Ijen Crater, escaping death . . . twice

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  Surabaya, Java, Indonesia
Saturday, July 12, 2008

July 12, 2008

I almost died today . twice.

Kawah Ijen or crater Ijen located in East Java is famous for it's sulfur. I arrived here last night from Probollingo and woke up this morning around 4am to visit the crater. We got to the site around 5am but it's a 1.5-mile hike to the top of the crater and it took over an hour because it was steep. I cursed at myself for bringing so much camera equipment with me. Along the path left of the side I discovered bamboo baskets filled with huge chunks of yellow sulfur. I reached the main office and I saw one of the workers weighing his load. I asked him how much it weighed and he told me 92 kilo or equal a little bit over 202 lbs. I asked his name and he told me Pak Asjati. He told me that he has been doing for over 20 years. I asked him how much he would get from this load, "550 rupiah per kilo," he said. Thus, from this backbreaking labor he would receive 50,600 rupiah or about $6. These chunks of sulfur are sold to factories used to refine sugars, medicines, etc. I bought several pack of cigarettes and bread on my way there and offered some to him. He put a couple of loose cigarettes in his pocket and together we had breakfast. He told me that he has two children and he works 5 days a week. He would make two trips to the crater per day but each trip would take at least 4 hours. He had been working since 4am. I told him that he is one of the strongest people I know and he laughed. I didn't want to take anymore of this time and continued my hike. I arrived at the top of the crater and looking down was an amazing sight.

Kawah Ijen

The bottom was covered with a blanket of white smoke and I wasn't sure its depth. I smelled the pungent odor of sulfur in the air. I saw little shadows moving about in the abyss. I was unsure whether I should descend into the gaping hole. I remembered Dante's Inferno, the remarkable journey down to hell. Slowly I stepped down into the treacherous terrain. There was a clear path to the bottom however one simple mistake one could easily fall to your death. A tourist from France fell to her death before after she lost her footing while trying to take a photo. On my down I encounter workers hauling their treasure on their backs. I can hear them coming by the creaking sound of their bamboo baskets. I greet them and offered them smokes and cigarettes. I spent a few minutes chatting with them before taking their photo. I found out that most of them have been doing this job for years; the longest was 30 years. The youngest one was only 26 years old (my age) and he has been doing it for only 5 months and he is working to provide for his family, his wife and 4-year-old child. This job is literally is a backbreaking labor. Their hands were rough and black from handling the sulfur and their face and even eyelashes were covered with yellow soot. The workers would carry two sets of baskets. They would fill one up and carry them halfway to the top and then would come down to fill up the next one. Once they get to the top they would combine the two loads together. I finally got to the bottom of the crater and discovered a lake behind the cloud of sulfur.

92kg, strong back, kind heart

I looked to my left and saw the workers extracting the sulfur from the ground with a long sharp metal pole. They were not wearing any safety equipments exposing their lungs, eyes, and flesh to the poison. Several feet in front of them were several pipes stretched out from the top and steams of hot sulfur were coming out of them. I got even closer to take their photo. Then it happens . Everything happened so sudden but in slow motion like a trance. Due to the sudden shift of the wind, a blanket of sulfuric acid engulfed the workers and me. All around me was white and I could hear the workers warning to cover my mouth and nose. I couldn't specify where the voice came from because although they were a few steps from me in front of me, they were nothing but black shadows. I had my bandana around my neck and I held it tightly to prevent the toxic fume from entering my lungs. I turned my back in a futile attempt to escape the oncoming flood of poison. Everything was quiet and I can hear myself thinking. I heard a small voice telling to me to hold my breath as long as possible and close my eyes until it dissipate. Seconds felt like eternity and I tasted the sulfur in my mouth. I opened my eyes but felt a burning sensation. The poison had entered my lungs. I coughed and tried to breathe through my nose but tasted the sulfur in my throat. I was gasping for air and spit into my bandana hoping the moisture would somehow helped. I forced myself to hold it just a little bit longer. "This will pass," the small voice told me. I wanted to throw up and felt like fainting. Meanwhile, I didn't stop pressing the shutter on my camera. Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me out as I was losing my will to live. He took higher ground and saved me as I was on the brink of losing hope. I took a deep breath and I coughed for the next ten minutes to clear out the poison from my lungs. My body had gone through a traumatic experience and I was winded and exhausted. But I saw the workers and they had continued working. The small voice told me to leave. Nevertheless, I went against it and stayed. I followed a worker who told me to go to the top because they heard that I was taking photo and they wanted me to take their pictures. I endured several similar experiences there and my body was trembling. I heard the small voice again and this time told me to "Get the fuck out!" I listened.

I climbed slowly back to the top, stopping frequently to take photos of the workers who walked passed me carrying their huge load on their shoulders. These yellow gold acquired from the deepest abyss and brought back to earth on their bare flesh. I reached the top of the crater and felt that I had escaped the grasp of hell. As I was walking back down I met a family of tourists and as it turns out they are from California. It's rare to meet Americans since their idea of traveling is going to Hawaii or Cancun. We chatted as we walked down together. They had two little girls with them and I wonder why they would bring them to place like this. Suddenly, one of the girls cut in front of me and fell. I was in the middle of my step and tried to avoid stepping on this fragile thing. Nevertheless, in order to avoid her my left foot fell to the edge of the cliff and I tumbled to my left. With reflex I my hands grabbed on anything I can grasp and luckily there were bushes with strong enough branches to stop my fall. The dad pulled my hand and helped me up. I cleaned myself unconcern about my near death experience but rather worried that I broke my camera that was dangling around my neck. Thank God, they just minor scratches. The family asked me I was okay and I told them that I was fine because I am built like a tank and has the nerve of steel. I continued to walk down to the main office and discovered a line of workers waiting to weight their load. Once weighed, the worker would receive a piece of paper indicating the total weight and their amount of compensation. One of the workers invited me to their housing. 10-15 workers would spend the night here if they don't return to their family. He led me to a small dark room where a group of them were sitting around a small fire. One of them was sitting on a wooden stool and offered his seat. They were sharing fried chips from a small bag and offered me some and even encouraged to take a handful. I was touched because these workers don't have very much but they are willing to share what little they have. Compare a billionaire giving a thousand dollars to charity while someone with only 10 dollars giving 1 dollar, who has given the most? I chatted with them for a little bit but my told them I had to leaven since someone was going to pick me up to take me back to my hostel. I bid my farewell and thank them for their hospitality. When I got back to my room, I discovered that my clothes were reek of sulfur. I took a shower and tried to wash the smell scrubbing my skin with soap. Then I remembered the workers whom I will never forget who had grown accustomed to the smell. I stopped scrubbing and put on new clothes. I wanted the smell to still linger. I lay down on my bed to rest. I closed my eyes and tears started to roll down my cheek, the sulfur made my eyes watery and a part of me cried for their struggle. I admire these workers for their perseverance. They've taught me hope and human triumph. Then I fell asleep.

I am leaving tomorrow morning to Bali. I might be there for a week or even longer. I will rent a motorbike and tour the whole island.

P.s. I finally finished Eleven Minutes, perhaps the most sexually erotic book I have read. Damn it read it! I am starting a new book, On the Road, by Jack Kerouac.

"Freedom only exists when love is present. The person who gives him or herself wholly, the person who feels freest, is the person who loves most wholeheartedly. And the person who loves wholeheartedly feels free . That is the true experience of freedom; having the most important thing in the world without owning it." Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho.

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