Indonesia > Sulfur carriers on Ijen Volcano

My alarm goes off at four o’clock. Today I am going to climb the Ijen volcano. This active volcano is located north of Ketapang. Several jeeps are waiting in front of the hotel. I get into one with a rather quiet driver. He drives out of Ketapang heading north. It’s about a two-hour drive to the starting point of the trek. The final stretch of the route goes steeply uphill.

Indonesia - At Ijen volcano I get to try carrying the 60kilogram load of a sulfur carrier

The hairpin bends are taken at high speed. The cars drive in a line, barely keeping any distance from each other. Suddenly, our car slows down on a steeper section. The cars in front pull away, and behind us, there’s honking urging us to move on. The driver doesn’t seem concerned. He also pays no attention to the green and red warning lights flashing on the dashboard. I suspect he has engaged the 4x4, which limits his speed. Slowly but steadily, we climb the steep road. Our car arrives last at the parking lot. Breakfast packages are already being handed out. I take a sandwich and decide to pack the rest in my backpack. In the Ijen crater, miners are still actively extracting sulfur. They carry the yellow-colored sulfur blocks on foot from the crater to the parking lot. The more they carry, the more money they earn per trip. Some carriers carry over seventy kilograms on their shoulders. They don’t mind having their photo taken, but they do expect something in return. Since I prefer not to give money just to take a photo, I keep my breakfast package and a bag of candy handy. I’m assured that the route is straightforward. There is a well-marked path leading up to the crater at 2,100 meters altitude. I need to climb about three hundred meters.

Indonesia - The crater lake of Ijen volcano Java

I set off and am soon accompanied by carriers heading up with empty baskets. They tell me they make two trips down each day, earning 1,000 rupiahs per kilogram (about 7 cents). Midway, there is a weighing station where they weigh their load on the way back. One of the carriers gestures for me to try lifting his baskets. He just weighed over sixty kilos. I lift the load but don’t dare walk with it. The carrier hadn’t expected me to lift it at all. I continue to the top. The path becomes narrower and steeper. I sometimes step aside to avoid blocking the sulfur carriers. Before I know it, I’m standing on the crater rim. The crater lake is hidden in the clouds—what a shame. I continue to a viewpoint where there is usually a better view. Here, carriers come up from the crater. In exchange for my sandwich and a tangerine, I take their photo. Slowly, the clouds lift, and I can see the contours of the crater lake. It’s impressive. As I am about to leave, the clouds clear completely for a moment, and I quickly take photos. On the way back, I notice baskets filled with sulfur placed along the side of the path without carriers nearby. One carrier explains that some carriers work in relay. They carry the first basket partway down, then go back for the second, passing the first on the way.

Indonesia - The entrance gate in Bali purifies all sins for everyone who passes under it

Then they pick up the first again. Every time they walk uphill, they rest briefly. By lunchtime, I am back at the hotel in Ketapang. After lunch, I take the ferry to Bali. At the harbor, I see several ferries. I don’t really understand how it works here, but the bus driver knows. By giving the right people a little money, we are soon allowed on board. I go to the upper deck and enjoy the half-hour crossing to Bali. In Bali, the time is one hour later. I drive another two hours by bus to Lovina. It’s already dark when I arrive at the hotel. Tomorrow I plan to go snorkeling at Manjangan Island. I can book this trip with Robert on the beach. As I walk toward Robert, various women approach me offering jewelry, laundry, and figurines. They all introduce themselves and insist I must come by tomorrow. I am convinced they will still remember my name. I book the snorkeling tour with Robert and then have dinner at the restaurant. The center of Lovina is too far from the hotel to go there tonight.