I can't keep count of weeks any more

I'm getting too old for all this week counting shenanigans, so you'll just have to work with me here...

I left you in Yogya, where Cath and I enjoyed a nice few days playing at arts and crafts.   From Yogya, we moved on to Mount Bromo and Ijen Crater, which involved a 12 hour bus journey that I wasn't looking forward to but it wasn't actually that bad in the end.  Mount Bromo is amazing - it's a (relatively) new crater that has grown in the crater of a huge volcano that erupted many moons ago.   It's quite other-wordly and lunar.  After a sunrise from a viewpoint higher than Bromo, we were dropped at the base of the volcano itself and left to make our way up.  After a tiring wander up through the sand, we were faced with 400 steps, which was knackering to just look at!  Made it up though  and back down again all before 9am!  We went back to our hotel for breakfast, which turned out to be boiled egg and jam sandwiches (mmmm).

After Bromo, it was another 5 - 6 hours to get to Ijen Crater.  The last couple of hours were on pretty bad roads - at one point Cath and I had to jump out and find rocks to put behind the wheels of the jeep to stop it slipping back down the track....  We did eventually make it safe and sound to our home for the night, where the dinner options were "noodles or noodles soup".   I was feeling less adventurous so went for the noodles....

We had a slightly later start for Ijen - breakfast at 4.30am this morning....then it was off to walk 3km up the mountain.  I say 'up' but I'm not sure that quite describes exactly how steep it was!  I left Cath the mountain goat to run up there and took it slow and steady.  Amazingly, the local guys make that trip twice a day every day to collect sulphur from the volcanic lake at the top and come down with baskets over their shoulders sometimes carrying 70 or 80 kilos in weight.  Incredible!

From  Ijen, it was a short trip to the ferry to....BALI!!  (Cath and I very excited).  Our first attempts to find accommodation here were met with "NO ROOM" signs, but we managed to get ourselves a lovely room in a hotel with a swim up bar all for about a tenner a night between us....not bad.  We've decided Bali is a well deserved spot of R&R and we're taking full advantage!  Next few days will hopefully involve a bit of discovating, some beachside temple sunsets, more shopping and possibly a waterpark.

Highlight of the past few days was a personal challenge one of actually making it up to the top of Ijen..although realising I then had to make it back down the slippery slope very nearly took the shine off this achievement!

Challenge has been me being a muppet and leaving my good boots on a bemo (local bus) here in Bali.  Need to get some replacements so that I can go on more early morning treks and climbs  (Hang on.....there's a whisper of a plan whirling round my brain here.....)