Bali, Indonesia

Journal Entry December 29, 1985: Terry and I climbed Mt. Batur today. This is an active volcano, which last erupted in 1963, so it gets many visitors. The most amazing part was a small boy, maybe 10, who accompanied us part of the way toting Coca-Colas. He makes this journey every day. His load of cold water and a dozen pops in a bucket was heavy. We bought one Cola only to give it back to him to drink. He earned it!

After waiting out the cloud cover until 10:30, we had a spectacular view of Lake Batur and surrounding mountains. The biggest intrigue was the steam and heat coming from the vents. We talked to a couple who had a guide cook their breakfast on hot rocks. Mt. Batur might have been a perfectly shaped mountain at one time, but its top blew off.

After summiting, we went on a chilling climb round the rim of the crater. This had sharp edges on either side. Slipping was not a pleasant option. We encountered four monkeys on the rim.