Indonesia Pt. 2: Java

So after a long journey through Bali, over the sea with a ferry and crossing maybe a quarter of the Java island we finally reached Probolinggo, we had first considered going to Malang but our guide in Bali told us that Probolinggo was better for our purpose: going to the volcano Mount Bromo.

So we found this mini mini taxi bus that took us to a travel agency in Probolinggo, there we planned our coming day and after a lot of discussion and some haggling (of course) we had fixed a hotel for the night, transportation to two sites at the volcano and our trip to Yogyakarta!

It took about an hour to get up to our hotel and it was more or less uphill all the way but we when we got there it was a really cozy hotel although it was a bit worn and cheap it had a nice feeling and even more fun was that (since the owner was a German woman) they served roesti! Not the best I've eaten but pretty OK considering it being on the wrong side of the globe. We went to bed and at 3.00 the alarm rang since our jeep was leaving at 4.00, so we got up, tried to put on as much clothes as possible (since it was so cold that your breath condensed in the air), ate some cheap breakfast box that was included and then we were on our way; uphill again and even steeper. After going with the jeep and then walking for a while we ended up at around 2770 m over sea level with a really good view of Mount Bromo (Bromo is in the background below).

There we watched the sunrise with a truly fascinating scenery.

After the viewpoint we went down to the jeeps again and went over the salt flats below to the foot of the volcano.

After walking a good set of stairs we finally found ourselves on the edge of the crater.

And it kind of felt like we had left earth...

After that we headed back to the hotel and ate some real breakfast and we then returned to Probolinggo.

From Probolinggo we went in a minibus to Yogyakarta (aka Jogja in Indonesian) , the good thing being that it was only us in the minibus but it was pretty warm and probably not the most comfortable of trips. We left at 12 and arrived at our hotel in Jogja at around 22.30. 

We checked in and then went food hunting which was a bit hard since most places had closed down in the area we stayed. But we finally found a small place outside were they sold grilled satay. So we got to sit down on carpets just off the street and there we had a pretty nice and cheap dinner!

The day after our plan was simple, there is two big temples close to Jogja and we where going to see them. First out was the Hindu temple Prambanan!

And even though it looks like I'm doing something else I believe I'm about to jump in the photo above.

After Prambanan we went into Jogja and bought the train tickets to Jakarta, we had some lunch and then we found an agency that could take us to the next temple and back. So then we set forth to our next destination: the Buddhist temple Borobudur.

After Borobudur we went back to Jogjo and being out a little earlier we decided to go food hunting again and this time we were truly successful. Our first course during the night: Indonesian kebab, they we're like small Swedish kebab rolls but the seasoning was a bit stronger and they grilled them after having prepared them; all in all it was recipe for success!

After the kebab we went to a little place close to our hotel that sold 7000 rupi milkshakes (ca 5,4 SEK), maybe not the best milkshakes since they where a bit watery but totally worth the money.

The day after, Saturday, was our last real day in Indonesia and Jogja. Our train for Jakarta and the airport was going to leave at 21 so we had a whole day to spend now. We spent it in central Jogja were we went shopping, a little sightseeing and tried a lot of food and fruits!

In conclusion our trip to Indonesia was mind-blowing; great company, great food and some truly amazing sights.