Ijen

Spectacular scenery at an altitude of 30.000 feet from the window of the plane left Surabaya-Denpasar gave birth to a question about the location of a green lake Tosca at an altitude of 2.000 meters. Lake TSB seem to be inside the crater of the caldera wall as high as 300-500m. A towering mountain peak located beside. White smoke billowed from the crater one soaring into the air, making the contrast with the surrounding environment, light green jade.

Ijen crater, situated in Banyuwangi, East Java. This spot has been published and well known in France through Impressions Ushuwaia Adventure, which shows the-explorer Nicolai Hulot, sitting on a rubber boat to tell about the origins of the lake of Ijen with zero degrees of acidity, has a depth of 200 meters. Acidity is strong enough to dissolve the clothes and fingers. Bird view of the helicopter's camera view and then switch to the edge of the caldera, which shows penambang2 Ijen is struggling to climb carrying tens of kilograms of cargo.

Ijen crater was easy to be visited through Banyuwangi or Bondowoso. The uniqueness of the main crater of the tour apart from the exquisite a view is to see the traditional sulfur mine is transported by human power endured. This traditional mining supposedly found only in Indonesia alone (Welirang and Ijen). Transported loads each weighing up to 85kg per person. This remarkable heavy burden for most people, when sulfur is transported through the steep caldera wall and 800m down the mountain as far as 3km. Income received by a bearing on average 25 thousand rupiah per day, or about 300 rupiah per kilo. A bearer is usually only able to bring down one time each day, because the weight of the job. A few hundred yards there is a round building of ancient relics of the Netherlands said "Irrigation crater," which is now known as the Round Post, a post where the miners weigh the load and get a piece of paper about the content and value.

Travel tours to the crater of Ijen, starting from Paltuding 1.600 masl, an outpost at the foot of Mount Merapi Perhutani-Ijen. From here a dirt road climb to an altitude of 2.400 m above sea level with a two hour road travel time to relax. Along the way many sulfur bearers passed a friendly exchange greetings. Arrive at the crater lip, stunning scenery in front of the eye. A Tosca green lake with a diameter of 1 km covered in mist and sulfur fumes were far below. Sulfur-miner miner looks small from the top. To go to source of sulfur TSB., We will need down the caldera cliff rocks through the path traversed by miners. Wet handkerchief is necessary, since often the wind blew the smoke toward the path carrying a decline.

Based crater, parallel to the surface of the lake there is a place-making sulfur. Thick white smoke came out spraying am iron pipe which is connected to a source of sulfur. 600oC molten red hot fumaroles melt out and frozen with cold air, forming a bright yellow solid sulfur.

Sometimes uncontrolled burning embers fumaroles, which are usually drenched with water immediately to prevent a chain reaction piroporik. Sulfur rocks are cut with a crowbar and transported kedlm basket. MLP breathe such environments. This needed its own struggle, the miners generally worked, biting piece of fabric or cloth gloves as makeshift air filter.

In addition to advance straight to the lake, around the caldera collapsible done with more or less takes a whole day. Climbing to the crater of Ijen is generally recommended starting in the morning. For security reasons, climbing into the crater from Paltuding closed after 14:00, because the thick smoke and the possibility of wind direction that leads to a climbing lane. To pursue the journey in the morning, visitors are advised to stay at the nearest location in Bondowoso, clean mountain town, or in Situbondo a coastal town. If you liked the atmosphere of the plantation, a memorable place to stay is the Coffee Plantation Guest House in Kalisat PTP Nusantara XII, Jampit. This guest house is located within the plantation housing complex at an altitude of approximately 1.200 masl. Also available Cottage Tours in Paltuding clean enough, or open tent in the campground Paltuding. Temparature average around Ijen crater is 13 oC during the day and 2 oC at night.

To reach the Ijen crater today is not too difficult. There are two ways, first through Banyuwangi town 38 km to the west through the slippery, Guava, Paltuding (1.600 masl). The second way is through the city people to the east through Wonosari Bondowoso, Sempol (800 masl), Paltuding 70 km. The second method is the most widely traveled people because through the smooth asphalt roads, while the first way through macadam road with a fairly steep incline. Foreign tourists after a visit at Bromo Bondowoso usually comes through, again through Banyuwangi, continues to Bali and Lombok.

The route of this Bondowoso through the restricted area of coffee plantations, with three different gates. At each gate we were asked to fill the guest book and travel destinations. The landscape is very nice route, with the green coffee plantations arabikanya regularly, Perhutani pine forests and virgin forests Nature Reserve dense Ijen-Merapi. Short visit one day can be done, but spent the night in the coffee plantation is the right choice. Agro-tourism packages available visit coffee plantations and coffee processing unit that is worthy of consideration.