Mount Bromo (Java, Indonesia)

Well we wanted to do a trip to see the volcano Mount Bromo but what was on offer meant a 2.30am start but we couldn't manage to find anybody else to share the tour a bit later on (suckers for an early start!). We caved in and booked the trip which would be shared with 2 other couples (French and German). The alarm was set for a 2am rise and once we were up it wasn't so bad. We were driven in the dark of the early hours for just over an hour to the viewing point.
Our driver was a lunatic, no doubt about it. He cut up every other road user (for some reason these people go about their business very early!) and didn't like changing gear so the engine revved like an angry monster. How the gearbox didn't explode we don't know. He kicked us all out at the foot of a steep path and settled down on the passenger seat for a nap.
Well off we went in our group of 6 - in the pitch black (at least the others had torches) up a small road which became a dirt path with stones everywhere. It became very steep so we were both huffing/puffing along like a couple of geriatrics with asthma. We made it up to a small ledge which overlooked what we could make out as the volcano range in the distance and hung around waiting for the sun to wake up and make itself known.

Daz wandered off to get a coffee (tourists eh!) whilst I sat with the French girl being chatty. In the dark a small furry creature (like a large gerbil thing) emerged from the bushes and started to hassle some hippy dudes next to us. It didn't like their aroma I think because it soon scarpered! We watched the sun slowly rise on the horizon and it lit up the crater area so we could now see the breathtaking landscape before us. Mount Bromo is the smoking crater to the left in the pic and Mount Batok is the volcano in the forefront and the weird sea below is all cloud which looked like an alien fog. We walked back to the car about 6.30am to find the driver asleep so I kindly woke him up by banging on the car window! Off again and this time transferred to a battered old jeep to be driven across the volcanic sand/ash to go see Mount Bromo.
We got kicked out in the parking area to walk across to the foot of the crater - loads of tourists doing the same along with dogs, pony trekkers and nutters on scooters/dirt bikes. We spotted a loo en route but they wanted money so we peed in the bushes instead (au naturel!) - luckily no snakes about!
We made our way up a rugged, crack filled slope to the steps (lot's of them!) leading to the top of the crater. My god, steps, more steps - we had to stop a few times to catch our breath as it was hard work plus it was starting to warm up as the sun got going. We got to the top and looked down into the volcano which was bellowing big clouds of smoke and grumbling away in a way which made us think is this really safe?! It sounded like a jet engine. We hung around abit watching other people - some threw bunches of dried flowers in to the crater as offerings and some were taking selfies perched precariously on the edge of the crater. Soon it was time to go so we walked back, couldn't find the jeep (as so many of them), managed to locate it and back in the original car to be driven back (with a distinct lack of gear changes!) to our accommodation. Once back, we had some breakfast then chilled in our room as the lack of sleep had taken it's toll. We stayed another night then it was time to be on our way again.............