The workers of Ijen

The guide picked me up at 0:30 with five other people. We drove one hour to Ijen. When you are going to Ijen at night, you are not alone. Hundreds of tourist are going there to see the blue fire when the sulfur smoke is inflaming on the air. The Jeeps dropping the tourist close as possible to the peak, so you have to walk only 45 mins to the crater. If even this is to much for you, you can pay two or three of the workers to carry you up when they are making there way back up, for 100.000IDR (6€), so 2€ or 3€ each. At the edge of the crater hundreds of people gathered to see the blue fire down in the crater. Usually the workers are extinguish the fire to get to the sulfur mine, but they are told to let the fire burn in some areas that the tourists can see it. After reaching the peak I splitted from my group and started to climb down in the crater. On the way down were only a handful of other tourists and arrived at the sulfur mine I was alone again, apart the workers. I brought two packs of cigarettes to share with the workers and asked them if I can take some pictures. The most of theme didn't noticed me at all, but few of theme were really interested what I am doing. Two of the workers told me to try to carry one of the sulfur baskets and were laughing while I failed to walk more than five steps withe the baskets. Sulfur is unexpected heavy, when you lift it it feels like a solid pice of metal. An other one broke a small pice of sulfur and burned it with his lighter to show me the blue flames. From the workers, the guide and the owner of the hostel, I got some informations about the work in the sulfur mine. The workers are starting at midnight and working till the early morning. During the day the sun is way to hot. They are carrying up to 100 kg up the crater and down the mountain, at once. The way is splitted in different parts. Some workers getting the sulfur out of the mine, others are carrying the baskets up the crater and the third group putting the sulfur in wagons and bringing them down the mountain. The payment is 0,06 € per kg. I couldn't figure out how they are dividing the money later. Usually they are working three or four times the week. Sulfur smoke it toxic and after a few weeks of working they are losing there sense of smell and taste. Every now and then they are getting unconscious in the sulfur clouds. The eyes of most of the workers are inflamed. In Indonesia its usual to make the same job as the father and the payment in the mines is slightly better then in the most other jobs. The life expectancy is about 50 years. Some of the older ones are working as tourist guides or pour molten sulfur in cookie cutters to sell it to the tourists later. Actually there is no need to get the sulfuric acid out of the mine, it can easily get manufactured in the laboratory. In some manufacturing processes, sulfuric acid is a byproduct. Due to the bad payment, its still cheaper to get the sulfur out of the mine. At 6 am I started to climb up the crater and down the volcano to the Jeep. I promised the guide to be back at 7 am. The landscape at Ijen is stunning and the stars were the brightest I have seen so far. But on the other hand its sad to see the workers down in the mine, carrying 100 kg of sulfur and on the edge of the crater the tourists, carrying there self sticks.