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.