Bromo -- Jember -- Banyuwangi -- Gilimanuk -- Ijen Day 6 - 2015 June 14 > East Java ~ Indonesia

Today is my last day at Jember. Wake up in the morning, then waiting to go to the airport.

I have a chance to taste cheese cake from Mary's Pattiserie. Maybe, I'm not a fans of cheese, I can't it whole.

Then at 08:30, my aunty accompany me to go to Jember Airport. It is located in the outer of city. And, there's nothing around there. You can see a lot of children, gather around the airport to see plane landing and take off.

Only there's 1 flight in here. It's Garuda from and to Surabaya.

It's convenient, so if you want to go to Jember, you can ride plane, just remember the time maybe not when you expect.

From Jember to Surabaya, flight time is 10:20, arrive at Surabaya at 11:15.
If you want to fly from Surabaya to Jember, flight time is 08:55, arrive at Jember at 09:50.

Arrive at Surabaya, Juanda International Airport 2nd Terminal, I have to go to 1st Terminal. Fortunately, the airport provide free shuttle bus. And fortunately again, when I arrive at the bus, there's a shuttle bus that will depart soon. So, I just go in the bus and waiting. It took about 15-20 minutes to go to 1st Terminal.

My next flight is Sriwijaya, flight time 15:20. After found the check-in counter, I decided to eat lunch first. A & W Restaurant become my choice because it's convenient.

Then after lunch, I go to check-in counter, and waiting for depart.

at 14:50 we boarding, then go back to Jogja. See you in the next trip...

Bromo -- Jember -- Banyuwangi -- Gilimanuk -- Ijen Day 5 - 2015 June 13 > East Java ~ Indonesia

We woke up early, then depart from Jember at 02:30 in the morning. It took almost 3 hours to go to Ijen Crater. Ijen crater located in the middle of Jember and Banyuwangi, but Banyuwangi is nearer than Jember. So it's better if you stay at Banyuwangi.

Credit: Wikipedia

The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, Indonesia. It is inside a larger caldera Ijen, which is about 20 kilometers wide. The Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the highest point of that complex. The name "Gunung Merapi" means "mountain of fire" in the Indonesian language (api being "fire"); Mount Merapi in central Java and Marapi in Sumatra have the same etymology.

West of Gunung Merapi is the Ijen volcano, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acidic crater lake. The lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor. The work is paid well considering the cost of living in the area, but is very onerous. Workers earn around Rp 50,000 - 75,000 ($5.50-$8.30) per day and once out of the crater, still need to carry their loads of sulfur chunks about three kilometers to the nearby Paltuding Valley to get paid.

Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones run east-west across the southern side of the caldera. The active crater at Kawah Ijen has a diameter of 722 metres (2,369 ft) and a surface area of 0.41 square kilometres (0.16 sq mi). It is 200 metres (660 ft) deep and has a volume of 36 cubic hectometres (29,000 acre·ft).

The lake is recognised as the largest highly acidic crater lake in the world. It is also a source for the river Banyupahit, resulting in highly acidic and metal-enriched river water which has a significant detrimental effect on the downstream river ecosystem. In 2008, explorer George Kourounis took a small rubber boat out onto the acid lake to measure its acidity. The pH of the water in the crater was measured to be 0.5 due to sulfuric acid.

The path to the peak

view while hiking

view while hiking 

After a while, we arrive at Pondok Bunder Kawah Idjen. This is the first post, so you can rest in here.

After rest for a while, then we continue to hike.

The path is getting slipier

view while Hiking

We are getting near the peak

Almost arrive at the peak

After a while, finally we arrive at the peak. From far away, you can see a beautiful scene.

Ijen Crater

Ijen Crater

Sulfur Worker, they climb and go down twice a day

when it's dark, on the spot that release the smoke, there's blue fire

We can't go down there because it's dangerous

Enjoy the scene...

 After a while, the sun is getting hot. And it's almost 10 a.m. So we decided to go down.

When we go down, it's more slippery than when we go up. So, you have to becareful. And it's more tiring because we need to break our foot, and it hurts the knee. But it's faster than when you go up. We only took 1 hour to go down.

The Ijen Crater Basecamp

Sulfur Stone

Today's journey only go to Ijen Crater, because it took a lot of time and energy. So, we go back to Jember to rest.

Bromo -- Jember -- Banyuwangi -- Gilimanuk -- Ijen Day 4 - 2015 June 12 > East Java ~ Indonesia

Today, we will visit the beach in Jember in the evening.

I eat breakfast at home. The elder bought us fried chicken.

After breakfast, I just look around my aunty and uncle's store, and also my cousin's pastry shop. My cousin give me a tester for eclair and fruit pie. It's delicious and very recommended. Don't forget if you go to Jember, try Mary's Pattiserie Pastry at Jl. Trunojoyo no 55 Jember.

At 11 o'clock, we go to eat lunch Soto Ayam Dahlok, it's famous in Jember and open since 1958.

Then we visit my uncle's family. After that, we go to the beach.

First we go to Watu Ulo Beach. Why named Watu Ulo? Because there's stone that similar to Ulo. Ulo, is javanese name of Snake.

Then we go to Papuma Beach, which located right next to Watu Ulo Beach. You only need to pay 1 times for both tourism spot.

It's almost sunset when we get there.

Then we go back to the town, and eat pork noodle. It's delicious.

Then we go home to rest, because the next day, I need to woke up at 2.30 o'clock to go to Ijen Crater.
Good Night...

Bromo -- Jember -- Banyuwangi -- Gilimanuk -- Ijen Day 1 - 2015 June 09 > East Java ~ Indonesia

Woke up at 04:30, today finally my journey to Mt Bromo has begun.

Ticket checked, stuff checked, money  checked, identity checked. Everything is ready.

This time, I try to use Travel safe domestic from ACA for 5-11 days, cost IDR 45.000. Even for mountain climbing is not cover but at least they cover my journey.

At 05:40 I go to Damri Shuttle hus at Hotel wisata to ride thr shuttle to Airport.

At 06:00 we depart. And arrive at airport at 07:30.

My flight is Wings Air to Surabaya. And there's only 1 counter check-in open from 3 counter for Lion. Even for Wings Air there's 2 counter, but they didn't open. So we used Lion counter to Jakarta. *strange*

We only got 10kgs for baggage/person and many people has so many baggage so it took some times for the excess baggage payment. Fortunately, I have already use web check-in so I have already got my seat.

Then I'm waiting for boarding.

Boarding time is a little early, 08:15 and 08:35 we are already depart. 20 minutes early than the determine time.

It's a smooth flight, we arrive at Surabaya at 09:30.

I wait for baggage and my aunty. At 10:00, my aunty has arrived. Then we go to Ciputra World Mall, which is a new mall in Surabaya.

We passed some building

the long elevator inside the shopping mall

We eat lunch at Duck King.

Then we walk around while wait for my aunty's nephew.

After a while, my aunty's nephew is arrive. Then she eat lunch first at foodcourt. Then we depart to Bromo.

It tooks 3 to 4 hours to go there. Too bad, it's foggy when we arrive there, so we can't see the sunset. Our hotel, Lava View Lodge, is located in the peak of area, which we could see the Bromo crater in front of the hotel. And it's quiet cold. Don't forget to bring your jacket, sweater, gloves, and winter cap.

We have already booked for Family Room which rate IDR 1.250.000/room/night. This month is high season, so the price quiet high. There's 1 room inside the family room, and inside that room there's one large bed. Outside that room there's 2 single bed, a sofa and tv.

We also booked the jeep for the next day to Penanjakan 1 which cost IDR 500.000 for 2 place (Penanjakan 1 &  Bromo peak) and IDR 750.000 for 4 place (Penanjakan 1, Bromo Peak, Whisper Sand and Savana Field Telletubies).

We decided to booked the 2 place trip, and if we want to visit the others place, then we could negotiate with the driver.

We thought that if we booked via hotel, then at least it's guarantee.

After finished eat dinner and booked the jeep, then we sleep early because the next day we have to wake up at 02:45.