Mount Ijen, Java, Indonesia

Our driver came for us at 1:00 am for departure to Mount Ijen to see the blue sulfur fire. It is only visible in the dark and only in two places in the world, here and in Ethiopia. This volcano erupted a mere 66 years ago and is still active.

With our guide, we hiked three miles up to the rim of the crater and then three miles down to the sulfur lake. This is done in the dark. As we make our decent inside the crater on a crowded, narrow, rocky and slippery path, we can see the blue fire. It seems to have a pulse as it expands and contracts at the bottom of the crater. Technically, it’s the spontaneous combustion of subterranean gasses as they are exposed to air. The fire’s temperature can reach over 750 degrees Fahrenheit. At the bottom, we can catch glimpses of the miners. They use long poles to break off chunks of the yellow sulfur.

Sulfur clouds are in a constant state of movement. When the clouds arrive where we are standing, we must wear gas masks to protect our lungs from the fumes. Our guide provided these masks to us as we made the ascent. Goggles would have been nice as the clouds made my eyes water. This is Indonesia where the hygienic laws we’re used to in the West don’t apply. My watering eyes trigger a runny nose. The inside of my mask now included unpleasant body fluids. It’s at this moment that I realized these masks have probably never been cleansed. I had to push this thought out of my head before it became the focal point of my thoughts and rob me of enjoying the wonders that I’m seeing.