Breathtaking Mt Bromo

We survived cycling 70km on a main highway from our little homestay to Sitobondi. Hot, noisy, fumes to die from!! Busy chaotic traffic coming at us from all directions. Seemed like a straight drag strip. Got to Sitobondi by lunchtime, it just seemed to be another crappy city & way to early to stop so we headed to the bus as I did not want to bike anymore on that rd. Managed to load everything into the back boot of the bus, removed bags & wheels & it all fitted. Took about 3 hrs to go 90km to Probolingo. The bus didn't stop at a station, the guy at the back of the bus pointed to us, we jumped out & he basically dumped our bikes & gear on the side if the rd in about 10 seconds & away it went. So funny. Next day we biked 30 km towards Mt Bromo. Nice quieter country rd. It started off a nice steady uphill that changed into an unrelenting uphill, that then became an impossible uphill. So at the 30 km Mark there was a small village where we had a late lunch, decided we had had enough riding for the day so taxied the remaining 18km straight up. Found a basic guest house & walked around sussing out the sunrise track. Quite cool, had to put on an extra layer. Lots of veges growing, onions, potatoes, cabbages, lots of people working in the fields. Turned out our guest house was on the main rd that the 4 wheel drive and motorbikes used to take tourists up to the top viewpoint. So from midnight the traffic noise did not stop. It was Friday night/Saturday morning so busy. The number of vehicles & people roaring across the sandy crater & up the incredibly steep rd to the top was staggering. We got up about 2.45 am. Walked up the mountain track in the dark along with all the other foreigners. Amazing how many people were out and about. Lovely sunrise, then walked right to the top to see the multitudes of jeeps, lined up for miles. Headed down to the Bromo crater & walked up to the rim. Lots of sulphur gases so did not stay long. Got back to our room about 11 am for a nap. Quiet rainy afternoon then an amazing 50 km downhill early next morning, only pedalled for about 10 minutes, best day riding so far. Trevor thinks I am becoming a backpacker cyclist because he reckons I keep loading my bike into a taxi or bus but he always follows me...