Chasing sunrises in Java

When reading the blog of our fellow travellers Eva and Juanjo I liked their thoughts about being a lot more conscious about sunrises and sunsets when travelling. A habit that we have definitively taken up. Only in the last week we got out of bed at the crack of dawn three times to see some of the most beautiful places in Java in the perfect light.
Sunrise number  1: Borobudur or the mystic sunrise. The guy at our guest house takes us by motorbike to a small village where we start a short climb to the top of the hill.  We are supposed to have an incredible view of the Borobudur temple with the Merapi volcano in the background. The sun rises, but it is so foggy that we can hardly see the next tree. Instead we listen to the chirping of the birds and look out into the mystic fog.

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/3795291942/[/flickr]
Sunrise number 2:  Dieng plateau or the private sunrise above the clouds. The first call for prayer at 4.30 am gets us out of bed, it’s freezing. Two lovely guides pick us up, we drive on their motorbikes into the dark. The sky is clear and we witness huge shooting stars. We climb to the top of a hill and await the moment. Suddenly the sun rises out of the sea of clouds. Different volcanoes are now appearing clearly. We are sipping coffee and chatting to the local guides looking down at the clouds.

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/3816932585/[/flickr]

Sunrise number 3:  Mt. Bromo or the crowded postcard sunrise. We get up at 3.30 am and wait for the rest of the crowd. The whole town seems on their feet already, lots of jeeps and horses ride by. Finally we ride in a jeep to the top of a mountain, walk by dozens of food stalls and souvenir shops to get to the viewing point. France, the Netherlands, Germany,… they are all there, in a competition of the latest cameras and the biggest zooms. Once the sun comes out we suddenly forget about the crowds and get captivated by the stunning landscape, the puffing volcanoes and the changing light. Another amazing start of a day …

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/35413670@N07/3817100405/[/flickr] [flickr-gallery mode=”tag” tags=”sunrises” tag_mode=”all”]