Trek to Bromo!

Last weekend, I got to experience the Bromo sunrise. My friend, Sharon, and her friends visiting from Korea were going to Bromo to watch the sunrise and invited me to come along. What a treat to be able to experience this! We left at 1:30 am on Saturday night/Sunday morning and drove the 3 hours to the lookout point. We went back and forth watching the sun rise to the east of Bromo and taking in the view of volcanoes Bromo & Semeru. It was gorgeous! It was amazing to see how many mountains/volcanoes are surrounding Malang from the view we had.

Bromo & Semeru from the lookout point right before the sunrise

After the sun rose, we got back in the car and made our way down the lookout point on the very winding, narrow road. We drove through the valley, which looked like a desert, covered in ash from the eruption that occurred back in January. We drove to the base of Mt. Bromo and got to climb the stairs up to the top of Bromo to look down into it. This is something they have just recently opened back up after the eruption and is accessible to the public. There were so many people going up and down Bromo! Some were sightseers and some were regulars who make offerings into Bromo. The offerings is a Hindu tradition that is made regulary and there are many Indonesians who take part due to the Hindu population nearby Bromo. 

Everyone lined the brim of the volcano…it made me so nervous to watch kids run along and skirt in between all the people, with nothing protecting them from falling down either side of the volcano! Below are some pictures from the base and from the top of Bromo.

Looking down from the top of Bromo...there are steps to climb up.

This is a pic that Faith took...it made me crack up when I saw it!
Surrounded by Indonesians...do I stick out of the crowd much??

Looking down into the caldera. Before the eruption in January, there was no gaping hole. It was completely covered and only had cracks with steam coming up. Now it is a big hole that puffs every 10 minutes. It kind of reminds me of something from Star Wars :)

On the way back to Malang, the man driving took us to a waterfall. The surrounding land is so mountainous and the Tengger people who live there use every single piece of land they can for agriculture. This was a picture of the way they farm the land. I have never seen anything like it before!

Most of the crew that went...Faith is m.i.a.

The waterfall we hiked to see on the way back...so pretty!

It amazes me how different the land is here in each place you go. In 10 hours, we went from the city in Malang, to the mountainous and desert-like terrain of Bromo, to green, hilly farmland, to the lush forest where the waterfall was.  

Life in Indonesia Begins...

I can’t believe that it’s already been 3 weeks since we first arrived in Indonesia! Besides the first few days when time crept by because of jetlag and no sleep, the time here has flown by. I wanted to include what I've done over the past few weeks, so this blog won't be as detailed like I'd like it to be. I will include more info later. I’ve been busy exploring and familiarizing myself with Malang(which still hasn’t completely happened J), meeting new people, finding a home, settling in and beginning language school. I’ve been able to figure out where things are and have gotten around fairly easily by taxi, but mostly by blue buses and walking. I can’t say that I’ve figured out the structure or rhyme or reason to the public transportation here, but I’m sure I will eventually. I will say one thing…I will never complain about Boston’s MBTA again! J I wish I had more pictures to post of Malang, but I’ve tried to refrain from sticking out more than I already do as a “bule tinggi” as they call me…tall white person. Here are a few from the flower and animal market I’ve been to and from the roof of my “kos” that looks out to Malang.

"Pasar Bunga"- The Flower Market...a great place to practice my bahasa Indonesia :)

The Bird Market--Not the right name since they sell everything here...



...Like Giant bats.



The view from the roof of my kos looking out to Malang.

“What the heck’s a kos?” you might ask. It’s where most young adults here live. They are set up much like dorms, where there will be anywhere from 10-20 girls living in a house with their own room along with a common room and typically a small kitchen to use. The Ibu, or house mother, usually lives downstairs or next door and she will rent out the bedrooms to girls. I was able to find one close to where Danny & Lisa live and the language school, which is great! There are 10 girls who live here(I’ve only met 2 so far) and it’s a mix between university students and young women who are working. I’ve kind of been limited to how much we can converse since my Indonesian is like that of a 2 year old, but hopefully they’ll be patient with me and I’ll be able to speak more soon! I’m looking forward to getting to know them better throughout the year. Most of you know that sleeping isn’t something I’m very good at. It’s been a challenge adjusting to all the noises at night and getting good sleep. Between the stray cats, the rooster outside my window at the kos and the mosque down the street, Boston seems quiet. Usually the mosque has a loudspeaker that they play the call to prayer 5 times a day, beginning at 4:30, but because of Ramadhan, which began last week, they play more continuously until later at night. Below are some pictures of my cozy home, complete with pictures of my bathroom. It has been pretty humorous getting used to using a mandi (using a bucket for showering and flushing the toilet). One good thing that’s come from it is getting me to exercise a little. Since it’s cold water, I have to do a few jumping jacks or sit ups before I shower to work up a sweat!  I’d love to share some funny stories with you if you want to ask, but to save myself from public embarrassment, I’ll refrain from posting it on the blog J

Another view of my bedroom... not a lot to show yet(except the pepto pink walls :)) since I just moved in. I'll decorate soon!

A picture of my bathroom...the tub of water an bucket is used for showering (called a mandi) and flushing.

I’ve been in language school for 2 weeks now. I’ve come to realize that it is going to be like my full time job here for a while. I am in class, with Danny & Lisa, for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week and then spend time at night studying. It’s been pretty overwhelming learning so much and trying to remember so much information and so many words. I have to continually remind myself that it’s a process and unfortunately I’m not going to be fluent in a week. I am pretty amazed, though, even after just 2 weeks how much I can comprehend when I meet people or go to the store. It’s been fun(hmmm not sure if fun’s the best word!) trying to practice and I’ve definitely noticed a difference already. I have 2 different teachers, one from 8-10am and one from 10 am-12 pm, who have been great and so patient and helpful! I’m really looking forward to when I can actually go out and not be completely useless and to be able to engage in a conversation with someone on the street.