Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park - The Approach

The Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is named for the two volcanos and the people of the area. Bromo and Semeru are the two volcanos and Tenegger is for the Tenegerise people. They were diven here in the 19th century to escape an influx of Islamic workers imported by the Dutch for the plantations. They exist in the highlands of Eastern Java and are more Balinese than Javanese in appearances and customs. Their Hindu religion is less apparent than in Bali and they do not include the rice aspects such as placing it on the forehead just above the brow. The approach to Bromo takes you up through the foot hills on a road winding itself along slopes that seem too steep for agriculture and yet they manage. In fact this area is supposed to have over 6600 millimeters of rainfall a year which, when included with the volcanic ash, makes for fertile soil. Constant cloud cover, the faint hint of sky above, and ash mark most of the landscape. Huts cling to the steep valley walls and paths, zig-zagging down or up to them, mark the hill sides. Below are the shots from the drive up to the rim of the crater the day before the climb. One of the many benefits of taking the scooter here from Bali was being able to stop where and when you want... this is in contrast to the sore bum, back, sun and pollution exposure and mostly the insane drivers which mark the downsides of driving a scooter to from the South tip of Bali to the top of Bromo.