The Pinay Solo Backpacker

It was cold and dark when I got off the 4×4 jeep .  A raw and strengthening wind is plummeting down  the highlands straight into our faces. I wore every piece of cloth I found in my backpack ;  a thin sports jacket, with 4 shirts inside, still I’m freezing, my feet is also exposed, I’m only wearing a  cheap flip-flops and it’s freezing cold at 5 degrees!  ”Rp10,000“, the old woman vendor is handing me a winter jacket for rent, I was tempted to buy but like I said, I have few cash left.

Teeth chattering and body shaking, I  traversed the uphill climb towards the sunrise view deck in Mount Penanjakan with 2 European girls on a backpacking trip during Italy holidays. I turned around. “Where are you going?“, the skinny girl asked. “I can’t stand the cold. I need to rent that winter jacket.”, I replied. “Here,” she handed me her white jacket.  There is snow in France, so you could probably understand why that cold weather is nothing to them.  As always, I am deeply moved by the kindness of strangers during my travels.

It was still dark, but throngs of tourists are everywhere. The sky is charmed by the stars. I pushed my way into the crowd waiting in anticipation for the rising of the sun. I joined the European girl that I met during our Prambanan tour, this time she’s not alone as she had made friends with 2 guys.  I stood right beside her. In a few minutes, the sun slowly emerged.  The brilliant orange hues of the rising sun mixed in with the pale blue of the dawning day. I find it strange why people applause for fireworks but never for a sunrise.  Nonetheless, I’m hearing shutter clicks everywhere in desperate attempt to capture the breathtaking moment.

As the night began to fade, the sun’s casting light slowly unveiled to us one of the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen.  Its rays started to lighten up the 3 volcanoes from afar sitting under a shroud of  fog. It was a surreal experience! .

As I stood there enthralled by the magnificent work of nature, I saw a couple crossed over a damaged fence, I followed them.  The view is better on that side, I felt closer to nature with all those trees in saturated orange and bright yellow leaves.  The  woman sat on a cut tree while waiting for her husband who was carrying his expensive camera with zooms lens as he followed down the slippery trail to the forest. I wanted to follow  him because I’m ecstatic to finally walk through those beautiful trees with colorful leaves but was too worried that I will have a hard time climbing up and no one will help me.

After a few minutes, the man came back, and joined his wife.  A group of Indonesians then asked to have their photos taken with them. I remember back in Prambanan, the “blonde” tourists were warned thats locals would most likely corner them for souvenir photos.  It’s amazing how we find  the local culture so subtle when we are in a foreign land. Something ordinary to the locals can be quirky and astonishing to the tourists and vice versa. Curiosity keeps us alive or kills us during our travels.

Sunrise over Mt. Bromo is sublime, it was far too magical for even my big dreams.  The experience is truly ineffable, I’m afraid my photos weren’t able to give justice to its divine beauty.  It was a heavenly moment, something I’ve always longed to see but was too ephemeral and it left me standing there wishing that moment would last longer.  During my journey, I have come to find that  most of the time the most beautiful things are ephemeral…just like LIFE.

*This is part of my Indonesia series , read here  for more posts–>Indonesia

*********************************************************************************************** About the Blogger : Gael is a Filipina solo adventurer, a dream chaser and a student of life.  Her (mis) adventures are documented in this blog. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For advertisement, partnerships and sponsorship, click here. or email me at thepinaysolobackpacker(at)yahoo(dot)com. **********************************************************************************************

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