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Read on to find what my experienced when I traveled to various spots in the world with my eyes, ears, nose, and heart wide open.
Where to go mountain climbing : Argopuro, East Java, Indonesia.
Secret Dutch airport, edelweiss, lake and savannas.
Argopuro ia a part of the mountain range on the border of the Probolinggo, Jember, Lumajang, Situbondo and Bondowoso regencies. The place has a wildlife reserve thats frewuently visited by birdwatchers and nature researchers. Cloaked in myths and mysteries, Argopuro is also said to be the site of the palace of Princess Rengganis, a well-known character in the local legend, in whose honor the people hold an annual ceremony every Syuro 1 (the javanese year). The people's belief in the legend is supported by the obelisks and ruins of prehistoric buildings near the top of the mountain.
To reach the top, hikers can follow either the Bremi or the Baderan trails. To get the Bremi trail from Surabaya, you can take a bus to the Pajarakan intersection before continuing by public car to Bremi. The trail is categorized as a high difficulty track, and some people even consider it a dangerous path, sloping up at an inclination of 45 degrees. Following this track, you will come to the Taman Hidup Lake, the only lake in Argopuro, and a coffe plantation.
You can reach the Baderan trail by first taking a bus to the Besuki bus station where next you catch a ride to Baderan. The track is easier but longer than the Bremi trail. On this trail you can find hectares of edelweiss bushes at arond 2000m elevation, followed by rows of savvanahs. Hamster roam the savvanahs. There are only a few trees, most of which are called manisrejo by the locals, the only kind of tree that can live above the 300m above-sea-level mark. The dutch used to maintain a secret air base in two of the savvannahs, alun-alun lonceng 1 and 2. The ruins of their ammunition warehouse and airport can still be seen there.
