Stargazing, Volcano, and Waterfall Adventure

At noon, after taking a budget flight, we finally arrived at Surabaya Airport in Indonesia, kicking off our classic 4D3N volcano tour. Upon getting into the car of our pre-booked guide and driver, Lian, we headed straight for Mount Ijen. - We crashed as soon as we reached the foot of Ijen last night, and a few hours later, at 2 AM (the middle of the night!), we were forced to wake up early again. After reaching the parking lot, to our surprise, the weather that was suitable for short sleeves in the city now felt chilly even with a hoodie and a jacket on. So we quickly went into a nearby shop that looked like an adventurer's home from an anime. Under the dim light, it finally felt much warmer. I ordered a hot tea, sat by a wooden table, and listened to people speaking different languages, laughing and chatting around me. Around 4 AM, we arrived at the spot to see the blue flames, but unfortunately, apart from smelling the burning sulfur, which smelled like rotten eggs, we saw nothing. However, a sulfur miner lent us a piece of sulfur for a photo. After reaching the ridge line post-sunrise, we were lucky to see a sea of clouds that looked like mist and the volcanic version of the 'Golden Mountain' illuminated by the sun. Next to the volcano, in the Tyndall light formed by volcanic ash and morning light, grew strangely shaped plants. Looking down the cliff, there was an indigo-colored volcanic lake. - On the way from Ijen to Sewu Waterfall, we saw a smoking volcano and soon passed a bridge. Under the bridge, a trail of gray stretched into the distance. It was only after asking the driver that we learned that this volcano was called Semeru, and the solidified gray river-like trail was the aftermath of an eruption a few years ago. We reached the waterfall in the afternoon, wading through the water and even crossing the river twice using ropes. Although the construction of the scenic area was average, it offered a more immersive experience. In the misty valley, the sunlight shone directly down, making everything seem translucent green and glowing. Under the waterfall, we had to wipe our lenses after every photo we took, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. - Waking up again at 2:30 AM was for Mount Bromo, where we took a jeep to the viewing platform. Holding a cup of instant noodles in the cold wind, we gazed at the starry sky, coinciding with the Perseid meteor shower, and captured the shooting stars on the horizon. The sky gradually brightened, from seeing the silhouette of the distant volcano to its smoke and the gradual disappearance of the stars. However, the sunrise was instantaneous, marked by a burst of cheers on the viewing platform and a golden sun emerging amidst the pink clouds. Next, we descended to the caldera formed by the volcanic eruption, covered with gray volcanic ash. They say a volcanic eruption is just the Earth squeezing a pimple, but the moment we reached the crater of Bromo, looking towards the direction of the billowing smoke and the rumbling sound, being there felt like truly touching the pulse of the Earth.