These two days have been OMG days...yet again! WiFi is not great at this hotel in Melang, Indonesia, but it might be better later in the evening for sharing pictures.
We had our second 8- hour train ride from Yogyakarta to 
Melang, our last stop in Java.

When our train arrived, we were hustled into SUVs for a 90 minute drive to our homestay. deep in the mountains toward Mt. Bromo. The road was pretty wicked - switch backs, narrow, and night had fallen. Then 25 minutes from our destination, we were stuck behind a truck loaded down with vegetables. It couldn't make the hill. Finally, jeeps came along to unload the truck and we were finally able to continue. 

The village is deep in the national forest, and our homestay was sponsored by G-Adventures, the company we are travelling with. The houses are beautiful, nothing like what we have been seeing in the other villages., and cities. Had group dinner cooked by one of the families, a short introduction to the culture, then to bed. Morning activity was to start at 3 am!

Jeeps picked us up at 3, and off we went to Mt. Bromo, the "most beautiful volcano and the largest" in Indonesia. We went to watch the sunrise, as did hundreds of other people!

The road...unbelievable! First 1/3, sorta paved but again switch backs and climbing to the rim of a volcano. Then it was over sandune / volcanic ash like roads with DEEP ruts! Talk about shake rattle and roll! The last 1/3 was paved. There are 3 viewing points, and both sides of the road were already lined with jeeps. We were driven to the highest point on the rim of an old volcano an hour before sunrise.

It was amazing to be so high up in the clouds...over 2400 meters. The village where we stayed was at 2000. I actually had a hard time catching my breath walking up the hill to the viewing platform, and felt quite lightheaded, but I made it!

Lightning was flashing over the volcano, thru' the thick clouds. That was fascinating. Then the sun started to break thru' the heavy clouds. We then drove back down to the floor of the dormant volcano which contained the cones of 3 live volcanoes. We walked about a kilometer over volcanic ash, not an easy feat! There were many hawkers with ponies, offer rides for 100,000 ($10.00), but we walked. There is an ancient Hindu temple on the flats, but we were not allowed to enter. 

We were to take the jeeps back up to another trail, then climb to the rim of Mt Bomo. However, no one was allowed this morning as it was "erupting", spewing black smoke, which contains poisonous gas. It was then another long walk back to the jeeps, taking pretty much the same route back to the village. It was easier to anticipate the deep ruts in daylight! Stopped at a view point for light breakfast of fat sweet banana, fresh bread and jam, hard boiled eggs, and tea. 

Back to the village, we were led by a couple of young ladies on a tour - of the school full of squealing little kids on seeing us, a temple containing the tombs of the founder of this village, and saw the incredible fields of cabbage, onion, potato ( a major crop). It's not just fields, but [patterns on steep slopes! The village, named Ngadas, is named for the plant that grows everywhere. I thought it was a tree, but when I asked, it was the yellow flowered ferny plants I thought were wild dill. I was actually able to pick some leaves, scrunch them up, and it smelled of licorice. So I think it is anise.

Back at our homestay, we were served lunch - lovely chicken legs with lemongrass and lime leaves, mixed veg, corn fritter, soybean pattie and steamed rice.

We are now, after another 90 minute drive, in Melang, at the hotel. Going out for supper, then tomorrow, will fly to Bali.