To watch the sun rise over the Sea of Sands and the billowing crater of Mount Bromo is to feel yourself dwarfed by size

and time, the enormity of the scenery matched by the sense of peering far back into the ancient past.

Words by Eric Randolph, photography by Tom Parker

SUNRISE OVER BROMO

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Travel | Bromo

The Tengger massif including Mount Bromo at sunrise as seen from the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan.

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First the trees in the foreground come into view, then the deep valley � oor, and slowly the ominous contours of the volcanoes themselves ñ emerging out of the white cloak of fog as if an old Polaroid photograph is developing before your eyes.

At 2,392m in height, Bromo is not Indonesiaí s largest volcano, but its unique setting and structure make it one of the most stunning landscapes in the country, or indeed the world.

Part of the mystique comes from the surrounding valley ñ the Sea of Sands is partly an other-worldly plain of grey-brown rock, a lunar landscape created by the ash from Bromoí s sulphurous depths. But further away from the crater it becomes a lush savannah of vegetation and rivers that stretches across 5,250ha. From above, it is an astonishing scene ñ like travelling far back into prehistory. I almost expect dinosaurs to come lumbering into view.

All this was once the ancient super-volcano Tengger, which exploded around 250,000 years ago to create the valley. The Sea of Sands is now ringed by the walls of the former crater ñ mountains that jut suddenly and sharply up from the � at, sandy � oor. Five smaller volcanoes have appeared within this collapsed super-

volcano ñ known as a ë calderaí ñ of which Bromo is the most active and revered.

We approach the area ñ now known as the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park ñ from the southwest. Lush tropical vegetation covers the mountainsides, and there are jagged peaks and stepped plantations on both sides as our jeep forges its way up the narrow pass.

The fog appears in the late afternoon. We stop outside the village of Ngadas to watch it � owing into the valleys beneath us, a huge cloud drifting slowly in like a ghost ship coming into port. One gets accustomed to looking down on clouds in this part of the world.

We are staying in the home of Muliati, whose status as a former village chief has earned him the moniker ë Bromo-Putraí . It is a simple village home ñ a bamboo ceiling, concrete walls. Life revolves around the � re burning in a stove in the back room ñ where family meals are cooked and the winter cold is held at bay.

We perch on wooden benches around the � re and Muliati tells us some of the local legends that surround Mount Bromo, which takes its name from Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.

We are visiting in the wet season. Ití s a risky time to come ñ the fog can descend thick and heavy at a momentí s notice, obscuring the best views. But this season has its own magic. The fog can evaporate just as quickly as it appears, and the effect is ethereal.

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Guide and jeep drivers relaxing in the Sea of Sands at the base of the volcanoes.

One of the horses that take tourists up to the rim of the Mount Bromo crater.

The mouth of Bromo as seen from Cemoro Lawang.

The name ëT enggerí supposedly derives from those of two young lovers ñ Princess Roro Anteng and Jaka Seger. The princess was a member of the Majapahit kingdom to the north, and her parents disapproved of her engagement to Jaka, a commoner. So the pair eloped to the mountain to marry.

Unable to have children, the couple prayed to Brahma in the nearby Widodaren cave. They got more than they had bargained for, with Brahma providing them with 25 children. But there was a price to pay ñ Brahma demanded that the last child be sacri� ced to the volcano to demonstrate their devotion.

Muliati tells me there are two versions of what happened next: ì In one version, the parents agree to sacri� ce their child,î he says. ì But in another version, the parents refused, making the volcano angry. The child decided to sacri� ce himself, without his parentsí permission, to appease Bromo. A voice came from within the volcano telling people to continue the sacri� ce every year if they wanted to survive.î

This story has given rise to the annual Kasada Festival, usually held in August, when the ritual sacri� ce to Bromo is made.

Depending on which version of the story you believe, it is either to honour the original sacri� ce made by the family or to pacify the angry Bromo.

Fortunately, children are no longer thrown into its bubbling depths. Instead, a procession led by local chiefs and shamans from all the surrounding villages carries crops and � owers to throw into the crater, praying for good harvests and protection from the occasional outbursts of the mountain.

There is more than legend at work in the localsí respect for Bromo. The ceremony also re� ects the tremendous gift the volcano provides in the form of the volcanic ash that coats their � elds, making the soil incredibly fertile. Farmers can expect three or four harvests of rice a year. ì Farming is very easy here!î one farmer will tell me later. ì Thatí s why we are so happy with Bromo.î

We set off from Muliatií s home at the slightly ridiculous time of 1.30am, trawling through the pre-dawn passes in our jeep until we reach the Sea of Sands. The mist is hanging low this morning, and we are treated to one of the eeriest sights of our trip ñ horsemen appearing from the white gloom as dark silhouettes, the bright

It can be a gruelling start to the day. If youí re on the other side of the valley, it can mean getting out of bed before 2am to start the drive to reach the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan, a 2,770m peak with some of the best views of Bromo and its neighbour, Mount Batok. But ití s certainly worth it as you see the � rst rays of sun spill over the horizon and light up this prehistoric scene. Remember to hang around for a while as tourists quickly disperse but the light becomes ideal for photographs an hour or so after sunrise.

Anda harus bangun jam 2 pagi untuk berkendara hingga mencapai titik observasi di Gunung Pananjakan, setinggi 2.770 meter untuk melihat keindahan Gunung Bromo dan gunung di dekatnya, Gunung Batok. Perjalanan panjang langsung terbayarkan saat menyaksikan keindahan sinar matahari terbit di atas cakrawala. Bila Anda menunggu sekitar satu jam atau lebih setelah terbitnya matahari, Anda akan mendapatkan pencahayaan sempurna yang dapat diabadikan lewat kamera.

5 Senses ñ SightSUNRISE

A procession led by local chiefs and shamans from all the surrounding villages carries crops and � owers to throw into the crater, praying for good harvests and protection from the occasional outbursts of the mountain.

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Horses and their guides, who take tourists up to the rim of the Mount Bromo crater.

colours of their shawls and caps drained away by the fog. It is one of the images that stays with me long after.

After a stop to watch the sun rise, we head down to the foot of Bromo. The terrain ñ wildly diverse ñ is astonishing. Alongside Bromo sits Mount Batok, whose deep green ridges, scored by the passage of lava over the centuries, are particularly striking.

As you approach Bromo across the lunar desert the ground becomes great sculpted megaliths of black rock. Then a steep climb brings us right to the lip of the crater. To stare down into Bromoí s belly is the stuff of awe ñ a great gaping wound in the Earth, a rare window into the vast subterranean power that rumbles and collides constantly beneath our feet.

Every now and again, Bromo gives everyone something to worry about. His timing is unpredictable ñ eruptions can take place every 4 to 16 years and often with scant warning, although the twitching needles and computer models at a nearby volcanologistsí office keep a close eye on Bromoí s mood.

The last eruption ñ which lasted from November 2010 to March 2011 ñ was the most violent since records began in 1826. There were three months of ëS trombolianí , when red-hot rocks are �r ed out of the crater to heights of up to 500m. Ahmad Sultan, one of the two full-time observers at the office, had arrived just a few months before the eruption started. ì It was good fortune because I quickly got to see the special characteristics of this volcano, but it was also quite scary. Some rocks landed over a kilometre from the crater. But curiosity overcomes fear.î

There are no � ying molten rocks during our visit, but we still leave with the sense of having confronted the raw and terrifying energy of the Earth. I feel tiny and insigni� cant, yet somehow more alive for having glimpsed this vision of the ancient world.

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A machine reading seismic data of the Bromo volcano at the Volcanology Centre in Cemoro Lawang.

Chief volcanologist at the Volcanology Centre in Cemoro Lawang.

Onions growing in Cemoro Lawang.

A local farmer growing onions in the � elds surrounding the village of Cemoro Lawang.

5 Senses ñ SoundSILENCE OF THE VALLEY

One of the best ways to avoid the tourists and get some alone-time with the volcanoes is to head out into the farmyards that surround the nearby town of Cemoro Lawang. Wander through the abundant � elds and youí ll � nd a number of quiet trails cutting along the edge of the valley. Ití s not as high as the official viewpoints, but youí ll � nd yourself alone amid the powerful silence of that vast panorama.

Jika Anda ingin menghindari keramaian, beranjaklah ke perkebunan yang berada di Desa Cemoro Lawang. Di sini terdapat banyak jalan alternatif menuju lereng gunung yang sepi. Memang titik yang dituju tak setinggi jalan biasa, tetapi Anda bisa menikmati panorama yang indah dalam keheningan.

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A fertile view of the Sea of Sands in the monsoon season.

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Memandangi matahari terbit di lautan pasir yang ada di kaki kawah Gunung Bromo, Anda bak membeku dalam jalinan ruang dan waktu. Pemandangan yang ada pun mengajak kita kembali ke masa lalu.Kami mengunjungi Bromo tepat di musim hujan. Saat yang kurang tepat sebenarnya ñ kabut tebal terkadang turun tiba-tiba, menutupi pandangan.

Tetapi musim hujan ini memiliki keajaibannya sendiri. Kabut yang datang tiba-tiba, secepat itu pula menghilang, dan efek yang ditinggalkannya sungguh menakjubkan ñ pepohonan, lereng kawah, dan gunung itu sendiri ñ muncul dalam pandangan seiring menghilangnya kabut tebal, bak potret polaroid yang dicetak langsung di depan mata Anda.

Dengan ketinggian sekitar 2.392 kaki, Bromo sebenarnya bukanlah termasuk gunung berapi terbesar di Indonesia, namun struktur dan keunikan pemandangan yang melingkupinya menjadikan Bromo, satu dari sekian tempat terindah di Indonesia, bahkan di dunia.

Pemandangan yang paling menakjubkan justru muncul dari kawasan di sekitar lembah Gunung Bromo, yaitu Lautan Pasir berwarna abu-abu

kecokelatan hasil semburan kawah Gunung Bromo yang mengandung belerang. Agak jauh dari kawah, terdapat padang savana serta sungai yang berada di lahan seluas 5.250 hektar. Dari atas, padang ini tampak sungguh indah ñ seperti suasana di zaman pra sejarah. Diam-diam saya membayangkan sesosok dinosaurus lewat di hadapan saya.

Dahulu, Bromo merupakan gunung berapi raksasa bernama Tengger yang meletus 250.000 tahun lalu sehingga membentuk kawah besar (kaldera). Lautan Pasir itu kini dikelilingi oleh dinding kaldera. Di atas kaldera itu sendiri terdapat lima buah gunung yang terbentuk karena aktivitas vulkanis. Bromo termasuk salah satu gunung tersebut dan dikenal paling aktif.

Kami berkendara menuju sebuah area yang kini dikenal dengan nama Bromo-Tengger-Taman Nasional Semeru dari arah barat daya. Seluruh lereng gunung dipenuhi oleh tanaman tropis, sedang tebing yang berbatu dan semak belukar mengapit jalan yang dilalui oleh jip yang kami tumpangi saat melewati jalan kecil yang mendaki.

Kabut tampak muncul lagi menjelang sore. Kami pun terpaksa berhenti tepat di depan Desa Ngadas, dan mengamati kabut yang perlahan bergerak turun ke lembah di bawah kami berada. Geraknya begitu lambat bak perahu hantu yang sedang berlayar memasuki pelabuhan. Di tempat ini, orang terbiasa mengamati kabut yang turun.

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The Tengger massif, including Mount Bromo, at sunrise as seen from the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan.

Sea of Sands.

Lucky charms thrown into Mount Bromo by visitors.

A local villager.

A local selling lucky charms on the crater of Mount Bromo.

Kami pun menginap di rumah Muliati, jabatannya sebagai mantan kepala desa membuatnya mendapatkan julukan ë Bromo-Putraí . Rumah yang dimilikinya sangat sederhana ñ beratapkan bambu, dan berdinding beton. Kesibukan keluarga banyak berpusat di dapur yang terletak di ruang belakang.

Kami pun duduk di atas dipan dekat perapian dan Muliati menceritakan legenda yang ada sekitar Bromo, yang berasal dari nama Brahma, sang dewa pencipta dalam agama Hindu.

Nama Tengger sendiri diambil dari sepasang kekasih bernama Puteri Roro Anteng dan Jaka Seger. Puteri Roro Anteng tersebut masih termasuk puteri keraton Majapahit bagian utara, dan kedua orangtua sang puteri tak menyetujui hubungan puteri mereka dengan Jaka, orang dari kalangan biasa. Akhirnya mereka melarikan diri ke gunung untuk menikah.

Karena tak jua memiliki momongan, pasangan ini berdoa kepada sang Brahma di gua Widodaren. Mereka pun akhirnya dianugerahi 25 anak. Tetapi selalu ada harga yang harus dibayar, Brahma meminta agar anak bungsu mereka dilemparkan ke dalam kawah untuk membuktikan kesetiaan mereka kepada sang Brahma.

Untuk akhir cerita tersebut, Muliati memaparkan dua versi cerita yang berbeda kepada saya: ì Satu versi mengatakan si orangtua setuju untuk mengorbankan anak mereka,î katanya. ì Tetapi dalam versi lainnya, si orangtua menolak sehingga membuat gunung

berapi itu murka. Si anak akhirnya memutuskan untuk mengorbankan dirinya sendiri tanpa seizin orangtuanya untuk menenangkan Bromo. Lalu terdengar suara dari dalam kawah yang meminta agar penduduk meneruskan ritual pengorbanan mereka setiap tahun bila ingin selamat.î

Dari cerita itulah akhirnya muncul ritual yang dikenal dengan nama Upacara Kasada yang diadakan setiap tahun, dan biasanya diadakan setiap Agustus. Versi cerita manapun yang Anda percaya, tujuan ritual ini adalah untuk menghormati pengorbanan yang telah dilakukan oleh keluarga, atau pun untuk memadamkan kemarahan Bromo.

Beruntung sekali, tak ada anak-anak yang dikorbankan dalam ritual ini. Dalam upacara ritual yang dipimpin oleh kepada desa dan pemuka adat dari desa-desa di sekitar Bromo, ternak dan sesajen dilemparkan ke dalam kawah, sambil berharap panen yang melimpah dan gunung yang tak meletus.

Sebenarnya, ritual ini dilakukan karena masyarakat memang menghargai Bromo, tak hanya semata karena tradisi. Upacara ritual tersebut juga menggambarkan berkah yang didapat dari Bromo karena abu vulkanik yang disemburkannya dapat membuat subur sawah para petani. Padi pun akhirnya bisa dipanen hingga tiga sampai empat kali dalam setahun. ì Di sini, tanaman mudah tumbuh,î ujar salah seorang petani kepada saya. ì Itulah mengapa kami merasa bersyukur dengan adanya Bromo.î

Kami pun meninggalkan rumah Muliati saat jam menunjukkan pukul setengah dua pagi, melewati jalanan dengan jeep hingga tiba di Lautan Pasir. Kabut tipis tampak rendah menggantung pagi ini, dan kami pun disuguhi pemandangan yang luar biasa ñ para penunggang kuda muncul dari gumpalan kabut bak siluet, dengan syal berwarna meriah dan topi yang mereka kenakan tertutupi kabut. Pemandangan itu terekam baik dalam ingatan saya.

Setelah berhenti sejenak untuk menikmati suasana matahari terbit, kami melanjutkan perjalanan ke kaki Gunung Bromo. Pemandangannya sungguh menakjubkan. Dekat Bromo terdapat Gunung Batok, dengan lereng berhiaskan guratan-guratan bekas kikisan lahar yang terbentuk berabad-abad lamanya, sungguh menawan.

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5 Senses ñ ScentSULPHUR

The sulphuric fumes that billow out of Mount Bromo hit you suddenly as you emerge on to the lip of the crater. Gasping for breath from the steep climb, the whiff of rotten eggs is the last thing your lungs want, although the view soon makes up for the bitter smell. During high levels of seismic activity, sulphur levels can become toxic, killing off plant life in the surrounding region. The volcanologistsí office was once surrounded by dense vegetation that was killed by sulphuric gases in 2006.

Bau asap belerang yang keluar dari Gunung Bromo langsung tercium begitu Anda berada di bibir kawah. Bau menusuk yang tercium saat setelah terengah-engah mendaki memang tak mengenakkan, tetapi pemandangan indah di atas Bromo cukup untuk menghilangkan ketidaknyamanan ini. Selama aktivitas seismik yang tinggi, kadar belerang bisa mencapai tingkat mematikan, membuat tanaman di sekitar gunung ini mati. Tanaman yang mengelilingi kantor pengamatan vulkanologi sendiri sempat mati karena racun gas belerang di tahun 2006.

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5 Senses ñ TouchSEA OF SAND

The collapse of the massive 4,500m strato-volcano an estimated 250,000 years ago created a valley � oor of dusty lunar-like black-brown sand that crunches underfoot on your approach to Mount Bromo. It is mostly andesitic rock that has continued to spew up from inside the volcano during most of its recent eruptions. Bromo has erupted more than 50 times since records began in 1826, often caking trees and vegetation in ash.

Meletusnya kubah lava setinggi 4500 meter yang terjadi sekitar 250.000 tahun lalu mengakibatkan lautan pasir berwarna hitam kecokelatan yang lembut diinjak saat Anda mengunjungi Gunung Bromo. Lautan pasir tersebut sebagian besar terdiri dari batuan andesitic yang terlontar dari dalam gunung berapi sewaktu meletus. Bromo telah meletus lebih dari 50 kali sejak letusan di tahun 1804, membuat pohon dan tanaman berselimut debu.

124Mendekati Gunung Bromo yang berada setelah Lautan Pasir, tanah yang ada mulai keras diinjak karena terdiri dari batuan megalitikum. Jalanan yang tajam mendaki membawa kami tepat di bibir kawah. Menatap ke dalam perut Bromo sungguh membuat takjub ñ mulut bumi yang terbuka, sebuah jendela menuju sumber panas bumi yang terus bergolak di bawah kaki kami.

Bromo selalu membuat semua orang khawatir. Tak ada yang dapat memprediksi kapan gunung ini meletus ñ letusan bisa terjadi setiap empat hingga 16 tahun sekali ñ dan bahkan sering tanpa didahului dengan tanda-tanda, walaupun peralatan modern terus aktif memantau aktivitas gunung berapi ini.

Letusan ñ yang berlangsung dari November 2010 hingga Maret 2011 ñ merupakan yang terparah sejak tahun 1826. Selama tiga bulan, batuan panas berwarna merah terlontar dari kawah dengan tinggi hampir mencapai 500 meter. Ahmad Sultan, satu dari dua pengamat gunung berapi di kantornya mengatakan bahwa saat itu dia baru beberapa bulan saja bekerja di tempat itu sebelum letusan terjadi. ì Saya beruntung bisa melihat langsung ke lokasi walaupun cukup mengerikan. Tetapi rasa ingin tahu mengalahkan rasa takut.î

Walau tak ada batuan panas yang terlempar dari kawah saat kami mengunjungi Bromo, ada perasaan yang tertinggal sehabis berada di atas energi panas bumi. Ada perasaan begitu kecil dan tak berarti, tetapi sekaligus lebih bersemangat karena dapat menengok sejenak ke masa lalu.

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