Java Pt6: The Blue Acid Lake of ljen Crater

INTRODUCTION

It is now the last leg of our trip.

There's been good places and some well, less good places.
But we definitely have been waiting for good hike and Ijen Crater delivered.

THE STAY

We arrived at this wonderful hotel called the Ketapang Indah in Banyuwangi.
To my honest opinion is still the best hotel we stayed so far.

The welcome drinks were provided (finally!), checked in and walked past the hotel restaurant to our rooms. There was a live band playing in the restaurant, nice.

Hotel room cost about IDR 385,000 to 950,000 per night (superior rooms to the Ketapang Indah suite). Rooms are clean spacious, bathrooms looks great.

What I really loved about this hotel is the Japanese garden style it was created in.

Little lamps lighted the way as we walked on stone paths to our rooms.

If you had to pick, get the room on the ground floor as they are more spacious.










Check in is at 3 PM and check out is at noon.

I wish had a chance to explore the hotel a little more but it was tiring journey and we still had one last hike tomorrow morning.

Do check out more about the hotel using the link here.
http://www.ketapangindahhotel.com

Oh, did I mention its a beach hotel? It faces the Bali Sea. Yes that Bali.

Bali was just next door and our tour guide later told us you can get to there by ferry.

Point A is Ijen Crater, island to the east is Bali

THE JOURNEY

We woke up in the usual wee hours of the morning. We had our usual breakfast at 3 AM and left at about 4 AM. OK, maybe that part isn't so usual, usually we would be off much earlier.

The MPV ride took us through dark and narrow streets. We didn't catch much of anything going since it was still pitch black. Street lights were scarce. 

We slept quite well considering the MPV's weren't as comfortable. After clearing the streets, MPV's were ascending gradually. There was thick jungle on both sides of the road.

The roads was still too dark to see anything but one could easily feel the road winding like a snake. The smell of smoke was in the air. About an hour later, we reached at the nature reserve of Taman Wisata Alam.

The hike itself can be finished within an hour. But for us mortals it took us almost 2 hours to get up there. But the view was simply magnificent. If I had to choose between Bromo Mountain and ljen Crater, it is to easy see why I would chose the latter

I will let the photos do the talking.

Relatively easy hike. Not much really required for this hike.

Almost reaching the crater rim.

There isn't much to do besides enjoy the beautiful scenery. 

You can pay some of the miners to take you down for a closer look at the lake and get a quick introduction to sulfur mining. Beware the folks at the national park do prohibit it. There is no real path down to mines. Loose rocks are everywhere down to the mines.

THE PLACE

Where do bad folks go when they die? Don't go to heaven where the angels fly.

As you approach closer to the rim of the crater, you will find less vegetation, loose rocks, smoke and this beautiful turquoise lake. The turquoise color is from the sulfuric acid content of the lake. There is a constant cloud of fumes over the lake.

There is actual mining activity happening at the lake. Workers carry load of sulfurs weighing 70 to 80 kilograms each trip. These men do this trip twice a day. 

Sulfur miners carrying 70 to 80 kg of sulfur

Sulfur mining at the bottom of the crater

Some of the locals create palm size sculptures from the sulfur to sell as souvenirs. As I approached to have a closer look, they tell me it can be used as soap. I am not too sure about that. Isn't sulfur plus water equals sulfuric acid?

DON'T PANIC

Face Masks

The usual tip the guides give to folks ascending volcanoes is to wear face masks. If that is not available, I suggest bring along a thin piece of muffler or hand towel. Wet it with water and wrap it around your mouth and nose.

On this trip however our group did not face too much of smoke. Maybe it was a good day for us.

Guides and Porters

You wouldn't really need help of guides as the path up the crater is pretty much straight forward. The drive will take to you the start point at approximately 1887m above sea level. The top of Ijen is approximately 2800m. 

As you hike the trail you will be probably approached by sulfur miners who carry a long pole with baskets hanging on both ends. They usually have one intention which is to help (with a nominal fee, of course) you carry your backpack or any other load you may have all the way to the top. The price like anything else is negotiable.

Taking Photos

It is not wrong to take photos as you hike up or at the crater itself. However, do be warn if you are taking photos of the sulfur miners. Some of them can get a little annoyed when you do that. Use the universal language of being polite. Can't blame them, would you be OK, if a total stranger took photos of you when you were working?

Do tip the men if you do take photos. Some of the will gladly accept drinks, cigarette and even a slice of sandwich or hard boiled egg. We know, we tried.

Hungry?

If you suddenly have the munchies and didn't bring any snacks or water, fret not! As you almost to the peak (at 2214m), you will find the only canteen on this crater. It is called the "Pondok Bunder". The choices of food is limited, though. There is instant noodles, coffee and and hot drinks.

Welcome sign to Pondok Bunder

Toilets

There is one at the base camp where all the vehicles and parked. So go before you start the hike. I didn't see any other toilets as we journeyed up the crater.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Choose ljen Crater. The hike is pretty easy even for beginners. The scenery is great. You won't want to miss this one.