Mystical Alas Purwo

Last but not least. It would be our last day in the city of sunrise of Java, Banyuwangi. The feeling was can't be described. I was happy that everything ran well but in other side, I felt uncomfortable to recognize that it would be the end of the trip.

We spent the night in a home stay in Red Island Beach. As I told before, the beach and the island were wonderful. After eating our sego pecel then it's time for us to packed our stuff for the last time in the trip. It's all done before eight but we left after eight.

Alas Purwo is another National Park we would visit in this trip. It took about 3 hours to go there from Red Island Beach. On the way to Alas Purwo, we visited one of many dragon fruit farm. The lady who owned the farm was so nice. She didn't let us to pay. So, the dragon fruit was free. Huge thanks for her. Another lesson of sincere for me from the trip. Let Allah pay her back with much kindness.

Picking the dragon fruit

Us with the kind lady

Okay, we continue our journey to Alas Purwo. I didn't really conscious to pay attention to the road. I fell a sleep. Then I woke up and see this.

dried off forest 

 There were tiny drops of rain on our way to Alas Purwo and we still drop off the minibus and took some photos, hehe. Around twelve o'clock, we arrived in Alas Purwo, go to the rest room, wudhu, and pray. Then we go to the beach by special car. Through the primary forest of Alas Purwo and the amazing thing is, there were thousand of one-color butterflies with us as if they were taking us to the beach. What an unforgettable moment we had. Lucky us!

Alas Purwo is well known as its mystical. In the forest, there are places for Hindu people to pray or pura. I felt there's something different in it. Hard to describe, let me just share the breath taking view here.

Alas Purwo Beach

View from Raymond's camp

It's us in the wood

So, this is goodbye?

After this, we left Banyuwangi at night with deep feeling of satisfaction and happiness. Thank you fellas. See you all in the next trip :).

Second Day In The Sunrise of Java

Eventhough we have to delay our bath time, the first day was excellent. The policemen stop us to uncertain reason, but excelent is excellent.

So, the second day was like, something we couldn't wait to do. As we had in itinerary Mas Aner sent us, we would go to Green Bay or Teluk Hijau on second day. Before, we have surfed the internet and found some wonderful views of it. Okay, now let's explore another part of Negeri Blambangan.

On the way to Green Bay, still in the city, we met Maulud Carnaval, which known as Kembang Endhog. Banyuwangi is one of cultural city in Indonesia so they consider almost every occasion as a special time and have to be celebrated. Also for this one. The carnaval itself is about remembering the birth of our prophet, Muhammad SAW. Actually, there's no guidance in Islam about this, but as long as it's good and the aim is to remind us about the perfect man ever and his good role model, so it's fine I think. The trip to Green Bay took more than two hours because there were traffic jam as the effect of the carnaval though.

Kembang endhog carnaval

Green Bay
We saw beautiful scenery on the way to Green Bay. So different with what I usually see daily. It was mountain, dragon fruit farm, sea, smooth road. It was so refreshing.

To meet The Green Bay, we had to walk for about an hour with slippery up and down track. On the side of the track, there is big rope as a safety equipment but then it became scary too because of a man held it - I didn't know how - and he was swung around to the edge of the track. *breath taking moment*

As a compliment after walking like years, we met Pantai Batu or Rocky Beach. It was a beach covered with rocks. Based on our guide's story, before the beach was just like other beach with sand but after the 1994 tsunami until now, it covers by rocks. People believe, the rocks came from under the sea. Astonishing, Masya Allah.

Pantai Batu

Don't try this at home :D

We knew that it's not the end of the journey, the Green Bay was still hiding behind the big coral about 400 meters from the beach. Okay, let's move! The track wasn't too hard anymore and finally, here we are in Green Bay! Two big coral, face to face with green water between them.  

Green Bay

The water was cool and fresh. Can't hardly wait to be wet. Not so long here, because we have another place to go to. We were heading to Red Island or Pulau Merah to enjoy sunset there. But before, we need to go back to the start point. We could go back on foot, like we did before or by small boat and we choose the boat. A decision we would never regret so we have both experience.

and these were our happy expressions :D

Red Island
Actually, the perfect name to it is Red Island Beach. It's called Red Island because of the icon of small island nearby the beach which will be seen red if the sunshine perfectly to the island. The beach is unique. It's like an open curve. With beach woods surround it. Unfortunately, at the time we were there, we found so many garbage. So sad to see it. People still need to be encouraged to love the nature.

I'm so amazed with the cheap ticket to the beach, compare to beaches in Anyer.

Red Island in cloudy day

Eventhough it's cloudy and the island didn't turn red, but it's still beautiful indeed.

Hey, beautiful scene here is still in Indonesia!

It Started

All my bags were packed.
It was the last day of 2014. I tried to sleep early so I could wake early. Oops, before, I texted the tour provider confirming the payment already done using internet banking. It's all done. Alhamdulillah. 

Full of worry because tomorrow I had to leave early in the morning. New year firecrackers didn't let me to sleep. I thought it just me that too excited of facing the trip but then "Trip Banyuwangi" rang many times. My new friends had the same excitement or worry. Hahaha, worry of being late for the trip. Our plane would be at 9.10 in the morning. It meant I, Bulek, and Bu Uroh had to went away at least at 5 a.m and must be ready before it.

Journey isn’t always about finding adventurous beautiful places to go to or unfamiliar faces we’ll see. Sometimes it’s all about finding me and my limitations in life. Unlike the previous trips, this one is different. I find who I am in this trip. Not all of me of course. I know some of me before and always. The trip starts in the beginning of the year, but actually the journey starts long before. It’s a simple manifestation of our (I and Mba Puji’s) yearn for walking through the woods and mountains.

Sure, journey usually is about simple thought we have in mind. So, beware. *wink*

So, this is our journey to know ourselves better. We choose Sunrise of Java, Banyuwangi. The reasons are it’s far enough to go to! Of course not! We will pick somewhere nearer if there is any. The true reasons are, Banyuwangi has three national parks which for us, it’s fantastic! Indonesia has fifty national parks and we’ve been to three of them, hehe. It’s quite excited for ex forestry students like us who don’t do any forestry jobs formally. She told me that people will find themselves in a journey with strangers.

So, the journey started...

Ijen Crater

It’s a sensational place to hike. It has blue fire, one from two in the world only. Here, in Ijen Crater and another in Iceland.

The journey to meet the crater isn’t easy. I have to admit that. I walked through the night in about 3 hours. In slow pace.

I met myself in the mist, in the aroma of sulphur, and surely do in the journey to the peak of the mountain also it’s so very amazing to pray there. The mountain itself only 2.386 meters height or about 3 kilometers to walk through, but for fake hiker like us it feels like forever. I found how small I am and how beautiful Allah created everything in the almighty. We didn’t see sunrise or the blue fire there, but it’s always relieving to realize that we can always get what we want as long as we try little harder, pray more often, and also save more money, haha.

Tosca green crater

In the end, it’s not only about, “Hey, I’m strong enough to be here!”

It’s all about, “Ya Allah, I’m nothing to what You have. Please forgive my arrogance.” *glassy eyes*

People were so tiny

Mount Raung far beyond

On the way to Baluran, we had lunch with local culinary, Pecel Pitik at Watu Dodol Beach. Free of charge.

Watu Dodol Beach

Baluran National Park

This is the first national park in this trip (and in my life) we’ll visit. The national park is an icon of Africa of Java. It’s because of the savanna. In the hot season, the savanna will be in perfect light brown, but that day, it’s nice. In a glance, I was thinking that I don’t need perfect savanna, nice is better. We saw some primates there, lonely tree in Bekol Savanna. The weather was fine, no rain but it's not hot either. The green browny grass still charming. They welcome us with impression that lasts forever.

One of the smart primates

Welcome to Baluran National Park!

Jump to the sky!

Hello, this is us in the charming Bekol!

The national park has a beach called, Bama Beach. It has mangrove forest. It’s nice and perfect. I felt like the time reversed by the time I saw mangrove spread along another beach beautifully long ago. The feeling still the same. Love them!

Hidden beach in Bama

Hey, it's in Indonesia! There are still so many beautiful places here.