So after a relaxing and enjoyable few days in Jogjah, and fully refreshed after seeing Sophie and Bex, we set off on a our next mammoth journey. It began by setting-off at 8 in the morning and arriving in Bromo at around 8.30/9. All of this on a mini-bus.

Now the journeys, as you may have gathered are not without incident. Firstly our initial journey to Probolinggo consisted of a mini-van where we were not sat next to each other but both sat next to the doors. Howver my door kept unlocking itself as we were driving. It never fully opoened but did bang and chatter. Not the comfiest of journeys. And to make it worse, our lunch was definately the worst lunch we had had in Java. It was chicken curry and rice yet the chicken leg in the sauce consisted of just bone with a slither of meat. So understandably we were hungry!!

On arrival to Probolinggo, there was no food but a quick talk on what the itinary was the following day, we were put into a new mini-van with some of the same people as before. 3 French girls and a German couple. Now the van was worryingly poor. In fact there was only 1 headlight on the mini-van and not the side closest to traffic. This would become a serious problem.

On our drive up to Bromo, an hour long drive during the day, we began to hope we would make it without a serious accident occuring. The road was not the best and consisted of a blind turn after blind turn all the way up a mountain. Also on the side of the road was a huge 70 foot plus drop which only kept getting bigger. This would have been OK on a quiet road but that fact that it seemed like every motor bile was on the road going down the mountain proved deadly. With only 1 light, the driver had to put his full beam on to let the bikers know it was a car coming around the corner. As you can imagine, having a bright full beam in your face on a bike with a huge drop at your side was understandably unnerving!! The speed the bikes came down and the speed we were going round the corners did not help with several occassions making the Germans in the front actually scream! Bikers would be blinded and begin to drive straight for the mini-van and scream at the light in their face, narrowly missing us and ending their own lives by literally inches!!

After the drive from hell, we checked in to our room for the night which actually could have been worse. As we were staying in Bromo, we had to pay our entrance fee as it was a National Park. The room was ultra basic set up at serious altitude in a tiny village/town. It was very dark and late but we were starving so went in search for food with the German couple who were staying next door to us. They were a nice couple but I really can not remember their names, even after they said it as they seemed really German names and hard to understand!!

The food again was really poor. We ate in a tiny warung (cafe) and ordered Nasi Camur, a rice and chicken dish. At this point we were also joined by an Austrian couple who had come in and had a pretty good chat about places to visit and go etc. The German couple were visiting Bali after Bromo like us whereas the Austrians were heading to Jogjah from Bali.

After the food arrived though, Sam rightly pointed out that the food smelt and tasted funny. Which it did but to be honest I was so hungry I finished the lot and hoped it would be OK. Sam didn't touch hers though and went hungry. Along with the Austrians. The Germans ate theirs though!! However, the desciding factor on the food was the rat that ran past us at the table and straight into the kitchen!! hmmm, rat food!!!!!

After retiring for the night in the cold rooms, sleeping liners wrapped around us and cold showers had, we set our alarms for the early rise of 3am. This was not a problem though as we had booked for the sunrise tour of Mount Bromo.

We were picked up by Jeep with the Germans and taken to an observation point overlooking the volcano and the mountains. And was it worth it?? Certainly without a doubt, yes. We walked for 20-30 minutes up to the view point in the dark, in the morning cold up to the view point where we found a coffee and hot chocolate stand and found a spot for photos and to watch the sunrise over the next hour/ hour and a half. The German couple stayed with us throughout and we got talking to another German from the day before, Frank, who was travelling by himself. This was a great morning with some superb views and great scenery.

After the view point came the climb of the volcano. With a short drive to the bottom where the floor all the way up was covered in volcanic sand, we viewed the mission awaiting us! Far was an understatement. Now the story of the volcano was that it was still active and last erupted 3 years previous. It was due an eruption! We had just over 2 hours to walk up and down the sand dunes and steps of the volcano which was now smoking!!

We chose to walk up instead of going horse back which was an option. Yet the horses looked so dehydrated and ill kept we were never going to do it! It was hard work though. Up the side of a volcano first thing in the morning in sand. We did make it though to look down into the crater of the volcano.

It was a great experience but we were both looking forward to getting on to the next part of our trip, Bali. But to get there we had to endure a hard going 13 hour plus journey just to the centre of Bali. However, due to staying in Bromo in the middle of no-where with no wi-fi, we had no idea where we were going to stay. So with that in mind we descided on arrival to head to the most touristy area, Kuta and hope we could find some vacancies.

The journey there though involved a long long coach trip full of all different nationalities, heading through the last section of Java leading to a ferry to Bali then back on the same coach onto the bus station in the centre of Bali.

Yet before we got to the bus station, we stopped off next to a private car/ mini-bus hire place as the time had reached 10.30 and the chance of a bus had grown weaker. So we managed to get a mini-van for 50,000 each to Kuta. This was not expensive compared to some of the prices we had heard.

After another 30 minute drive to Kuta, we jumped out near some hostel looking places where we would look to stay for one night and re-assess our accomodation for the following few days. But unfortunately it was not that simple. We spent an hour walking in and out of places asking for vacancies and prices, looking at rooms which were sub-standard for the price until, at midnight, we found an expensive but really comfortable place. The Samsara. Here we managed to get a little money off and begin our Bali experience.