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Kawah Ijen (Ijen Crater) - East Java |
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Written by Ron B
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Friday, 09 November 2007 |
 Weighing loads of sulphur | Kawah Ijen (Ijen Crater) - East Java We drove 37Km from Banyuwangi and climbed to 1800 m above sea level. We paused for coffee and from where we sat we could see the loads of yellow sulphur bobbing along a nearby track as the couriers half walked - half ran. This photo shows the weigh station near the top. | | We talked to this carrier as he took a break and a smoke. He has been carying 10 years, and they make 2 round-trips per day. The loads are 80-85Kg and he gets Rp 50,000 (~US$5.50). This is about twice as much as someone like a security guard would earn. There is a Discovery Channel film about these carriers which paints a grim picture of exploitation. After a chat with this guy we did not see it so bleakly, and if they can supplement their basic pay with tips for photos -- all the better. |  Ijen - a sulphur carrier |
 Ijen - we glimpsed the lake
| We follow the path the carriers use and climb 500 m (to 2300) in 3 Km. Much of the steep climb is in 1 Km - so the steep sections have a grade of 1 in 3. It was tiring and we went slowly - but were finally rewarded with a brief view of the lake. Sulphurous fumes billow up, and when they sweep towards us - not only do they hide the lake, but they make us cough. | | A Google search for images relating to Ijen will find many - here is just one that shows some of the yellow sulphur with the lake behind. |  Another Lake View form the web | | | This Google Earth image shows the crater and lake. The yellow trail shows the last part of our drive, and the walk as tacked by my GPS gadget.
| This map from the web, distinguished between the crater (kawah in Indonesian) and teh caldera which Wikipedia describes as: A caldera is a volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption. They are often confused with volcanic craters. The word 'caldera' comes from the Spanish language, meaning "cauldron". |  Map of Ijen Caldera |  Ijen Volcano from east side | BaliVnew guests should plan at least one night in East Java for an Ijen expedition because the best time to go is early monring. So leaving Lovina at 11am, say, you arrive at Ketapang in Java be 1pm and have time for some local sightseeing before finding accommodation for the evening. Then as early as possible set out on the 1 hour drive followed by 2-3 hours for the walk. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 November 2007 )
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