U|P|HIL|L

I GOT TO BALI IN THE EVENING – IT WAS ALREADY DARK. BUMPED INTO MARTINUS ON THE FERRY WHO WAS HAPPY TO ACCOMPANY ME TO UBUD – BALI’S SPIRITUAL HEART. WAS GOOD TO HAVE A COPILOT TO FIND MY WAY THROUGH THE TINY DARK STREETS OF THE ISLAND – THERE ISN’T ANY MAINROADS – IT’S JUST A LABYRINH OF ENDLESS TIGHT ALLEYWAYS

THE NEXT MORNING – WE MET SOME FRIENDLY GIRLS IN THE GUESTHOUSE AND I HAD A DATE WITH MY OL’ FIREND YVETTE FROM DARWIN WHO HAPPEND TO BE THERE AT THE SAME TIME – WE MET ABOUT 3,5 YEARS AGO AND HAVE BEEN CLOSE FRIENDS EVER SINCE. I AM GLAD TO KNOW YOU YVETTE!

111 — NAVIGATING TO CLEAR CAFE – YVETTE’S FAV PLACE

WE FINALLY GOT THERE.. WALKING WOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER WITH ALL THOSE ONE WAY LANES..

WE FINALLY GOT THERE AND SHOVELED OUR WELL DESERVED BREAKKIE INTO OUR MOUTHS! AND IT IS SOO DELICIOUS – I LOVE YOU CLEAR CAFE

20160121_112115 — PHIL MARTINUS YVETTE ISABEL JENINE

THEY HAVE THE BEST SHAKES, HAD TO GO FOR ANOTHER ONE .. PEANUT SOMETHING.. UMMH, DEVINE

20160121_112741 — BEST VIEW FROM CLEAR CAFE

WE SPUN AROUND UBUD TO CHECK OUT THE LOCAL RICEFIELDS

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.55.46 pm — AMAZING GREEN

20160121_130021 — GOT HUNGRY AGAIN AFTER SEEING DINNER IN FRONT OF ME – FRIED DUCK AND RICE

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.26.40 pm — SHEILAS IN THE BACK

2AM ALARM TO GET OUT OF BED – 1 HOUR DRIVE FROM UBUD AND A GOOD FEW HOURS HIKING TO GET UP – MOUNT BATUR SUNRISE – WAS WORTH IT

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.31.39 pm — MR MONKEY ENJOYS THE VIEW TOO

DCIM100GOPROG0072824. — HIKING AROUND THE CRATER WITH MY TWO NEW LILLTE SISTERS

DCIM100GOPROG0042740. — LIL’ FELLAS EVERYWHERE

20160122_073529 — HIKING BUDDY SELFIE TIME

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.41.41 pm — …AND TO FIGHT

OUR LOCAL FRIEND COOKED SOME BREAKFAST FOR US

HE THREW THEM INTO A LITTLE HOLE NEXT TO A THERMAL VENT AND THE SLEEPY VOLCANO BOILED THEM FOR US – A PITY THERE WAS ONLY ONE EACH

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.46.18 pm — HAPPY THAT WE ARE GOING DOWN AGAIN 😉

THE HIKE WAS QUITE INTENSE AND WE DROVE STRAIGHT TO CLEAR CAFE AGAIN TO GET SOME BREAKFAST BEFORE CRASHING OUT IN BED AGAIN

FERRY TO JAVA ISLAND

20160123_174847 — SUCH A TINY LITTLE THING

THE CROSSING TOOK LESS THAN AN HOUR I THINK

BECAUSE I ENYOYED GETTING UP AT 2AM SO MUCH I DECIDED TO DO IT AGAIN STRAIGHT AWAY .. ONCE YOU ARE IN THE RHYTHM YOU KNOW..

MT IJEN IS ONLY A FEW HOURS AWAY FROM THE PORT ON JAVA ISLAND SO I DROVE ALL TTHE WAY TO ‘BASECAMP’ AT NIGHT, GOT SOME FOOD AND SLEPT IN THE CAR UNTIL SOME LOCAL GUY WOKE ME UP AT 1AM. THE CARPARK WAS FULL OF POEPLE. I BOUGHT A DUSKMASK AND TORCH OF HIM AND FOLLOWED THESE OTHER PEOPLE THROUGH THE DARKNESS.

MT IJEN IS STILL VERY ACTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO VOLCANIC ACTIVITY – YOU SMELL THE SULFUR AND YOU KNOW YOU MUST BE CLOSE TO THE CRATER. THERE IS USUALLY SOME BLUE FLAMES THAT OCCUR AT NIGHT BECAUSE OF THE SULPHURIC GAS REACTING WITH OXYGEN. NOT THAT NIGHT THOUGH…THE AIR WAS TO MOIST. LUCKY I HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE IN CHEMISTRY CLASS 😉

IT SMELLS RANK EVERYWHERE AND YOU START COUGHING STRAIGHT AWAY IF YOU TAKE OFF YOU MASK

I HIKED UP TO THE TOP – AN HOUR TO GO TIL SUNRISE

20160124_040449 — LOCAL TOURIST LOOKING FOR SHELTER FROM THE COLD WINDS – WAITING FOR SUNRISE

I FOUND MYSELF A NICE PLACE IN THE BUSHES AND WENT FOR A NAP. SLEPT THROUGH SUNRISE OF COURSE.. BUT THERE WASN’T ONE ANYWAY..IT WAS TO FOGGY. POSTING MY ‘SUNRISE’ PICTURE HERE WOULD BE TO EMBARRASSING

20160124_055505_001 — FRIENDS I MET ALONG THE WAY

THE IS A SULFUR MINE CLOSER TO THE CRATER … STILL IN USE

20160124_070447_001 — OLD CRACKED MINE PIPES

THE LIQUID SULFUR RUNS DOWN THOSE PIPES AND SPLASHES ON THE GROUND

WHERE WORKERS SMASH IT INTO PICES AND FINALLY CHUCK IT INTO THEIR BASKET TO CARRY IT UP THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.52.26 pm — WORKERS CARRY ABOUT 90-100 KG LOADS – TWO RUNS A DAY – DISTANCE PROBABLY 500 METERS UPHILL WHERE THEY GET LOADED ONTO CARTAGES THAT GET PUSHED DOWNHILL FOR ANOTHER 7KM

AIR ISN’T THAT FRESH DOWN THERE

20160124_064713 — 100 KG ON ONE SHOULDER – RESPECT TO THE GUYS THT DO THAT FOR LIVING – THE CRATER LAKE IN THE BACKGROUND

I MADE IN DOWN THE HILL AND DROVE TOWARDS SURABAYA- I TRIED TO TAKE A SHORTCUT AND WAS GLAD TO HAVE A SOLID 4WD

Screen Shot 2016-02-12 at 11.56.41 pm — BAD NARROW FARM ROADS

Screen Shot 2016-02-13 at 12.00.52 am — WORSE NARROW FARM ROADS

MY SUNROOF MANAGED TO GET STUCK HALF WAY OPEN ON THESE BUMPY ROADS – UNLUCKY THAT IT WAS RAINY SEASON!

I MADE IT BACK TO THE MAINROAD AND FOUND SOME PLASTIC TO COVER UP THE MASSIVE HOLE IN THE ROOF! JUST IN TIME BEFORE THE RAIN.

I CONTNIUED DRIVING INTO THE NIGHT UP ANOTHER BIG AND LOOONG HILL. MY ENGINE STARTED TO HEAT UP AS THE HILL GOT STEEPER AND STEEPER. I DECIDED TO OPEN UP THE BONNET A LITTLE BIT TO INCREASE THE COOLING BUT AS I OPENED THE BONNET I ALREADY HEARD THE COOLING WATER BOILING SO I DECIDED TO CALL IT A DAY AND SLEPT AGAIN ON MY BACKSEAT – ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.. WHAT A KNACKER!