Sunrise Over Mount Bromo
The alarm goes off at 0115. I jump out of my bed instantly. At 0200, all 20 of us are in the hotel lobby ready to get into the Toyota Land Cruisers. We hit the road at 0205. It is Anant Chaturdashi night, chilly at 14C. I am wearing a puffer jacket and a beanie. Also, a gaiter is adorning my neck. I am carrying a small backpack with my Nikon DSLR, a small bottle of water, an energy bar and a N-95 mask. There are dozens of vehicles on the road, and 45 minutes later we are racing each other, kicking up clouds of dust. The white stuff on the road is volcanic ash. Time to roll up the gaiter and protect my mouth and nose. The beanie is already covering my ears. 0320. We are stuck in a traffic jam on the road to the highest viewpoint. Nothing moves for 40 minutes. Then news trickles down about some “accident” at the top. Everyone gets out of their vehicles. Some start trekking up, others wind their way down. There are 2 notable viewing points on the hilltop at different altitudes...
