TRAVELLIVE 04-2017

most active and as made evident
by the thick smoke billowing
in the air. For the photography
fanatics among us; it makes for a
great time-lapse video. Set up your
camera, sit down and enjoy the
view while Mother Nature does all
the work.
As you get closer to the mountain,
you will reach the farthest point
that jeeps provided by tour
agencies can take you. From there
it is still possible to jump on the
back of a motorbike or a horse for
the next part. The motorbike will
have to drop you off at the foot of
the volcano, whereas the horse
can carry you up the most tiring
part of the hike. But even the
horse will have to call it quits at
the bottom of the staircase, which
has been built halfway up the
mountain to make the steepest
part more accessible.
Once at the top you will be able
to look down into the volcano,
which, in the morning, will
constantly unleash massive
amounts of smoke containing
sulfurous particles. On a day with
normal winds you will be able
to witness it from a far enough
distance to not be affected by it.
After you feel you have taken
out enough time to behold this
amazing sight, you will still be
able to make it back to your hotel
in time for breakfast.
The heat is on
A whole different kind of volcanic
experience can be found around
the easternmost point of Java. Ijen
is a volcano complex that contains
a kilometer-wide turquoise
colored acidic lake, which is the
site where sulfur miners make
their living. Tours up and into
the mountain depart as early as
1AM. It takes a good two hours to
reach the top in the dark and up to
another hour to get into the crater
where all the sulfur is collected.
Be careful going down as the
miners will frequently have to
pass you to bring rocks of sulfur
weighing up to 100kg to
the rim of the volcano
and down again to the
village. The same route
that cost us two hours
of our time, carrying a
mere 5kg of weight in
our backpacks.
You might think that the
miners put in all this effort for
a good living, but you would be
wrong. These hard working men
earn about $12 a day. I would
not have been able to help them
bring down the sulfur, but I could
help them a little bit by buying a
small sulfur rock which they had
pressed into the shape of a turtle.
It was a nice reminder of our big
effort climbing the mountain
and made the working day of the
miner a bit more worthwhile.
One of the main reasons for us
to put in all this effort was to
witness the imposing blue fire that
is created by ignited sulfuric gas.
This also means that you will want
to wear a gasmask. Sulfuric gas is
not good for you, especially your
respiratory system. The blue fire
is a fascinating phenomenon and
not something that you will be
able to see just anywhere. By the
time you are back on the rim of
the volcano the sun will probably
have begun to rise, which clears
the air for you to set your eyes on
the beautiful blue lake.
Although the climb itself will cost
you considerable effort, the base
of the mountain can easily be
reached from
Banyuwangi,
which is
accessible by train
from Probolinggo,
although most tour
operators prefer to bring you over
windy mountain roads by bus to a
village west of Ijen.
From Banyuwangi it's a short
ferry ride, followed by a four hour
bus ride to the nearest airport
on Bali, and which you could
certainly use as an excuse to enjoy
some of the beautiful beaches that
Bali has in abundance to revive
yourself from your mountain
climbing adventures on Java.
Further information
Itinerary:
ñ Flying from Vietnam to Yogyakarta usually
comes with a stopover, often in Kuala Lumpur
or Singapore. Air Asia flies these routes
frequently.
Weather:
ñ The dry season spans from May to
September. October to April is considered
the wet season. Although Indonesia enjoys
warm weather throughout the year, higher in
the mountains it can get chilly at night time, so
warm clothing is recommended for your hikes.
Clothing:
ñ Indonesia has the largest Muslim population
in the world. Shorts and t-shirts are not
frowned upon for both men and women, but
appropriate clothing is appreciated.
Note:
ñ Mount Bromo and Ijen are active volcanoes
with semi-regular eruptions, so it's wise to
be well informed before putting in the time
and effort to get there and be sure that the
volcano is approachable.
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TRAVELLIVE 103