Ijen
After a few months living in Balinese paradise, enjoying amazing food, unlimited quantities of fresh fruit juices, sun, diving, guiding people to tourist places, talking with locals, etc. I needed a little relaxation and change, to get out of the stereotype. So I decided to go to Java, and maybe climb up Ijen. I asked experienced driver Nyoman for some advice or contacts in Java. I got some drivers numbers but did not contact them in advance.
I was dropped off in Gilimanuk and I was ready to take a ferry to Java. In the entrance, there was an old Australian couple with their Balinese guide and he stopped me, looked at me and my backpack and whispered to me something that made me laugh. First, he asked me if I speak English and after my positive answer, he asked me to help that old couple with their travel, because I looked like an experienced traveller. Of course, I was happy to help but I knew nothing about the place where we were heading. Their knowledge about this place was pretty much the same, at least they had a contact for the local guide. So I followed them. After we arrived at Banyuwangi, they called their contact. We were discussing with the guide about the alternatives for their travels in Java. I knew only a bit but I was, of course, bargaining the price, although they looked like they had money. For a while, I thought I would join them. However, because of my time limitation, I decided not to go with them for the round trip around Java and to go only for the Ijen night hike. Of course, this local guy provided not only the tour but accommodation in a homestay as well. The price was not too high so I accepted and let him take me to his friend’s house. I got some instruction about the time of the hike and went to my room to relax a bit. The hike normally starts at midnight, you go by car, they drop you off in the car park and then you hike up with the guide to the top of the volcano. The most important information was for me, that we leave at midnight. So I set my alarm and went to sleep after my simple dinner.
At 11:30 pm my alarm started ringing, I got ready, put my clothes, brushed my teeth and went outside. There were few locals having dinner/breakfast, so they invited me to join them. I never say no for food, so I was happy to sit with them and eat some Javanese food. We were having fun, talking about many things, time was passing and I looked at my watch and it was already more than twenty minutes after midnight. I know that those nationalities are never on time, but this was quite long. So I asked the Singaporean boy who did the trek the day before if they were always so late. He started laughing at me, as I was pretty silly. There is a one-hour time difference between Bali and Java. Hahaha…. nobody told me!!!! We can always see the glass half full or half empty. Of course, I did not get upset about myself but enjoyed the nice company and food, although I could not sleep one more hour as other people did.
I and several Europeans were dropped off in the car park, took our stuff and followed the guide. We were hiking with the torches or headlamps. The guide also gave us respirators for the climb down to the crater. It was dark but many tourists were climbing up. Some of them were fast, some of them very slow, young, old, tiny or big. Some of them in good condition, some in very poor. And those used the service of some locals with a handcart. Two small tiny but strong locals pushing and pulling the cart while the enormous tourist is sitting in. I only hope they get nice money because the hill is steep and the road is broken with a lot of holes and stones.
I and several Europeans were dropped off in the car park, took our stuff and followed the guide. We were hiking with the torches or headlamps. The guide also gave us respirators for the climb down to the crater. It was dark but many tourists were climbing up. Some of them were fast, some of them very slow, young, old, tiny or big. Some of them in good condition, some in very poor. And those used the service of some locals with a handcart. Two small tiny but strong locals pushing and pulling the cart while the enormous tourist is sitting in. I only hope they get nice money because the hill is steep and the road is broken with a lot of holes and stones.
We achieved the summit still in the night and we carried on down to the crater to see the magical blue flame. There is only a narrow steep path heading downhill and we passed many times the local workers carrying a big heavy bucket with yellow sulfur, which is used by cosmetics companies making very expensive products. The sad side of this industry is that those hard workers who risk their lives, get only very small money for this hard and also dangerous job. It was impressive to see them working in this very hazardous and difficult condition, I felt compassion for them. Although their salary is super low compared to western standards, it is an important income for the family. What makes me sick and I felt so sorry I was there, was when I saw people taking photographs of those hard workers mining the sulfur from the core of dangerous volcano and carrying it uphill to the summit and then downhill to the storage. I was about to ask them if in their work it is common that people come there and take pictures or video recordings of them hiding behind the computer and picking their nose. Why do those tourists behave to the locals as if to attractions in a circus or zoo? I got sick of it, so I ran away, back uphill to relax my mind. I bought beautiful sulfur decoration from several of those miners. Nice extra money to their pockets.
So if you decide to hike this massive volcano, please do it with respect no only to nature but also to those hard-workers. They deserve it.
Behave alway with respect to others.