Given the duration of the exchange and the time I had already spent with my dear first host family, it was time for me to say goodbye and move in with another host family in a new environment. But before that, we decided to take a last trip together.
Mt. Bromo
The journey began with a long drive through lush forests, with a stop in a beautiful, blooming valley, followed by a ride along Indonesia’s narrow and quite “adventurous” roads—so steep that you’d wish you were driving a tractor instead of a car. Our destination was Mt. Bromo, an active volcano in the highlands of East Java. When we arrived, there were many foreign tourists, even from Germany, as it truly is a fantastic place for a “hiking day.”
To witness the sunrise illuminating the vast, flat landscapes surrounding Mt. Bromo from the rocky edges of the volcano, we woke up at 2 AM—long before dawn—to reach the summit of the viewing platform. After that, we continued exploring the vast, ash-filled terrain in the valley around Mt. Bromo, an area primarily used for tourism and motorsports. Finally, peering into the sulfur-scented crater was a highlight of the day.
Thanksgiving
We also celebrated Thanksgiving together with Rotary, blending the tradition of our American exchange students with the culinary specialties of our respective countries. On that day, I learned that you have to cook Sauerbraten multiple times in advance to truly master its preparation—even as a German.
Gastfamilienwechsel
Shortly before Christmas, I moved in with my second host family, which consists of my host mother Nancy, my host father Popang, and my host sister Gia. We live in Sidoarjo, a place about 10 km from Surabaya. While this means longer commute times to school, it offers much more connection to nature compared to the urban environment of the city.
Christmas
I intentionally used the Christmas season for my personal development, expanding my network, and deepening my projects. Occasionally, I meet up with school friends or contacts—whether for lunch to discuss future endeavors or for sports activities at one of Surabaya’s two ice rinks. There, I came across a group of ice hockey players—an encounter that will lead to joint training sessions.
Due to the religious diversity of the Indonesian population and the associated variety of respective holidays and traditions, celebrating Christmas is not a given for the majority of the population. However, the entire city, particularly shopping malls, was adorned with Christmas trees, decorations, and ornaments.
But we celebrated the event within our host family, despite an outdoor temperature of 30°C.
2025 began with Banyuwangi
We spent the New Year on January 1st without fireworks, as we were already on our way to vacation at that time. For a week, we explored “Banyuwangi,” the easternmost point of the island of Java, from where we could enjoy views of the neighboring coasts of Bali.
Banyuwangi, “the gateway to East Java,” impressed with its numerous reservoirs and nature reserves, including the Djawatan Forest with its ancient Trembesi trees, the paradisiacal beaches like Pulau Merah, and the majestic Mount Ijen. In the Meru Betiri National Park, a green savanna stretches out, home to rare species and wild nature amid a forest untouched by humans.
A special experience was the hike to the crater of “Mt. Ijen,” which is part of the “Kawah Ijen” volcanic complex. This volcano is known for its geothermally active, turquoise crater lake with a high phosphorus content and temperatures of up to 60°C. A geochemical phenomenon are the so-called “blue flames,” which occur due to the combustion of sulfur gases escaping from the crater. To observe this, we started the nocturnal hike shortly after midnight.
The yellow deposits, which can be seen in two of the provided media, carry a sad story. Self-appointed miners, members of Indonesia’s poorest population groups, melt phosphorus from the mines deep within the volcano crater by dissolving it with boiling water from the ore. Every day, these individuals risk their lives to transport the molten yellow fragments, allowing them to earn just enough money through tourism or interested businesses to survive. These individuals are just one of many examples of the widespread inequality that causes the majority of the population to live in dire, underdeveloped conditions.
It is an incredible heritage of nature, but often, tourism only reveals the beautiful truths.
Die Reise geht weiter. Danke für deine Initiative, ein Teil meiner Reise zu sein.
Keep looking up.
Daniel
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