Surabaya warms my heart and left a stunning impression after the fortunate event. I wished I'd stayed a little bit longer and get acquainted with the cheerful souls at Hotel Gubeng. But I was too eager to move on to Mount Bromo - my first volcano.

The easiest way (and probably the only way) to get to Mount Bromo from Surabaya is to travel by train to Probolingo and proceed with a bus ride to Cemoro Lawang.

The journey from Surabaya to Probolingo by train took about 2 hours. I was lucky to get hold of the one last remaining executive coach to Probolingo for Rp.110,000. From Probolingo station, it's another 7km ride by becak (Rp.10,000) to the bus station. However, instead of taking me to the bus station, the becak peddler brought me to a travel agent who then arranged a tour to Cemoro Lawang, trekking Mount Bromo and a bus ride to Jogja. All for Rp.300,000.

The 2 hour ride in the tiny 12 seat minivan sandwiched by close to 20 people was utterly unbearable! It's amazing how the minivan was never ever too full to pick up an additional passenger, despite protest from passenger with glaring looks who refuses to make space for the unwanted passenger.

But I guess I wouldn't mind going through the experience if I have to do it all over again, in exchange for what awaits me at Cemoro Lawang. The tea plantations, vegetable gardens, beautiful pine trees and gazillion stars that shines so bright in the sky at night was all so amazingly breathtaking.

The next morning at 3.30am, I shared a jeep with a Romanian elderly couple and Swiss lady to catch the sunrise at Gunung Penajakan (2770m) for the birds eye view over the Tengger Crater.

There were at least close to 70 jeeps racing to the Penajakan II viewpoint and over 200 people watching the sunrise at that particular morning - each fighting for the a spot for the perfect shot.

After we descend from Gunung Penanjakan, we were driven to the crater wall of Mount Bromo where we crossed the 3km Sand Sea to the sloped of the crater by foot. While some tourist took the easy way out by being ferried by horses.

After climbing the 253 steps of stairs up to the crater. The sulfuric smell that emit from the crater nearly suffocate me. 5 minutes later, I was already on my way down and couldn’t wait to get away from Mount Bromo :(

I supposed…that if I wasn’t feeling sick and had my camera with me, I would have enjoyed Bromo. The landscape was amazing, with ‘flower men’ and their horses ferrying tourist from the Sand Sea to the slopes of Bromo Crater.

Perhaps... I’ll pay Mount Bromo another visit in June/July. WITH my DSLR.

*Fingers crossed* :)