It was early November and winter had begun to descend on most parts of the world. In Hyderabad, India my sister showed off her cutesy fleece jackets and mitten gloves. My friends in the US gloated about how the fall colors were beginning to turn to dull shades of yellow and about naked trees lining the roads. Whereas in Singapore, there is no winter. In fact we do not see any change in seasons in this tropical island. It is 4 days of intense heat interspersed with some drizzle, raising the humidity to another level. It was the middle of the week and I was not in the mood to work. I desperately needed to escape the routine. I needed a weekend getaway. Something to help me unwind and motivate me to go to work on Monday. So I did what I do best. Impulsively booked myself on a flight to Surabaya for the following Saturday.
My first time in Surabaya was in July 2014 when I went to see Mt. Bromo. Back then I wanted to take a break from a stressful project that was eating me. On my visit to Bromo, my tour guide had recommended Mt. Ijen. Since I was pressed for time back then, I promised to visit Ijen on another more relaxed weekend. A promise I forgot about for 2 good years. So here I was after all that time of working hard, proving myself, earning a good name and now feeling less motivated to either work or stay in Singapore on this November Wednesday afternoon. For most people a cup of coffee does the trick and jerks them to reality. I am not a coffee person. I need more than that to be motivated. I need mighty mountains, lush greenery, laughing babies, playful dogs, fresh air and no other sound, but the sound of insects and crickets at dusk or the sound of a ferociously flowing river to bring me back to life and to inspire me. So I went on this weekend sojourn to keep up my date with Ijen.
My itinerary looked like this : reach Surabaya by 12pm on Saturday, find a city bus to Banyuwangi, find a guesthouse or a homestay, find a guide for my Ijen trek and the next morning after completing the trek find a bus back to Surabaya, get a massage and be back to Singapore by Sunday midnight. This is not the most feasible itinerary you want to follow. There are better ways to get there and at a more relaxed pace. In fact Surabaya to Ijen is not even the ideal route. But I was short of time and patience to plan anything. I simply wanted to get away. I was frustrated at work and was not really at a good place emotionally. Little did I know that in this seemingly faced paced, stressful weekend with very little rest, I would actually find some mental peace.
Kawah Ijen is an active volcano among a group of volcanoes in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java, Indonesia. I had heard that it is both stunning and dangerous. It also hosts the world’s largest and highly acidic lake.
My flight was uneventful, the 7 hour bus journey was very uncomfortable and I was emotionally numb. Upon reaching my hotel, I promptly asked them to introduce me to a trekking guide and they did. They usually club you together with other hikers in one jeep that transports you to the base from where the trek begins. Since there were no other groups they could club me with, the guide asked if I was fine with riding on his bike. I was reluctant and concerned about safety, but then I was also in a give-fucks phase. So I agreed.
I had a chance to rest my muscles and the brain for a couple of hours after dinner. We set off from the hotel at 1:30 am. It was an hour and a half ride to the base with refreshing cool wind blowing up against my face. There were patches of dark when the road was empty and all I could hear was the sound of the motor bike. But fear was the last thing on my mind. Soon I saw other hikers in their jeeps and motor bikes with their guides. All tired due to lack of sleep, anxious about the impending hike and yet excited at the prospect of witnessing something that very few get a chance to see.
Hikers of Mt. Ijen get to witness two of the most wondrous things nature has to offer – the sun rising over a vast space of mountains & volcanoes and the “Blue Flames” at the crater of this volcano along with the world’s most acidic lake. One has to hike from the base to the top of the crater, which is 2799 meters high and then down into the crater to see the famous blue flames. We began our trek around 3:00 am. My guide gave me a torch and an extra fleece sweater. He insisted I use it as the temperature at the top would be cooler than I expect. So I started the trek with 3 layers of clothing in this tropical country, with the torch lighting my path ahead. I can’t tell much about the climb because all I saw were the few inches of path illuminated by the torch. The climb was pretty steep and I was panting soon. All the depressing thoughts that followed me from Singapore were now replaced and the mind focused only on each step and breath I took. There came a point when I thought I would never make it to the top. While I focused on holding on to each breath and strength I have, I saw someone being carried back down. I am not sure if that hiker fainted or just didn’t have enough strength to carry on, but that scared me. My guide told me that they have wooden stretchers on the side of the path and porters ready to help you if something were to go wrong. There were some experienced hikers who would keep overtaking me. I developed a competitive attitude and wanted to race them. But my guide insisted that I slow down and assured that even at a slow pace I would make it to the top on time. He explained that reaching there safely was more important that racing. One thing I’ve learned from all my trekking experience so far is that it is important to rest, but resting for more than 2 minutes could be detrimental. My guide agreed and would coax me to start walking when I try to sneak in an extra minute of rest. I finally made it to the first resting area some 45 minutes after the start of the trek. There is a stall that sells tea, juice, biscuits and bananas. I just had water and after resting for about 5 minutes, I was good to go. The terrain from the rest spot to the top of the crater was gradual. We had passed the steep breath-taking (literally) side of the hill. Although the hike is smooth, you begin to smell the sulfur. At first you get excited about being so close, and then you start choking. My guide gave me a thermoplastic mask to block the acidic gas. It is uncomfortable to hike wearing the mask. It makes breathing difficult. I came to a point where I was counting every time I inhaled. We reached the top of the crater around 4:00 am.
If you want to see the famous “Blue Flames” you have to hike down into the crater and make sure you are there before the sunrises. We had enough time to hike down and I must say that the hike into the crater was one of the most difficult experiences I have ever had. The terrain was uneven, full of stones. Since it was dark I couldn’t see much and had to blindly follow my guide. The path was very narrow and I was scared that one wrong foot would throw me directly into the mouth of this sulfur-spewing crater! To top it all there was the increasing sulfuric gas in the air, which made breathing all the more difficult. Amidst all this I saw blue-colored flames striking like a lightning, both stunning and dangerous. I made it into the crater in about 20 minutes. It was still dark. Everything I saw was illuminated by the head-torch that the miners use while working and the occasional blue flame.
An active vent at the crater is the source of sulfur. The volcanic gas that escapes from the crater is channeled through ceramic pipes that help in condensation of molten sulfur. Some chemistry lesson – Sulfur is red in color when molten, it pours from the pipes and pools on the ground. It turns yellow as it cools down. Some sulfuric gas that escapes from the cracks in the crater turns blue when it comes in contact with the oxygen in the air. This effect is only visible at night. At day-break it looks like any other volcano. The miners brave such dangerous atmosphere with only a mask to shield the gas. They break the cooled material into large pieces and carry them back in baskets. I didn’t get a chance to engage in a conversation with the miners, but my guide told me that they brave the gas and hike for earning a wage of about $13 a day. I am pretty sure the mining companies make huge bucks out of this. I hope the miners are compensated well for putting their life at risk though, in terms of insurance and medical help.
Some miners carve out interesting objects out of the left over pieces of sulfur and sell them for supporting their income. I bought one, at a rather steep price, in the hope that I am doing something to help them. Tip from the Trip – do not buy it because you can’t bring it with you out of the country anyway. You are not allowed to carry even a peanut sized piece of sulfur object as it poses a risk on the aircraft!
I was not interested in seeing the sunrise. I was intrigued by this show of ferocity. It was suffocating to stay there with or without the mask. But I didn’t want to move away. I am told that the blue flames are not always visible and many tourists miss it thanks to the clouds, climate or simply not making it on time. I was lucky to have everything going for me to witness this marvel. I stayed on long after the area was lit up and the blue flames were not as strongly visible. The miners were busy mining, tourists were busy making pictures, the guides were busy engaging their tourists in informative conversation and I was soaking it all in. It felt like I was on a different planet.
We soon began our ascent back to the top of the crater. With the path now visible I was more confident to make the climb. I focused my mind and body on the climb and was quite enjoying it when my guide asked if I would like to take a break. I thought it was not necessary but he insisted and we stopped at a plateau. I was busy trying to figure the best path to choose to reach the top when my guide held me by my shoulders and turned me around, like you would, to surprise a friend. What a surprise it was! I was stunned by the beauty of that highly polluted acidic lake. What I saw left me speechless. This 1 km wide turquoise colored lake was half hidden by Ijen and mountain- locked. It looked inviting and romantic, as if it was right out of a painting. But looks can be deceptive. This is the most acidic lake in the world, thanks to all the sulfur from the volcano pouring in there. I am told that an explorer once took a rubber boat to measure the acidity of the lake and found that the pH level in the middle of the lake is about 0.13 due to a high concentration of sulfuric acid. I was speechless. Such beauty, engulfed in so much danger.
We made it back to the top of the crater to soak in the sun (the rays did not reach into the crater) and the surrounding beauty. At this point most of my fellow hikers, those that were in groups or with partners had dispersed to find their spots and enjoy some tranquility and alone time. All our guides gathered around for a smoke and gossip. I tried to put my camera to good use. After satisfying my palette for the much needed mountain air and shine, we began our descend back to the base. With the morning light shining bright on us, I was now able to appreciate the surrounding beauty. Mt. Ijen is surrounded by other volcanoes in the region, some active and some dead. Nevertheless, it is covered with dense vegetation and naughty monkeys. I caught a glimpse of one on a tree, looking for hikers with food. I ran down the last few meters. Yes, the same terrain that almost killed me while climbing. The run was exhilarating. I had been traveling the day before, had not slept the entire night and yet here I was full of energy, ready to hike up again!
My guide put me on a nice air conditioned bus to Surabaya, where I indulged myself to a well deserved massage, after which I was on the air-plane to Singapore, ready to go back to work the next day! I felt fresh and all the depressing thoughts from the week before had vanished.
This is the thing with nature – it amazes you with its beauty and enriches you with its vibe.
a duck in the pond 