New Years Morning from the Summit of Batur Volcano
Jan. 1 The first sunrise of 2021
“Imagine what it would be like, to meet the first sunrise of the year from the top of a volcano”... mentioned in casual passing conversation a few years back, the thought lingered in my mind as only a dream. When I recently revisited the options available to me on New Years Eve in Bali, this thought revisited me again. Due to influx of visitors from Jakarta and increasingly growing cases of Covid, holiday parties were off the menu this year and an a curfew was imposed on the island over New Years.
I decided to celebrate the evening at Aperitif, a colonial style fine dining restaurant in the heart of the island, which has gathered rave reviews on the international culinary circuit. I may be biased because he is a friend, but the outstanding reviews of Aperitif’s delectable menus may be due to Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken and his team’s exceptional culinary prowess. I can attest to this firsthand.
On the 31st, after a quick lunch with friends I packed an overnight bag, hopped onto my Yamaha Nmax and headed for Ubud. I hadn’t booked a hotel, as my mind was changing every hour on what part of town I wished to stay in. I eventually settled on one of my favorite streets, Tirta Tawar and quickly found a boutique hotel, checking into the honeymoon suite shortly after 5pm. My curious choice of ‘honeymoon’ lodging was due to there being no other suites available this late in the day on New Years. Upon arrival I was greeted by a rather keen hotel manager who promptly shoved a camera in my face and asked me to make a greeting video to promote the hotel to other visitors. I was shocked by the imposition and sternly but politely declined offering him a photo with the staff at the end of my two day stay if I enjoyed the experience. Aside from the awkward check-in, the view from my cottage was exactly what I was looking for, weaving point lines of rice paddies and endless jungle. The suite was rather charming, with a massive heart shaped bathtub which I couldn’t wait to fill up with bubbles. Alas, a bubble bath was never to be had because I quickly found out that the suite had no hot water. It was 4 hours before the staff managed to bring the water temperature to luke warm and provide towels that didn’t smell like mould and wet dog, never mind the fact that no one had bothered to clean the bathtub or the sink from dust, fingerprints and dirt. I was late and seething. It’s a shame that a hotel that looked this appealing on the outside and had such a great layout, had such profound lapses in quality of service. The last evening of the year turned out to be a fair representation of the stress incurred over the course of 2020 but I tried to take it in stride.
When I was finally able to take a quick luke warm shower I changed into a sparkly frock I had brought with me from Canada and made my way over to Aperitif where my mood quickly lifted. At the bar I met Nic’s wife, Yuli, a stunning petite Indonesian beauty with sharp wit and great class. It was our first meeting and we got on admirably, sipping on artisan cocktails created by Aperitif’s chief mixologist Panji Wisrawan and feasting on sweet dessert sent over as a surprise by the Executive Chef himself. The Aperitif gathering was warm and intimate. Great connections and conversation against a backdrop of classic party tunes and an unforgettable atmosphere the establishment is known for. Before we knew it, the clock struck midnight, champagne glasses full of bubbles and new hope were raised to the ceiling and we rung in the new year. Despite Bali’s ban on fireworks, loud explosions went off around the outside perimeter of the Viceroy Resort grounds. Ubudians were still celebrating. I walked out onto the balcony to admire the view. Not far off in the distance I saw hundreds of lights exploding in the midnight sky. A New Years no less special than any I’ve had to date, despite the difficult year left behind. But what if I could makes this one, extra EXTRA special? I turned around and flashed a wide smile at my companions. “I’m going to climb Batur and watch the sunrise from the top of the crater”. everyone laughed “No, you are not” .... “Yes i am!”....... “No, you really are not” .... “Let’s make a bet”. I finished the last of my cocktails and texted my driver. An hour later I was back at my hotel changing into hiking gear and guzzling a gallon of water to clear my mind.
The driver I hired picked me up in a van at 2:30am and we headed up the roads to the base of Mount Batur, one of Bali’s two active volcanoes. I had climbed Batur once before, four years prior, to lay a memorial for Graham. I wondered if any part of that memorial was still in place or if the winds had collapsed it into the crater. It took us about 45 minutes to get to base camp. There, I met 20 other early birds wishing to meet the New Year in style. Although the had all gone to bed at around 8pm the previous day. Shortly after we landed I was paired with a guide and another couple , Vinny and Vijay and we started up the mountain. When I climbed Batur in 2017 the path was packed with tourists. This time around, there was no one behind or in front of our little crew. We passed a couple of hikers and were passed by a couple of dirt bikes, but that’s all. I wondered if the dirt bikers knew that the path would soon turn rocky and steep. After climbing for an hour we made a brief stop and I turned around to see the edges of the horizon behind the neighboring Agung volcano, turn pink. The sun was about to make it’s first appearance in the new year. Wishing to see the sun from the top of the crater, the four of us scrambled up to the top of the mountain. You did it! I heard our guide Jero’s joyful cheer from up ahead. He was right, we made it. Just in time for sunrise. As I slumped down on the ground to catch my breath I saw the horizon turn to fire and the first rays of the sun hit the side of the mountain, tearing through the clouds of steam rising up from the crater.
I separated from the group and walked around the perimeter of the crater taking in the breathtaking view. What a way to ring in New Year’s Day, on top of this majestic mountain, overlooking the whole of Bali. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes, or the fact that I actually made it up to the top. As I walked around I noticed that the edge where I placed my memorial for Graham in March of 2017 had collapsed into the heart of the volcano. The landscape had changed quite a bit due to high winds and torrential rain. I made my way around the crater and descended down one of the slopes, where I found an open steam vent. Running my hand over the opening of the vent wasn’t the brightest idea. The air burned my palm as I stared in awe of this wonder of nature. Slipping my other hand into my jacket pocket I pulled out a large chunk of rose quartz I had brought with me on my journey. It was gifted to me in May of 2020 by Aisling, a facilitator at one of my breathwork sessions. During that particular session I had visions of Graham appearing to me in the form of a blue angel. Teary eyed Aisling gave me the crystal after the session because it symbolizes unconditional universal love. When I decided to climb Batur I had it worth me and I felt called to leave it on the mountain. I placed the quartz beside the steam vent, said a little prayer and used my walking stick to push the crystal inside the vent. I slumped down beside the hole and looked out through the clouds, onto the Agung Volcano towering over Danau Lake a mile ahead of me. The crystal was now forever part of Batur. “Thank you. I love you”, I whispered under my breath.
It was another 30 minutes before I rejoined my companions and after one last look at the rising sun started making our way down the mountain making casual conversation. Vinny turned out to be the owner of one of Canggu’s favorite vegan staples ‘Vinny’s Warung’. We had a lovely chat and made plans to meet for lunch in the coming weeks. Hiking down in the light we were able to go much faster and admire the gorgeous jungle scenery. Halfway down we ended up in what looked much like an enchanted forest. If it weren’t for the occasional lizard crossing my path I could’ve sworn I was back home in Canada.
Near the base of Batur we passed an enormous traditional Balinese temple which made me feel like I was in a Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones movie. Just as the thought crossed my mind I received a text message form a friend .. “Happy New Year Diana Jones! Did you end up climbing Batur?” It took me a couple of seconds to get and be awed by the reference. I must admit, it felt good. When we finally made it to base camp and enjoined our drivers I said my goodbyes and swiftly passed out in the back of my driver’s van. That 30 minute power nap was all I was going to get for the next 20 hours because after I got back to my hotel and showered I received a text from Yuli and Nic who picked me up and drove to Kafe, where we ate a ridiculously large breakfast (fit for zombies who haven’t slept a wink in 24hrs) and drove to Bedugul to join a secret New Year’s Day party, most of which I spent laying on the lawn and cuddling one of the host’s massive great danes.
I would only get home at around 9pm that day, having to walk partway home after I decided to leave the party early and couldn’t for the life of me catch a taxi. By the time I rolled in for the night in my hotel I was so exhausted I left three burning candles on a wooden stool in the room inside a plastic ashtray and woke up in the middle of the night to a melted burning ashtray and a roomful of plastic fumes. Blowing out the flame and removing the stool and the carnage onto the balcony I went back to sleep. I woke up the next day covered in black ash and looking every bit like a member of the Adam’s family. My first social media status on the morning of January 2nd was “Does anyone know where to buy sandpaper, varnish and a glass ashtray”? It took me two hours to clean the stool and buy a new ashtray for the hotel before checkout….
All in all it was one of the most exciting New Years’ adventures I’ve ever had but it left me absolutely exhausted - although a rather small price to pay for such a fabulous and unlikely set of experiences.
If you wish to climb the Batur Volcano call or send a whatsapp to Jero +6281997837009
In Partnership with Tropical Nomad Coworking Space