A trio of top activities await the adventurous explorer in East Java.
From Flores I flew back to Bali for, one night, before taking a charter bus to Gilimanuk where I caught the ferry to Ketapang, on mainland Java. It was then a short Gojek bike ride to my accommodation (Banana Guesthouse) in the lovely named town of Banyuwangi.
What is Gojek?
The name Gojek comes from the term “Ojek” or motorbike taxis commonly found throughout Indonesia. It was founded in 2010 with 20 motorbike drivers. Gojek app was launched in January 2015, and in less than two years, the app racked up nearly 30 million downloads. Gojek has partnered with Singapore’s biggest bank DBS.
It was at my accommodation – Banana Homestay – that I met Matteo from Italy. A very intelligent and interesting young man. We had both chose to stay in Banyuwangi to do one thing.
Activity number one: Ijen.
I’ve done some things in my time but the first activity, here in East Java, probably rates as one of the more risqué!
Kawah ljen Volcano, home to the iconic ‘Mount ljen Crater Lake’ and its mesmerising ‘blue fire’ phenomenon, is a natural wonder that draws adventurers to East Java from all over the world.
The ‘blue flame’ is a rare occurrence that emerges from the depths of the crater, casting an enchanting blue glow.
After a tough trek through the night/early morning, you venture into the heart of Kawah Ijen, where you find a beautiful turquoise acidic lake, a rugged volcanic landscape, and the unique sight of sulphur miners toiling in an unbelievably inhospitable environment.
Waking up in the middle of the night and trekking up, and then inside, a volcanic crater is one thing; add a low powered head torch, a gas mask (for safety reasons), an incredibly steep, uneven path, and you will no doubt gather – it’s not for the feint hearted.
In order to do all if this you are collected from your accommodation at midnight. You and your tour group are then taken to a nearby clinic where you get a health check! Finally, you are dropped off at the start of the hike – where you meet your guide. It’s a very popular tour and in the peak season numbers can reach over a thousand. Fortunately it was low season when I visited, so there were around 300 tourists in total.
It’s then a 3-hour hike up the side of the crater before the descent. It was tough going, I have to admit.
Along the route we met the miners who were hauling up the sulphur blocks, that that they had just harvested, loaded up in baskets held in a yolk style construction – strung across their shoulders. The weight of the loaded baskets is around 85 kgs.
The work is dangerous and the miners face hellish conditions, including toxic smoke, without wearing any protective equipment. All of them have a cigarette in their mouth, further adding to this very unhealthy lifestyle.
Check out this BBC article The men who mine the Devil’s gold
Surrounding countryside.
