Surabaya: Mount Ijen.

For the record, Mount Bromo (yesterday's blog entry) is about 2,300 m, or about 7,600 ft above sea level. The vantage point from where we saw the beautiful sunrise over Bromo and its sister volcanoes is Mount Penanjakan, a higher peak  at 2,770 m (over 9,000 ft). After that, our jeep took us down Penanjakan and across the very dusty Sea of Sands to the base area below Bromo. We had to go on horseback to get to the 247 steps that visitors climb to get to the top of the crater. The unstable horse ride across rough terrain and narrow gullies made me nauseated, and I did not go up the crater. Angie kept me company. Here are more Bromo-related pics:

The gateway to the viewing area (Penanjakan):

Someone asked, How crowded was the viewing site? Here's how...

The crater rim of Bromo, an active volcano that last erupted in 2011...

Zooming in, to show the base area and the 247 steps to the crater rim...

The little jeep that could (scare the wits out of us, that is, with its devil may care speeding):

Riding horseback to get to the 247 steps...

Here's where one has to dismount (after that bumpy ride across the Sea of Sands)...

The 247 steps...

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Mount Ijen

This turquoise acid lake volcano is supposedly extinct, having last erupted in 1999.

Elevation: Wikipedia puts it at 2,799 m but other sources say it is -- like Bromo --around 2,300 m above sea level. From the base area, the trek up to the top is a rough, slippery, winding and steep distance of 3 km (so, total is 6km!). I thought the guide said all that for... just 200 m in elevation. Oh my aching feet and toes! But the view... wow!

Toilet stop!

Yeah, we got to this point!...

We met this man, who's taking sulphur lodes down from the top (he makes several trips a day)...

Finally, we reached the top!...

Two sulphur buddies? Or Mr and Mrs Sulphur?

Finally, it was time to trek down. Sadly, we saw rubbish left in baskets that will not be emptied or collected (who will do that?), and rubbish strewn indiscriminately about...