Rising from bed prior to dawn is something I do sparingly. I prefer to leave that for others who relish the early morning light and seem to thrive on the knowledge that they are awake and about before most everyone else.
For me, being up and about at the same time most everyone else is up and about is good enough.
The reasons I may entertain the idea of an early morning awakening and the inevitable stumble into a wall had better not only be incredibly good but should also be classified in the “if you don’t see it now you may never see it” category of life experiences.
Unfortunately for me, the wee hours, early morning, dawn, rise and shine (oy!) all happen during the time I am normally sleeping and quite possible dreaming of things that, just maybe, could happen later that day.
Also, unfortunately for me, this is the time in which the golden glow of sunrise appears over the horizon of the night sky; that pitch black seam turning brighter and bluer with the passage of time.
Many years ago I heard of a full proof body alarm clock system. It has almost always worked for me so I continue to use it. If you want to wake at 3 am you bang your head on the pillow 3 times; 2 am, 2 times etc.
Some may be familiar with this less than perfect system.
This morning though I had to wake at 1:30 am and seeing that a half bang was not in my body alarm clock arsenal I decided to back it up with the alarm on my cell phone plus a wake-up call from the hotels front desk; all timed to go off within a couple of minutes of each other. Incredibly the body alarm system failed (note, has to be full hour increments), and the cell phone failed (note, setting it to pm will not have the desired result).
Success was had by the hotel wake-up call and within minutes I was ready to face the day.
A friend was also willing to make the departure deadline so Geoff and I set out. A vision of spectacular beauty awaited us at the end of our three-hour journey.
Mt Bromo is located in the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park and is one of the most picturesque spots in Eastern Java. The peaks of these mountains jut out of the ash covered moonscape however it is Mt. Semeru that holds command over the other two mountains. Mt. Batok in the forefront is the perfect depiction of a tapered cone; the quintessential volcano shape.
Yet it is Mt. Bromo that people come to see.
The top of Mt. Bromo was blown off many years ago and now all that is left is the crater…a very active reminder of possibilities and it constantly belches up steam and sulfurous white smoke.
All three of these mountains sit inside the massive Tengger caldera. The ridge of which illustrates the incredible size (10 km in diameter) of the mountain that once stood here.
Currently Mt. Bromo is blowing larger and more frequent bursts so the best vantage point, rather than risking the effects of close range sulfur intake, is atop Mt. Penanjakan. The photos you see here were all taken from this viewpoint.
Even though the tropics means dealing with the heat as a routine part of the day, the views from this great mountain vista come with a cost to comfort. It’s cold up there and like all things unexpected the cold has created a small cottage industry of shearling coat rentals.
For a small negotiable fee, the wool and hide of a sheep can be rented. Wrapping this around my body I once again felt normal. A t-shirt and thin cotton pants, even with the best of walking shoes, just isn’t going to cut it. The experience should not be diluted by shivering and looking desperately for warmth where there isn’t any.
The sun rises slowly and the sky blends from black to a deep navy blue to a brilliant early morning blanket of cloudlessness. All the while casting new and more creative shadows on the ridges of the mountains.
Every 20 minutes or so Mt. Bromo would announce itself with a loud gurgling rumble.
Then a puff of white dust cast high into the air refracting the morning rays; creating another more interesting photo opportunity than the one previous. This exchange of light, sound, smoke, and amazement continues all morning until the sun is sufficiently high that increased clarity of photo opportunities seems unlikely. It is then that people begin to disperse and return to the 4 wheel drive jeeps that got them to this vantage point.
Once down the hazardous part of the journey I returned my rented coat and was enticed into the many coffee warungs setup to help retain warmth before boarding the van for a return trip to Malang.
I was sitting by the pool in contemplation when the clock struck 10 am.
For more photos of Indonesia click here
Flat Tires and Slow Boats 
That just looks so magical, and well worth the early start. Good thing you weren’t too close! But that’s why you were able to get such magnificent images. They almost look photoshopped! Very, very nice.
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The first photo is great. I love watching the sun rise. Two of the best sunrises that I can I remember are from Miami Beach and Phoenix, AZ
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Another great post. I had never heard of this mountain, but it seems very interesting. Another place I need to put on the list of places I want to visit, many of them were suggested by your blog.
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The places to visit never ends William. So much to see, so little time.
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When did 1:00 am become morning? Isn’t that still the middle of the night? I have to hand it to you Tim, you always do what is needed to fully appreciate every adventure. The images are beautiful!
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I felt the same way; still do. When did 1am become morning…let’s hope never 🙂
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That final image made it all worth while, didn’t it, Tim? Sometimes we get lured into these ridiculous hours by false claims, but you definitely hit the jackpot with that one!
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I tend to wake up early, but don’t feel truly productive until later in the day. There’s something to be said though for those days we need to get up before the crack of dawn and climb a big ol’ mountain. I’m sure my time will come one of these days when I pick one that will entail the need to rise and shine super-early.
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They are out there waiting for you Jeri.
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Well I got to 9,500 feet in the Pioneer Mountains on my backcountry camping trip this weekend, but that’s still a pretty low elevation by many accounts.
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It’s a third of the way to the top of Everest 🙂
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I hear that sunrises are in fact quite worth seeing. Unfortunately I wouldn’t know for sure. But these are some beautiful images Tim.
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I am almost always up before sunrise (well, at least in winter) and I never go outside to see it. You’ve inspired me to take advantage of the early morning and take some time to actually watch the sun rise. Your pictures are so absolutely breathtaking. I can’t imagine actually waking up at 1:30am (I once had a job that made me get up at 3am, but that’s my limit). If I were to be awakened at that extra early hour, a sunrise like you saw might be my motivation.
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Believe me I could never do this on a regular basis but for this it was a real treat.
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Not being a morning person myself, I’m inclined to agree with you about the few events that would entice me out of bed at that hour (which for the record, is a bedtime hour, not a wakeup hour). Your photos are amazing though, and I can see that this one might even make my own list of reasons to get out of bed before 10am.
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It was well worth it Meredith and I was back by 10 am and by the pool. Can’t beat that.
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Seems like the beauty of not extending the beauty sleep, pays off with enjoying the Bromo sunrise. And gives us a chance to enjoy the sunrise through some beautiful pictures too. Thanks!
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Oh my goodness – the first picture of the sunrise is absolutely stunning!
I have missed your posts in the few weeks that you have been away.
What a time you had in Indonesia! I can imagine it must have been cold up there on the mountains.
I look forward to your next post.
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Very cold but one of those trips that was well worth the effort.
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Tim, you totally captivate me with your writing. As you know by now I am not a traveler but your stories always have me traveling right along and enjoying it. I even felt the cold. What gorgeous sights – that sunrise is something else. So glad you share these adventures.
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It really was something else Lenie and feel fortunate to have seen it and to be able to share the experience with you.
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I love seeing the sunrise and I do, almost every day. But this sunrise over Bromo took my breath away! More spectacular than I can say, even in the pictures! Worth rising early for.
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One of the most sunrises I have seen.
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Thank you very much for sharing this great experience. The photos are wonderful
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I just saw the Bromo sunrise last month. One of the best I have seen so far. Plus, cemoro lawang village is beautiful
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It is an amazing thing to witness and well worth the early rise.
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What gorgeous pictures! Totally worth waking up so early for!
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Oh my God, what a lovely view of sunrise over Bromo. Thanks for sharing these 1 million worth pictures with us.
Diana
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What an incredible experience.I am not a morning person so I know how hard it is to get up early. I did the same thing in Maui, Hawaii and watched the sunrise come up on Haleakala from almost 10,000 feet above sea level, It was like being in the heavens. Treasure your experience.
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Those early rises are full of misery but almost always the rewards are spectacular.
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Beautiful images, as usual. I got a chuckle from your “alarm system.” I’m afraid a body alarm system of banging your head on your pillow is probably an old wive’s tale. I’m a two clocks alarm system person myself. Always good to have a backup. Good thing for you the hotel came through!
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You would think it was an old wives tale but it has worked on several occasions…but then again it has failed on several occasions. Guess as long as I back it up somehow I can still use it.
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I love that last picture. It’s amazing! So glad you woke early to share 🙂
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Sounds like such a great experience. The photographs are stunning and well worth the very early start! 🙂
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These pictures are beautiful! I bet it was amazing to see in person!
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Such amazing photos of yet another great place in Indonesia. I’ll be definitely consulting your blog when it comes time to travel there. Thanks as always.
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You did so much in a few hours that it’s hard to believe you dislike waking early. Exploring a volcano in the Ring of Fire must be quite the rush. Great descriptions hooked me yet again. I look forward to your book.
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Figure if I have to get up that early may as well get a lot done 🙂
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The picture of the mountain tops with the clouds around them is just lovely. Definitely worth getting up early for!
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I am so happy you braved those wee, early morning hours to bring us this story and these remarkable photos. I MUST visit this area of the world! Thank you.
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