Vulkan Egon in Maumere

The next day in Maumere, we took the scooters to the Egon Volcano. When we couldn't find the way directly, a local immediately helped us and led the way. As it got steeper and started winding up, it became too steep for me, so the young man parked his motorcycle and rode my scooter with me on the back. He didn't understand English, so communication was a bit difficult. At the top, we met a guide who wanted to accompany us on the 3-hour hike. We agreed. Suddenly, there was a heated discussion between the driver and the guide. Both wanted to be the guide, so we took them both and negotiated an still overpriced price. The way up was exhausting and towards the end, it got quite steep and rocky. However, reaching the top was overwhelming: the active volcano was smoking and you could hear and even smell it - it smelled of sulfur - and you could feel the heat. At one point, the stones were completely yellow and it was hissing and smoking. If you got closer or lifted the stones, they were really hot. It was incredibly impressive to experience such a natural force with all senses. It made you wonder what kind of power must be inside the earth. On the way back, it started pouring down and thick raindrops poured down on us. We hadn't expected that, we didn't have any rain protection with us and when we arrived at the bottom, we were completely soaked and hungry. The guide then took us to the guesthouse where he worked. Right on the beach. There were many cute little piglets. We had vegetarian curry and after the sunset, we took the scooters back home.