By Widhibek
Published April 20, 2015 | Adapted for NightSkyIndonesia.com

Throughout the day, weather remained unchanged—fog blanketed Cemoro Lawang village. Not much impact though; after lunch, activities were resting after last night’s all-nighter. Evening unchanged. Snacking biscuits while awaiting sunset from a garden corner, but dominant clouds turned it gray.

Around 7 PM during dinner, fog slowly lifted and star twinkles appeared. “Wow… these french fries I just ate must have cleared the weather,” I joked while finishing them quickly. Last sip of ginger milk capped dinner, then rushed to the garden overlooking Mount Bromo and Batok.

Tonight stars blazed brightly above Bromo. Tripod out, camera mounted. Several shots before packing up and returning to lodging. Why pack? Yes, starry night at Bromo now, but this all-nighter aimed to capture Milky Way over Bromo—emerging around midnight. Conserve energy, sleep first, wake later for prime location.

Prepared all gear, accessories, warm clothes within easy reach. Set two phone alarms at 23:03—just in case. Burrowed under thick blankets. Zzzzzzzz.

Woke at 23:00 before alarms rang—often happens when anticipating wake-up time. Quick bathroom stop. Checked outside: stars still brilliant. Yipppiiiii… universe approves!

Long sleeve shirt, double jackets, gloves, beanie, shoes. Ready—rushed to find spot. Pananjakan 1 seemed perfect for Bromo with Milky Way. Pre-visualized desired composition. Barely 100 meters, already panting… puff… fortunately locals lingered near junction. Quick negotiation, soon motorbike sped through sea of sand.

Post-sand sea, our little bike growled tackling winding uphill. At one long steep, it faltered. “I’ll walk,” I hopped off preventing rollback. Soon Mas Andi stopped too. “You ride, I walk—too much gear,” he said. Hahaha… I rode ahead while Mas Andi huffed uphill. Fortunately subsequent climbs gentler. “Wanted to downshift but couldn’t,” he explained the bike’s struggle. “No problem, morning exercise,” I laughed seeing him pant.

Roads deserted—no encounters. Pananjakan shops still closed unlike previous 3 AM visits buzzing like night markets with crowds and parked jeeps far below. Slight courage boost, climbed stairs to viewpoint. Jrenggg… breathtaking sight: Mount Bromo, Batok, backed by Semeru, Milky Way mist crossing above. Amazingggggggg….

Quickly mounted camera on tripod, sought best position. Fortunately empty—no one around… wait, no one? Suddenly realized solitude. Beauty mesmerized, momentarily forgetting darkness fears. After several frames, awareness hit: “Quiet…” jiaahhhh..

Returned to parking, asked Mas Andi to join: “Empty up there, no chat buddy” #excuse.

Camera resumed capturing Milky Way’s movement—from horizontal to vertical overhead. Near 3 AM, jeeps from Cemoro Lawang and Malang streamed through sand sea. Soon Pananjakan bustled with sunrise seekers. Empty viewpoint seats became night market-like chaos.

Must wake early, climb steep paths, fight for spots. Sunrise visible daily anywhere. But the effort makes Bromo’s memorable. Unfortunately, that morning sun hid—brief disk peek then cloud-covered.

Good morning Bromo—may you always be beautiful, creating memories for us all.

---

NightSkyIndonesia.com cherishes these intimate cosmic journeys blending effort, wonder, and Indonesia’s majestic landscapes.