So here we go! Riding from Malang to Bromo. We had no idea what to expect or what we were to behold that day. We headed off early in order to enjoy the sunrise as we rode. It made for a chilly start to the day. We stopped for kopi, took some photographs and continued to climb into the mountains. It was awesome seeing the sun come up on the road and somehow I knew it was going to be a special day. 
Up through the mountain villages receiving plenty of smiles along the way. We somehow felt like were were part of this special place although we were just foreign visitors taking time out to enjoy the best of what Indonesia has to offer, friendship and connection. It still astounds me the synchronicity that Indonesia brings to the fore on many special occasions.
Just the way things work out, the people that you meet along the way, the connections that you make, the special landscape that unfolds before you as you cruise down the road.
We arrived at the gate for entry into Mt Bromo, Tengger Semeru National Park East Java Indonesia. 
We took the usual photos, paid our entrance fee and headed into the caldera. Before we dropped down into the caldera itself we stopped for another photo opportunity at a small village where local vegetables were grown on the mountainside.
It was a magic place and one that will be in my mind for eternity. 
On the bikes again and into what I can only describe as bull dust. 
I have heard of it in Australia but this was Indo bull dust. Well in fact it was volcanic ash. The finest substance I have ever come across on Earth. This stuff is really tricky to ride a bike over/through. On the way down I put my foot down into it and sunk 3 inches with no resistance felt. Once on the flats it was a little easier but still like using roller skates on an ice skating rink. The fact that we all rode right through this place without incident, not even a busted thong, is testament to the skill of all the riders involved, although some members of our crew pushed the limits a little by pulling dough nuts and getting airborne but that’s just how we roll.
Back to the synchronicity story. We pulled up on the flats before reaching the volcano itself and met the family group of travellers we had bumped into while trying to find accommodation in Borobodur one night, some three days earlier. The look on their faces was priceless. What I love about bikes is that no matter who you are or where you are from, as a male with a pulse, there is a fascination with bikes and bike culture. The father of the group took great delight in donning a helmet and jumping on a Cleveland to blat around the caldera for a few minutes. I reckon we made his day.
We said our polite goodbyes and jumped back on the bikes to head over to the volcano itself. We noted that a pair of young local ladies on a scooter were negotiating their way through this tricky landscape with the ease of a side saddling business lady on her way to work in Jakarta. I love seeing the city ladies dressed to the nines, riding side saddle and texting on their phones on the way to work, totally oblivious to the chaos that the pilot of their chariot is negotiating. It’s fucking brilliant! Anyway, we arrived at the base of the volcano to be greeted by a Hindu Temple, Pura Luhur Poten, horses, FJ45 Landcruisers, warungs and music. We had arrived at a time when the temple was celebrating a Hindu festival, although we only caught the setup phase of the celebrations, not the festival itself.
None of us wanted to climb, even on horseback, the steep incline to look into the volcano itself. We figured if we could not ride it, we would not see it. Besides that, my bowels were still reeling and I was was having enough trouble squeezing my ass cheeks tight enough to hold the bike upright whilst avoiding soiling my pants. Enough said!
We headed up a small pass to a vantage point overlooking the caldera. 
Afterwards we were offered a loan of the selfie stick for the rest of our tour. I’m still a bit old school and politely told our hosts to jam it! All done respectfully of course. I did not want to look like a typical tourist on the road. I was a traveller now, hehehe! I gotta get me one of those things one day. A handy bit of kit.
It was time to leave our hosts. A sad moment ensued as we said good bye to two people who had touched our lives. We were never sure that we would ever see them again, although, in my heart I knew we would – synchronicity. Our hosts had arranged bikes for us in Jakarta. Guided us out of Jakarta and into to Bandung. Ridden back to Jakarta. Met us in Jogjakarta to service the bikes. Flown back to Jakarta. Flown into Malang to facilitate our trip into Bromo. Hired two bikes. Ridden into Bromo with us. Ridden back to Malang and flown back to Jakarta. Now that’s what I call after sales service.
We set off down the mountain on the Classics and made our way to our next destination, Probolinggo North East Java. We ended up in Situbondo, two and a half hours east of Probolinggo, but that’s another story!