Our next stop for the night was at Kedisan, a small town at the base of Mt. Batur. I slept most the journey there bar one stop at a beautiful lookout point down to the town with the volcano in the background. We were the only ones there, as it was a small passing point at the side of the road, but all of a sudden we were surrounded by hawkers, who had come out of nowhere on their motorbikes! They kept asking again and again if we would like to see their wares and wouldn't take no for an answer, giving prices that got lower and lower, then asking what we wanted to pay. It was so annoying, that in the end we just gave up and got back in the car. However, before giving up, we managed to locate the path we would be taking up the mountain the next day... it looked STEEP!
Once we arrived in the hotel for the night I realised, much to my dismay, that it was absolutely freezing. In Bali. Quite crazy, but I suppose we were in mountain territory now. I wasn't looking forward to the temperature at the top at sunrise. Then just a few hours later, at 3am, we were out of bed into an even deeper cold to begin our climb.
We had two local guides and two water boys who would accompany us to the top. Lots of the guides came up to chat before we started off, asking our name, where we were from, the usual sort of thing. One guide, on finding out that I was called Annie, and my friend was called Chloe, burst out laughing, saying, "So, Annie and Chloe? Annie and Chloe!" then ran off. Very strange. Our two guides that came with us however were great fun, laughing and joking about the whole time. We thought that one of them way called Norman, which amused us quite a bit seeing as he was a local Balinese, but later found out it was "Nyoman". He was so lovely, always smiling, always helping us out, holding people's hands on the scary bits. He was very informative and really helped make the trip what it was.
We started the walk in the pitch dark, and it remained like this until we were almost at the top. At first the path was very flat, but with lots of big volcanic rocks to trip over. Fortunately we all had torches to see where we were putting our feet. As the slope began to steepen, I soon warmed up, and my 50 layers were all tied round my waist. I hadn't had time to eat breakfast before we left and a mixture of this and the fact that my body was being exerted before I'd even woken up, made me start to feel quite sick. Luckily some of the older members of the group were already struggling, so we were soon stopping to rest, and I could bring my supply of chocolate brownies out.
The guide leading us stopped at the shrine, half way up the mountain, to pray and light incense. It felt quite atmospheric and mysterious watching this in the dark, on a mountain, at 4am!
The guide leading us stopped at the shrine, half way up the mountain, to pray and light incense. It felt quite atmospheric and mysterious watching this in the dark, on a mountain, at 4am!
As the path went on, it got steeper and steeper, until we were climbing up the mountain using our hands to pull ourselves up. A couple of times when the shorter ones of us couldn't reach, the guides, who were in fact mountain goats, had to pull us up. We had by this point split into two groups, with those struggling in the second group. Apparently the guide of the other group held one lady's hand the entire way up, as she was scared of falling on the steep climb. My dad had repeatedly told me that I would find this immensely difficult, but really I was quite comfortable climbing it, and found it thoroughly enjoyable.
When we finally made it to the top of the volcano, there was a man selling tea and rice - a warm respite to the freezing cold morning, which I was not designed for. I also bought a coke off my drinks boy. These kids aren't paid, but climb the mountain with you, helping out along the way, in the hope that you will buy a drink off them at the end - so despite the fact that I didn't really want it, I bought it anyways for his effort. There were about 10 other people who had climbed the mountain up there. Other residents of the top of Mt. Batur included two very friendly dogs. I gave them my hard boiled egg, even peeling it for them, but apparently they can peel eggs themselves!
All morning the mountain was shrouded in cloud, apart from a brief few minutes, right at sunrise, when it cleared to reveal the spectacular view for us. You could see the sparkling lake, the lush green fields and forests; you could even see as far as a mountain all the way on the next island of Lombok!
After we felt like we could stand up again, we walked on to peer down the massive crater. Once a year this crater is used for animal sacrifice to appease the god of the volcano - where they throw down a cow and a few chickens that the community buys together as a whole.
Then we walked round the other side of the mountain, where there was steam coming from the rocks around us, and when the cloud cleared we could see steam coming out of a more recent crater below. If you put your hand to the rocks they felt so nice and warm - I was tempted to sit on one, but it was perhaps a little too hot for that! Instead we dug a hole and cooked a banana in it!
Finally, we started the descent. Below us we could see the black larva field, then where it was green the land was in swirling formations, that we later found out had been streams of larva - the volcano last erupted in about 2000. Our guide pointed out lots of temples on the way down devoted to the god of the volcano. At one point the ground was all made of ash, it was like being on a sand dune. So we ran down it, which was loads of fun, if a little scary - running down a really steep and high mountain and all! Then we saw the path we walked up....it was so long and steep! Everyone was very glad we had done it in the dark so we hadn't been able to see that!
We walked back to where we started through vegetable plantations that we also hadn't been able to see in the dark. There was chilli, sweet potato, white potato, sweetcorn, tomatoes....and peanuts - which apparently aren't a nut at all, but in fact a vegetable.
There was a great sense of satisfaction that it was all over, and we complemented this with a trip to some paradisaical hot springs, where I got a bizarre bright red free drink. It wasn't tomato juice, and it wasn't blood. This is where I had my first (and possibly best) Nasi Goreng, which I liked so much that I had it again for dinner! The water in the hot springs was so hot that I had to get out to cool off in the 40 degree heat! But it was incredibly relaxing, and sent us to sleep for the long car drive to the West.
All morning the mountain was shrouded in cloud, apart from a brief few minutes, right at sunrise, when it cleared to reveal the spectacular view for us. You could see the sparkling lake, the lush green fields and forests; you could even see as far as a mountain all the way on the next island of Lombok!
After we felt like we could stand up again, we walked on to peer down the massive crater. Once a year this crater is used for animal sacrifice to appease the god of the volcano - where they throw down a cow and a few chickens that the community buys together as a whole.
Then we walked round the other side of the mountain, where there was steam coming from the rocks around us, and when the cloud cleared we could see steam coming out of a more recent crater below. If you put your hand to the rocks they felt so nice and warm - I was tempted to sit on one, but it was perhaps a little too hot for that! Instead we dug a hole and cooked a banana in it!
Finally, we started the descent. Below us we could see the black larva field, then where it was green the land was in swirling formations, that we later found out had been streams of larva - the volcano last erupted in about 2000. Our guide pointed out lots of temples on the way down devoted to the god of the volcano. At one point the ground was all made of ash, it was like being on a sand dune. So we ran down it, which was loads of fun, if a little scary - running down a really steep and high mountain and all! Then we saw the path we walked up....it was so long and steep! Everyone was very glad we had done it in the dark so we hadn't been able to see that!
We walked back to where we started through vegetable plantations that we also hadn't been able to see in the dark. There was chilli, sweet potato, white potato, sweetcorn, tomatoes....and peanuts - which apparently aren't a nut at all, but in fact a vegetable.
There was a great sense of satisfaction that it was all over, and we complemented this with a trip to some paradisaical hot springs, where I got a bizarre bright red free drink. It wasn't tomato juice, and it wasn't blood. This is where I had my first (and possibly best) Nasi Goreng, which I liked so much that I had it again for dinner! The water in the hot springs was so hot that I had to get out to cool off in the 40 degree heat! But it was incredibly relaxing, and sent us to sleep for the long car drive to the West.
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