The two days after Bromo ended were the itinerary for Sewu Waterfall and ijen Volcano, both of which were led by local guides. The environment of Sewu Waterfall was very similar to that of a tropical rainforest, and the stairs leading down to the waterfall were steep, almost 90 degrees vertical, connected by Indonesian version of the ladder stone stacks. We followed step by step in our stream tracing shoes, while the local guide dragged us up and down like walking on flat ground with only one pair of characters. Sometimes, he would hold onto the railing with both hands and climb three levels vertically, without caring about the impact of the waterfall water on the smoothness of the steps, like a flexible monkey.
A poor student has a lot of stationery, compared to ijen who works a lot and is covered in dust after going up and down the mountain. For waterfalls, it takes about an hour to go back and forth, while for volcanoes, it takes four or five hours to go back and forth. Therefore, locals have made many small carts, also known as “Lamborghini”, which can be paid to be pushed up the mountain by others. The price fluctuates depending on the distance, ranging from 300-600 RMB.
The tour guide carried a 3M gas mask in a plastic bag and climbed all the way to the top of the mountain. He could smell the stinky egg odor emanating from the sulfuric acid lake before sharing the burden with us. Most of the local residents carried sulfur down the mountain to sell it on poles without any protection.
When we were going down the mountain, we met a boy sitting on a Lamborghini. It was three strong guys who pushed us up. The man walking in front and pulling the rope saw a very strange and bitter smile on our faces and shouted, “Come on, come on, come on.
I feel like these three cheers are what he said to himself about the simplicity and cunningness of Indonesians. The environment of the ijen volcano is too harsh, with dust flying and poor water and air quality. Most of the people here are also very thin, like vines exposed to the scorching sun with a layer of snake skin attached. There is a very bitter and cracked toughness. When the guide of the waterfall took a photo of us, a pair of slippers stepped on a small stone protruding from the edge of the cliff, and below was a rolling torrent mixed with volcanic ash color like cement. Although ijen’s guide had an extra gas mask, when we took photos, he only sat on the stone on the side and occasionally lit a cigarette. The sulfur in our eyes is the danger under the thick smoke. For them, it’s life. The world I longed for in my eyes rolled over them over and over again.
Pain doesn’t matter, courage may really have a level.
Halfway down the mountain, a Lamborghini driver kept trying to persuade us to take a car. Perhaps it was because we were girls who suggested that we could have two people ride in one car, and then made some self cutting decisions. In the end, it seemed that each person only needed about 75 RMB. He doesn’t look very strong either, but the car is moving steadily. In the resting pavilion, someone is dancing with music playing. When I took out my phone and took a picture, he stopped and told me that this is a unique dance in Indonesia, and there was no rush to get off work. After finishing, he gave a small tip to the cart driver and guide, hoping that they could at least have a full meal that day
Afterwards, I took a boat to Bali at the Wainan Dream Pier, but I didn’t realize how faithful the name Wainan Dream sounds
The atmosphere of the entire Bali island is different, with wider and flatter roads, more modern facilities, and the surrounding scenery still resembling a tropical rainforest. However, travelers know that this time the rainforest is not a primitive scenery full of dangers, but a dream that can be enjoyed for a while. In comparison, Surabaya is completely the “melancholic tropics” described in Claude’s book. The homestay we booked had an average of 300 people per night, a small two-story villa with a heated swimming pool, breakfast ready the night before, and three staff members coming to make it the next day. In Sishui, it seems like we are always busy every day taking cars, going to scenic spots, wandering around, and then sitting to another scenic spot. In Bali, however, There is nothing urgent to do, swimming, having breakfast, strolling on the roadside, doing spa, watching the sunset, It seems great, no wonder everyone is saying they want to be digital nomads in Bali. Foreigners spend their hourly wages here like they don’t have to pay. Who doesn’t like to swim carefree every morning, take a shower, and the butler has brought a sumptuous breakfast. At noon, they take their computer to a Western restaurant surrounded by green plants for a meal. After processing their work, they go to the spa. In the evening, they drink two cocktails at sunset in Bali, and go snorkeling and surfing at the beach on weekends. Otherwise, white people will enjoy it
By the way, because Bali’s tourist economy is very developed, buying things always requires bargaining. If I bargain in Surabaya, I feel like I’m not human, and if I don’t bargain in Bali, I feel like I’m not human either, so I’m cutting big and big.
Originally, Huang Sang was very fond of the fragrance in our tour guide’s car, but because the tour guide’s English was not very good and he always had to use a translator to communicate, he was too lazy to ask. As a result, while walking on the roadside, he smelled a surprisingly consistent scent of incense。
They packed up the things and handed them over, and we both started staring at each other, not knowing who paid. We laughed until we were done, and in the end, it was her who paid (but I have to say that the price of 30 is cheaper than what she bought herself during the day!
After a wonderful day, I felt a bit craving for cola on the road to Huimin Su. I vaguely remembered that there weren’t many convenience stores ahead, so I walked into a simple grocery store run by an old lady and took two cans of cola from the fridge. I asked how much it cost. At this moment, this super male old lady shot me through the mirror with a fierce look like Conan had mastered the core evidence of the case. She told me a bottle of 50k (equivalent to 25 yuan in Chinese currency), which made me laugh angrily. I was too lazy to bargain and put it back directly. She then said 10k 10k behind my sunflower seeds, but one of the bottles broke with a gentle pull of the pull ring, which I pried open with a fork. Do you remember why I said earlier that Indonesians are really cunning when they are cunning。
Finally, I gave this homestay a perfect score on the booking page because the owner posted a humorous threat on the refrigerator saying ‘If you don’t give us a perfect score, we may go bankrupt’. I also think it’s understandable to give this service a perfect score, and I am very grateful for the new experience he brought me。
