We thought the driving in South America is bad, but the Indonesians are even worse! We headed off in a small bemo from Yogya with a couple from Belgium on our way to Mount Bromo. The craziest 7 hours of driving ever. It was best not to look. We changed bemo's in Probolinggo where we found out that our plans to go to Bali the next day would have to be changed as Bali was shut! The following day was Nyepi in Bali. The night before, spirits are scared away with drums, firecrackers and huge papier-mâché monsters, then on the day itself everyone sits at home quietly to persuade any remaining evil spirits that Bali is deserted. So we extended our tour to include the Ijen volcano as well.

In our new bemo we headed up the mountain, pausing occasionally for the driver to tie the exhaust pipe back on. We arrived in the village of Cemoro Lawang a bit shocked by the change from 30 degree heat to 5. Fair enough it was chilly, but not cold enough for the woolly hats the locals were trying to flog us. We had dinner by candle light (power cut) with Philip and Elke, which was a low key affair due to the early start the following morning.

The four of us set off at 4am, torches in hand and wrapped up against the cold. Mount Bromo at 2,400m sits in the huge crater of the previously erupted Gunung Tengger. We headed down into the crater floor across the sea of sand in the pitch black followed by a couple of men with ponies. Confident we knew the way we repeatedly declined their offer of a guide, and struck a course for what we thought was the gloaming mass of Bromo. At the foot of this volcano the snickering guides informed us it wasn't Bromo but Batok, a different extinct volcano also in the crater. We parted with 50,000 Rupiah and the guides gleefully led us to the foot of Bromo.

Still in semi darkness we climbed the 200 odd steps to the crater rim, choking on the sulphurous fumes billowing from within. We walked some way around the crater rim and watched as the sun inched its way up revealing the mesmerising surroundings. All around us in the distance 300m sheer cliffs then nothing but volcanic sand until the foot of Bromo. Yet on the leeward side lush green of the forest. The views were made even more spectacular by the sight of an erupting volcano in the distance. Crazy, unbelievable and stunning.

Dragging ourselves away from the views we climbed down Bromo, back across the sea of sand and up to the rim of the old Tengger crater and back to our hotel for a welcoming breakfast. With one more on board, a godbothering Canadian, we were back in the bemo and on our way to Ijen.