Tuesday 7th August, through Sunday 11th August, 2024 - Other Java Experiences - Waterfall, Fishing Boats, Forest & Another Market

Yogyakarta Train Station

I promised I'd fill you in on our trip from Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo, as it didn't 'fit' in the last blog. The day started relatively early with a train ride to Mojokerto - about four hours away. 

Train Carriage

The purpose was to save us the discomfort of a much longer drive over winding roads and the cleanliness and air-conditioned comfort of the carriages made it pleasant. Our drivers had left Yogya at about 9 pm on Monday and driven through the night to meet us with our luggage at Mojokerto. This put us in the neighborhood of Mount Bromo, but our first destination was a waterfall in the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park - called the Madakaripura Waterfall. 

Walkways Damaged By Earthquakes

We had been prepared for some 'off-road' adventuring to get there, although it had not been made clear that we would be transported by motorbike to even start the trek. It was probably no more than a mile or two - but riding pillion on a motorbike by a much smaller person (without a helmet) was only the beginning. The road had also been damaged in earthquakes, so this was the only way to get to the start of the trail.

Wet feet

We also knew that we would get wet feet, so had prepared by bringing water shoes to navigate this challenge. The support of a number of local guides was invaluable for us to navigate these challenges.

Showers Prohibited?

It was only at the last moment that we learned we would really be taking a shower to get there - even if they were prohibited. The shower was not the main waterfall, but a smaller one off to the side. Happily our local guide whipped out these ponchos for us, without which both ourselves and our cameras would have had a significant drenching!

Madakaripura Waterfall

It really was a beautiful waterfall nestled at the end of the curved canyon. It was believed to be the final meditation place of a Javanese military hero and is believed to send down an endless rain of blessings on those who walk under it. In order to get to our position to set up tripods, we did some rock scrambling - without the local guides who were very attentive, these old knees of mine would not have made it. I hope the result was worth it!

The rest of the afternoon saw us to Mount Bromo, and I have already told that story.

Busy Roads

On the Thursday after we had visited Bromo, we had a fairly long day of driving. I handed my phone  to one of the other photographers in the car to catch this colorful group in the pick up truck. Thanks, Magda!

Family Transport

It was not uncommon for an entire family to ride the motorcycle. I always wondered what would happen if a child was unruly and had a temper tantrum. Only once did I see a child who seemed distressed on a bike - he seemed about 6 or 7 and was standing in front of his Dad, yelling about something while they were riding along. In general, the rides - men, women and children - all looked very comfortable and confident on their bikes.

Managing Flowing Clothes

I also feared for the women in their flowing clothes - in my mind, the danger of garments getting caught in spokes or chains must be real. But generally the women looked nonplussed and elegant.

Traditional Dress Outside a Mosque

The sarong was a garment I saw on men more than women in Java. The traditional Indonesian hat was sometimes worn (I'll show you a photo of that later - it has an elegant twist to it), but many of the men wore the black kopiah which you see here, especially by Moslem men. 

Shelter in the Field

Often the fields had open wooden shelters in them. I presumed that they were used as sleeping platforms for people to get a rest out of the sun. This was in a corn and bean field we trekked through in search of good views of Mt. Ijen, another volcano that had been on our itinerary. 

Farmhouse

In a perfect world, we would have had another very early morning to go the top of Mount Ijen, but the volcanologists had declared that it was showing signs of dangerous activity, and closed it. We were sad it was crossed off our list, hence our trek through this field to get a glimpse of it in the evening sun.

The Farmer

When we first trekked onto the property and through the rows of plantings, this farmer approached us and was reassured that we meant no harm, so people continued on. It was one of the few times on the trip that I decided to allow my knees to rule and I hung back from the rest of the group, The farmer went about his work of trimming some of his trees in the lovely light of the setting sun. I don't know if he was pruning, or gathering fodder for animals, but it seemed like a beautiful, peaceful activity.

 

Wordless Greeting

I was standing up on a bank and he wandered in my direction. I don't recall if we managed to share any language with each other, but we had a nice interaction and greeting with each other.

Muncar Banyuwangi Fishing Village

As a result of the Mount Ijen closure, our new itinerary was to visit the Munca Banyawangi fishing village for sunrise photos. It was the first time I had seen the spider like Indonesian boats - a small double outrigger called a jukung, which you can see here.

Cacophany of Color - Mayang

The boats in the harbor, on the other hand were of a different style, called a mayang. They were highly decorated, in vibrant colors and in the morning light, were very beautiful.

A Highly Decorated Mayang

The most striking part of the boat is the long spar made of multiple pieces of curved bamboo. Our guide told us that the decoration is for the benefit of parades that are held - somehow related to the mosque.

Note the Mosque in the Center Background

Cacophony, tumult ...... call it what you will - it was quite exciting to see. I felt almost as if it was Venice on steroids. However, there's so much going on that photographically it was quite hard to get things framed nicely and create good composition. 

Mending Nets

This fisherman was sitting under a large, low slung tarpaulin, mending his nets. I liked the way that he was using his toe to help support the net and the glow of the early morning sun on his skin.

More Net Mending

Further along were three men working together. Here you can see the tarpaulin above to give them some protection from the sun. When I showed them this photo, the man in the back was unhappy, as he doesn't show up  very well, so we  had to do a 'do over'!

A Happy Fisherman Now

This time he scooted forward and made sure he was in the picture. They declared that it could go on 'What's App' now and seemed quite pleased!

Sun Rays in Smoke, De Djawatan Forest

Our next task was to visit a smallish forest called De Djawatan Forest. It is around 15 acres and was previously a teak forest. The trees that grow there now are believed to date back to Dutch Colonial times - at least 150 years old. There was smoke being produced by small burning-off fires, and we spent some tome trying to capture the sun's rays in the smoke.

Trembesi Trees - An Ironwood

The trees were magnificent. Google tells me they are trembesi trees. Our guide said the trees are an ironwood and that the fishing boats we had just visited were made from trees like this. They reminded me of the huge old live oaks we have in Florida. Instead of Spanish moss, they had ferns and epiphytes growing on their limbs.

The area is owned by the state forestry company. Somewhat recently people started coming here to take photos for social media, so the forestry company got together with the tourism people, decided to charge an entry fee and set it up as a tourism venue in 2018. 

Looking Toward the Rice Paddies

I especially liked the view looking out toward the rice paddies - with the clouds, it almost felt like being in a Constable painting. 

Taking It Easy

There was an old horse drawn cart waiting for riders. The driver looked as if he was just chilling - the morning was young and he was in no hurry.

Horse and Cart

Happily, Nathan was not one to miss an opportunity and within a short time, had arranged for the driver to do some 'posing' for us, with his horse and cart.

Traditional Javanese Hat?

I believe this is the same driver who I first saw chilling out - he's switched his hat from the baseball cap to this more traditional hat. When I tried Googling what type of hat it was - whether Javanese or something else, nothing distinct came up, so we'll just call it 'traditional'. There seem to be a variety of styles for men, which is not surprising, as with so many different islands, each one likely has a different 'take' on things. We are pretty close to Bali here in Bayawangi, so it possibly is more of a Balinese style. Other headgear we saw had a type of knot on the side, with a little vertical sweep. They were all quite attrective.

Banyawangi Market

Sunday was our last morning in Java - but before we left, we visited another market. However, I think we've covered enough ground in this blog, so I'll keep that for the next one. We also had some fun adventures on the ferry ride over to Bali, so stay tuned!