I very much enjoyed the sunrise hike up Mt Batur the last trip and wouldn’t mind doing it again. However, I am sure the rest doesn’t share my enthusiasm. I also promised Daddy Lim that if we are to go up that the mountain again, I will at least arrange to do so in a jeep tour and conquer the mountain in style.
So I did. Hoho. Bcos we were in Ubud this time, the pickup time was at a later 3.15am. Then, it was a long drive in a 7 seater car to the mountain. I didn’t sleep in the car, I duno if it was bcos I was too excited. C and the boys were in the back row and complained about how freaking cramp the back row was and none slept a wink It was drizzling when we set off and the rain was quite heavy at some points. I was thinking how would the tour work if it rains.
I had thought that I booked a jeep sunrise tour for a different mountain but we ended up back in Mt Batur. Hoho. Well, different mode of transport, different experience. We stopped at the same toilet pitstop place. The only difference is that they now charge IDR5k for the toilet use. It is ok, I will pay than to expose my butt in the mountain. Fortunately, the rain also stopped.
While the sky was still dark, we switched to the jeep and started our way up the mountain. It was a very bumpy ride. Auntie S’ family was ahead of us.
We bumped for a good 20 mins and arrived at the parking lot for jeeps, which is a short distant from the peak. Only the hikers can park themselves at the peak for the sunrise. The last when we hiked, it took us over an hour of hard work and this was all conquered by the jeep in 20 mins. I felt a little sad. Despite not at the peak, the guide told us that the views would still be great, and that it is the same sunrise anyway. How true. Lol.
Like the rest of the people, we started taking pictures and posing with the jeep, even if was still pitch dark. Everybody chipped in to 打灯.
Then it was literally to wait for sunrise. It was windy and cold. We tried huddling in the car but our car was parked in such a way that the wind was blowing through where the window is supposed to be (our jeep has no window) and directly at us. We had our provided bfast of coffee/tea/ milo, hard boiled eggs, banana sandwiches (real bananas in bread) and chocolate in the cold.
The sun started to rise but it was cloudy and while the sky turned brighter, we didn’t manage to see the sun.
While many tourists started leaving the parking spot, we made use of day light to take 200 pictures. Haha.
We were the last few to leave the parking spot bcos all the teenagers wanted their 个人写真. The girls were so brave to take out their jacket for pictures.
I thought we were heading back but the tour actually come with a 2nd venue for photo taking, which was a short drive away. We pit stopped and paid again for the toilet before heading to the black lava rock place. We realised that we could stand up in the behind of the jeep. It was very nostalgic, like how my bro and I used to ride in my dad’s pickup, when it was still legal to do so.
The black lava place came about bcos of the volcano eruption that thankfully took place a good many years ago. Pictures again!
It started to drizzle again. Auntie S’ family was hiding in the jeep. Nobody wanted to take photos, so I take lah!
Then Nana joined me. She took off her jacket and I followed.
This one looks like wedding photo.
We headed back via the jeep to the toilet restpoint, then swop back to the car to the villa. This time, Auntie S, C and I took the back row and it was really very squeezy. No wonder the boys were complaining. Trying to sleep was tough but I managed somewhat somehow for a little bit bcos I was so tired.
It took us over an hour to get back to the villa and it was only about 10am. We were for brunch at the Taco place that Daddy Lim and Nana had been eyeing for days.
Nana said that maybe she was born to eat Mexican food. After brunch, it was last minute packing up before part 2 of our adventure - to Kuta, to Hardrock Cafe!
Mummy Lim
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