With a steaming cup of java, I step out onto the veranda surrounded by a breath-taking panorama. It is then that I realize I’m actually feeling cold – in Indonesia! Being near cloud level has that effect I suppose, and for a bule from North America it can be a beautiful start to the new day.

I make my way across the meticulously maintained grounds of the resort to a rarely used balcony. From this place I witness an event my mind won’t soon forget – a ball of fire spilling over the volcanic ridge in drips of golden photons, smearing its light upon the land and struggling to push back the mist which had silently put the mountain village to sleep so many hours before.