The alarm went off at 12:40 am this morning. Just late enough to still technically be morning...But just barely. A 30 minute drive to the trail head and then it was off on a 4 km hike up to the room of the Ijen crater and then down into the crater to see the sulfurous blue fire.
The hike was a nice walk in the dark until we got in range of the smell. Sulfuric acid is not fun to breathe. I was wearing a soaking wet surgical mask and it was still painful. My eyes only just stopped burning.
That said...the blue fire was pretty awesome to see (and damn the near impossible to photograph).
Down in the crater where the fires were burning, there were a bunch of Indonesians mining the sulfur. Giant yellow bricks being beaten or of the ground and the carried up out of the crater and down the mountain. Only they didn't carry these things one by one...They put about 200 lbs of the blocks in two baskets connected by a stick and they carried those baskets over one shoulder. Up and out of the crater and down the side of the volcano. About 3 times a day. I don't think I've seen an Indonesian yet who weighs 200 lbs... There were these guys, not just walking, but running with these full baskets of sulfur. Running! Never seen a more impressively tough job that at the same time made me very thankful I stayed in school!
After climbing out of the crater, there was a short walk around the crater rim to a viewpoint where the wind cleared the fumes and it was possible to see down into the lake.
On the walk back down to the bus, I paid a miner 5000 rupiah (50 cents) to let me pick up the baskets of sulfur while he took my picture. This guy was maybe 5'7" and 150 lbs after a big meal. The baskets nearly broke me. I normally squat around 225 lbs in the gym for about 4 sets of 15 reps, but this was different because it was on one shoulder and very awkward. And heavy!
The rest of the day was spent on a clown car bus and ferry to the island of Bali and city of Kuta. This place is about what I expected. Very touristy. Very resorty. Very fratastic. Kind of a shame because the rest of Bali on the drive here was beautiful. Kinda helps me plan my last few days here and knowing I might not come back to Kuta earlier than I have to.
Tomorrow I catch a plane to Ende on the island of Flores. Some more volcano hiking to the colored lakes of Kelimutu.
Pictures of the best I got off the blue flame with my phone, the ijen crater from the viewpoint, and the loaded sulfur baskets.
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