Ijen Blue Fire Midnight Tour from Banyuwangi

Itinerary:
Pick up at 00.00 at your hotel in Banyuwangi area and then drive about 1 hour to Paltuding, the basecamp of Mount Ijen. Start hiking 3.5 KM to Ijen crater rim which is going to take about 1 hour and then another 1 hour descend to the crater where you can see the amazing blue fire phenomenon. The blue fire originated from the sulfuric gas emerges from the cracks in the volcano at high pressure and very high temperature and when they contact with the air creating the blue flame. After enjoying the view of Ijen Crater which has large area of hydrochloric acid and the surrounding and then return back to Paltuding and drive back to your hotel. End of service. Finish about 10.00 AM

Include:
Private Car, Driver, Fuel
Ijen Local Guide
Ijen Mask
Entrance Fee
Mineral Water

Exclude:
Tipping
Travel Insurance

What to bring:
Warm Jacket
Hiking Shoes
Headlamp

This temple is located in Bangli area of Bali and it has some unique features. The temple entrance gate is not Bentar Gate type yet Kurung Gate type. There is also Bale Kulkul (wooden slit drum) located above the hundred years banyan tree. There were three inscriptions found mentioned about the temple yet there was no certain year it was built and the inscription also mentioned where Kehen name derived. According to the 3rd inscription from the year 1204, the temple had some temples related to each other as a union called Pura Hyang Hatu, Kyang Kedaton, Hyang Daha Bangli, Hyang Pande, Hyang Wukir, Hyang Tegal, Whayng Waringin, Hyang Pahumbukan, Hyang Buhitan, Hyang Peken Lor, Hyang Peken Kidul and Hyang Kehen.

Hyang Kehen is assumed to be derived from the word dkeren which means place for fire and related to the first inscription which mentioned Hyang Api (fire), Hyang Karinama and Hyang Tanda and some monks names.

It is believed that if the branches fall down there will be disaster. It has happened that if the priests died, if the king died and also some branches fall down means disaster for the people.

The gate is decorated with two elephant statues as dwarapala. There are also statues from Ramayana epics and inside the temple there are 11 Siva’s manifestation. The main temple wal is decorated with chinese ceramics in blue color.

Located in Ciwedey, this beautiful tea plantation situated about 2 hours drive from Bandung. Along the trip to the tea plantation you will be passing villages located on a hills, and most of the houses roof are made of terracotta roof tile making the view more beautiful to be seen.

Ciwalini Tea Plantation is such a huge area, it is hilly and creating beautiful curves. Below are few pictures at the plantation. The plantation is en route to Lake Situ Patenggang and Rengganis Crater, and not far from Kawah Putih Crater. Places can be seen nearby the area are: hotspring, strawberry farm and you can also try local ginger drink called bandrek to warm your body.

Indonesia has many species of Nepenthes sp, which can be found in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and other islands in Indonesia. This pant can be easily acknowledge by the pouch shape. The pouch consists of digestive enzymes, and that the plant trap insects the pouch and digested the it.

However it turns out that in its natural habitat, the plant is not only a death trap, yet the liquid in pitcher plan has diverse microbial life and complex organism and insects that escape digestion.

The main insects found the pouch are Diptera ordo and Hymenoptera ordo. Inquilines of the pitcher consists of protozoa, bacterus, algae, fungi, rotifers, crustaceans, arachnids, insects and amphibia. The pitcher plants hist different sets of inquilines, depends on the size, life span of the pitcher as well as its fluid.

Inquilines has close relationship with the pitcher, some live parasitically, but most of them are mutualists. Beneficial activities include secretion of enzymes, feeding plant prey, successive excretion of inorganic nutrients, removal of excessive prey and assimiation of N2.

Though there are abundance of species’s of pitcher plants, the trapping mechanism are similar. The trapping process is driven by gravity, which the prey trapped in the pouch and unable to climb up. The uppermost of the pitcher has glands producing nectar and volatiles that attract prey.

Kakawin Sutasoa is a kakawin written in Old Javanese, a Kawi language with heavy Sanskrit. It consists of 148 chapters and 1,210 verses. Kakawin is Old Javanese poem, consists of four lines with same syllables. This kakawin is famous, as Indonesia motto was taken from this: Bhineka Tunggal Ika.

It was written in the end of 14th Century, during Majapahit Kingdom period by Mpu Tantular, a court poet when King Rajasanaraga (Hayam Wuruk ) reigned.

The original verse in the kakawin in which is used as Indonesia’s motto is ;Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa.  (Differences unites becomes one, there is no dual truths) This teaches tolerance among religions, which in the context of Sutasoma was between Hindu-Siva and Buddha.

 There are some opinion scholarly about the religious climate in the Mahapahit Kingdom period. Some declare that there are two religions in that period: Hindu-Sivaism and Buddhism. And some assumed, according to Negarakertagama, there were 4 sects: Sivaism, Brahmaism, Wisnu and Buddhism. During that period, Sivaism was the dominant religion and Biddhism was less popular. But there is another opinion that Sivaism and Mahayana Buddhism share equal popularity.

This is the synopsis of the kakawin. The designated Buddha (Bodhisattva) was reborn as Sutasoma, the son of King Hastinapura, King Mahaketu. Sutasoma grew up and become pious worshipping God and dedicated to Buddhism. He was not happy to be arranged wed and crowned as king. Then one night, Sutasoma escaped from Hastinapura. Arrival at the forest, the prince and then prayed in a monastery and came goddess Widyakarali and said that his prayer was accepted. He then climbed Mountains of Himalaya accompanied by some priests. He then arrive in a hermitage and listed to a king’s story about reincarnation of a king who ate human.

The story was about a king named Purusada or Kalmasapada. One day they ran out of meat for the king, as they were eaten by dogs and pigs. The cook was puzzled and hurried to find meat, yet he could not get one. He then went to cemetery and cut leg of a corpse and served it to the king. The king was so happy as the food tasted very good because he was the reincarnation of a giant. He then asked the cook what kind of meat he cooked. The cook finally admited after threatened, that it was human flesh. Since then, the king ate human meat, until his people were all gone. The king was wounded in the leg and could not be healed and then he became giant in the forest. He vowed to dedicate 100 kings to Kala if his illness could be healed. Sutasoma was asked by the priests to kill the king, yet he refused, until goddess Pertiwi came out to beg him. Yet, still Sutasoma refused and meditated. He then continued his journey and met a giant with elephant head who ate human. Sutasoma could defeat the giant and he preached the giant about Buddhism that he must not kill other beings and then the giant became his student. The prince then met a dragon who was also defeated by him and became his student. He then met a hungry tigress, who ate her own cub but was prevented by Sutasoma, but tigress refused and still wanted to eat her cub. Sutasoma then offered himself to be eaten by tigress and tigress pounced him and drank his blood which tasted nice for her. The tigress then repent and crying, that batara Indra (god) came and brought Sutasoma to life. The tigress became Sutasoma’s student. Sutasoma and his students walked and arrived at a war between Kalmasapada and Dasabahu, who was the cousin of Sutasoma. He asked Sutasoma to go home and offered him to marry his daughter. Sutasoma returned to Hastina and married and had children and crowned as King Sutasoma. The Purusada then had 100 kings to be sacrificed to Batara Kala, yet Batara Kala did not want to eat them, but wanted Sutasoma instead. Purusada then attacked Sutasoma and arrested Sutasoma and then sacrificed to Batara kala, and Sutasoma said he was willingly to be eaten yet, Purusada must release 100 kings. Pursada was touched and he repent. All kings was released.