Vulkan Ijen

After Bromo, we needed a day to recover, which we spent at the 'Ketapang Indah' hotel. With Bali in sight, we enjoyed a day at the pool in the beautifully landscaped hotel grounds. The sea was not a highlight because there was a strong current in the narrow channel between Java and Bali, making swimming almost impossible. However, the pool area was wonderfully designed and had everything we could wish for - including an excellent pizza, which I was looking forward to like a little child after 3 weeks of rice, chicken, and fish. 🍕😅

The reason for choosing this hotel was the Ijen volcano, which was located nearby.

Tour 'Vulkan Ijen'

After another extremely short night, our tour started at 01:45 am. This time, the goal was the 2769m high Ijen volcano, known for its large crater lake, blue fire, and sulfur workers who carry 100 kilograms of sulfur several times a day in simple baskets.

Qim Qim, our tour guide, picked us up from the hotel and took us to Paltuding, the starting point for the Ijen hike. There, we started our hike with many other tourists, but they spread out better as we gained altitude. 😅

However, some of the most inhumane scenes I have ever seen took place here! The sulfur workers mentioned above offer to carry people to the summit using a wheelbarrow-like contraption called Ferrari, Lamborghini,... This is propelled by human force. Just a quick note: more than 500 meters of altitude on a sometimes quite steep hiking trail!!! 🙈 Unfortunately, there are people, especially from China, who take advantage of this service. 😏 Some of them are harnessed like horses to pull the 'lazy' tourists to the top. They sit comfortably in the 'human-powered' taxi and even film these scenes - truly unbelievable. 😑

We met a nice American from New York on this tour, with whom we completed most of the hike. When we reached the top, we were lucky. Since there was almost no wind and the sulfur smoke blew in the opposite direction, we didn't need to use the masks we were given. The sunrise was not as spectacular as at Bromo, but the huge crater lake more than made up for it and offered a breathtaking view.

Our funny tour guide Qim Qim told us some facts about the volcano itself and the sulfur workers. This is truly one of the toughest jobs in the world, which these men do without regard for their health. And all this just because the job pays a little better and, above all, to support their families.

At the end of the tour, we were served excellent fried bananas, and on the way back to Ketapang, we encountered a group of monkeys in the forest. Qim Qim also showed us the huge so-called 'Cable spiders' that spin their webs between the power cables that run above ground here. But he assured us that they are not poisonous and said with a laugh, 'If they bite you, you'll only have a fever for 7 days...' 🙈

We were back at the hotel shortly before 10 am, had breakfast, and then continued our journey to Bali by ferry. In Gilimanuk at the port, we organized a minibus to take us to our next destination, Lovina. 😎