 6 hours walking, but we arrived at 6.30 am. The weather are still freezing even the sun has rises, so we quickly taking pictures before we got frozen. 

       We go back to Kalimati around 7.30 and arrived around 10.00. Yap, it's easier to go down than to the top we need 6 hours to the top but only need around 2 hours to go down. A little reminder don't forget to bring glasses, because I got an infection in my eyes because of the dust and little rocks slipped in my eyes. That's why there's a picture where i am covering my eyes for about a day. And even it's easier to go down, but it's more dangerous. My friend got slipped by a little rock, because he is in a rush that makes he rolled from the hill. Fortunately he still fine, even he got so many scars in his face, and a little lame but nothing is broken so he needs a stick to help him walking.We take a little rest in Kalimati, before we leaving and go back to Ranu Kumbolo. We have one more night to enjoy beautiful scenery in Ranu Kumbolo. We leaving Kalimati at 12.00 and arrived in Ranu Kumbolo around 15.00. We take a really long nap here before we go home next day. 

          Enjoying the night in Ranu Kumbolo with billion stars in the sky, cold weather, the smells of woods, night dews, a hot milo and chit chat with friends. We pray together with a really wonderful scenery in front of us. And that's what money can't buy. 

            It's really sad to leaving Semeru with all the greatest stuff and go back to the real world as a student. But the destination of hiking a mountain isn't the top or the summit but it's to go home safe. So in the 4th day we leaving tp Ranu Pane and heading back to Malang. Even our adventures stop but our friendship won't. We stay in Malang for two nights in motel around the station, before we go back to Cirebon by train. 

Tips :

* Before planning to go hiking a mountain, make sure you really want it from the heart or your passion. Because the most important thing is not your body capability but it's your mental. The spirit you have can make your body even stronger than usual.

* YOU STILL NEED EXERCISE. Take a routine jogging at least a week before you go.

* Another important thing is permission from your parents. I'm such a lucky one because my mother was an expert mountain climber and she support me. And that's how i got a lot channel to Adventure Association.

* Mountain is not a trash can. Bring back your trash, save God's creatures.

This is our morning view from the tent

Hiking the legendary Tanjakan Cinta

Our guide, Mas Akmal

Kalimati Camp

The beautiful sunrise

The hillside of mahameru @ 5.30

We finally reach the top!

Nothing is better than sleeping with sky as the roof and ground as the bed 

Everywhere is a place to sleep

That's me with the one eye covered

Our last breakfast

Last day, before leaving Ranu Kumbolo

Home home home!

Parangtritis Beach - Yogyakarta

It was my very first time exploring nature in Yogyakarta. My brother lived not so far from Parangtritis Beach, it's actually located in Tuban. So i ask my brother to pick me up to the Parangtritis Beach. Unfortunetely there's lots of people come and gather in this beach, it was really crowded. It was the Independence day of Indonesia, so there's lot of people free from their duty and visited Parangtritis beach. I should be in the school field to do the ceremony but heyaa im off :p 

There is lots of delman, ATV for rent  and kite seller with extra cheap cheap cheap prices! :D

The water is not crystal clear but there's a clief beside the beach that makes Parangtritis different with other beach in Yogyakarta. Even the sand is black, but the texture so soft

He is so happy to see the beach again! And beware of Jelly fish

Bali - Lombok

It was during the school long holiday, my mother got her bussines in Bali and she ask me to accompany her and of course i say a big yes! Not so happy about going to Bali, but really excited to finally visit Lombok again. We went to Bali by plane at noon around 14.00 from Soekarno Hatta International Airport. It was our 2nd time fly by the online reservation of Citilink. 

We stayed in a really cheerfull hotel POP hotel, it's about 100m from kuta beach. Because we only will stayed for 1 night in Bali we choose this express hotel. And we booked this hotel by online from Agoda. Agoda gave lots lots of discount and easy reservation. It's saving money and time!

 Here's some pict from my express vacation in Bali 

In the next day, around 16.00 we go aboard to Lombok by plane. And my mother's best friend picked up us from the airport and i ask to go to Tanjung Ann because I already miss this place for damn long and Tanjung Ann beach wasnt so far from the airport.

  

In the next day we went to Gili Trawangan Island by a speedboat, we do snorkeling and also diving! We found lots of beautiful coral and fish. This place is so joyful. 

  

We also visited Marina hills during our way to senggigi. 

For the last day we stayed in Senggigi Beach Hotel, we also booked this hotel from Agoda. Senggi Beach Hotel located exactly in the sea side of Senggi Beach, ang my bungalow is exactly in front of the beach. And here's some picture that i take in front of the hotel.