Java, Indonesia - Mount Bromo & Mount Ijen

I have never thought that I would find myself climbing two active volcanos within a weekend, in a state of extreme sleep deprivation, fighting against the suffocating sulphur and  volcanic dust, all in pursuance of the "Blue Flame" and the mesmerizing sunrises.

I knew what I was getting myself into,  since I climbed the Mount Fuji in Japan in 2010, but I had forgotten the misery I experienced just like it is said that women forget the pain of childbirth once the euphoria and relief of having their healthy baby in their arms kick in.

However, I was definitely not prepared for the actual situation. The climb itself wasn't that strenuous but it was surely more challenging than my weekly 5k run around the block.

Rice Fields on the way to Ijen

 

Mount Ijen from afar

MOUNT IJEN - 2,700m Elevation

The difficult parts were the abovementioned suffocating gases that heads straight to your lungs leaving you anxious to find refuge.

The two hours of sleep I managed to get the "night" before didn't make it easier at all.

My four friends and I arrived in Surabaya airport at 8 am and headed to the hotel located 8 hours bus-ride from Mount Ijen which was the first volcano to climb.

It was a long car ride; we checked-in our hotel at 6 pm, had dinner and slept from 9 to 11pm, then headed to the Mount Ijen and started climbing this 2,799m remarkable volcano.

The purpose of rising so early was to see the legendary Blue flames located at the summit, which are jets of sulphur burning into electric-blue, and which could only be seen in the dark.

Promptly after arriving to the summit, we rented out gas masks to protect ourselves from the sulphur fumes which were giving me shortness of breath, then descended to the crater and the search for the Blue flames continued.

Wearing the oxygen mask

 

Here they are finally! The tiny flames for which we are risking our health! The enthusiasm was there nonetheless, we took out our cameras and started the quest for the perfect picture.

The Blue Flames

 

The blue flames were nice but not as extraordinary as the sulphur miners working there.
They carried 150lbs of sulphur on their shoulders, going back-and-forth from the crater to the blue flames  (3km upwards and 3km downwards) some of them wearing only worn out flip-flops and a light sweater.  I was astonished and felt really embarrassed for being so vain and for complaining incessantly, in my warm shoes, six-layer winter outfit, my oxygen mask and my camera that is probably worth two years of fastidious mining work. Shame!

These miners reminded me of Sisyphus, the Greek king subjected to an eternal punishment from the gods for repetitive deceitfulness by being condemned to push a huge rock up a hill and to see it roll down- reproducing his action for eternity.

It also reminded me of the essay Albert Camus made of it in one of my favourite book“TheMyth of Sisyphus” in which he alleged that Sisyphus was happy.

Sulphur miner going heading back to the summit

I don't know if I agree with Camus, but I would like to believe, at the risk of sounding really naïve, that just like Sisyphus, these miners find some happiness somewhere in their work.

After having finished the picture race, we went back to the summit and waited for the sun to rise.

Mount Ijen Summit

We were rewarded by the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. The twilight made visible the beautiful blue-green lake in the middle of the crater. What a surprise!

I had no idea it was right in front of us when we were descending to the Blue Flame.

It looked very inviting but it is said to be as acidic as a car battery.

MOUNT BROMO - 2,392 Elevation

2:30 am, the alarm starts squealing its salutation.
My entire body is aching, as if  I was walked over by a herd of elephants, I have second thoughs about whether I want to get out and confront the cold. “Are you serious Sissi? You were eagerly waiting for this moment to come, are you seriously going to give up now?!” I told myself.

Motivated by this upsurge of determination, I jumped out of bed and got ready in the shivering cold.

We then headed to Bromo located at about 45min from our hotel to marvel at the sunrise.
The climb was relatively easy compared to the Mount Ijen, the only difficulty I faced was the lack of air, and I had to take multiple breaks before arriving to the summit.
To my great despair, the air was very much polluted because of all the Jeeps dropping off the tourists.

Luckily we reached to the top on time and started admiring the change of colors as the sun rose in all its glory.



View from Mount Bromo and its crater

My trip to this part of Indonesia was without any hesitation on my Top five.

As soon as I arrived back to Singapore I started looking at what would be the next volcanoes I would like to venture myself into.
There is certainly no lack of choice, Indonesia counts 130 active volcanoes.
But first...I need to recover from this physical pain I am enduring.