The Beautiful World's Largest Acidic Volcanic Crater Lake Ijen - Bondowoso, East Java, Indonesia

The largest acidic volcanic crater lake in the world

We're in Paltuding - 3 km to go

We told Hasbullah, we will be starting our journey after fajar which is about 4.15 am. No hurry, I told him since we're not going after the blue flame. He nodded his head faithfully. In the dark, our jeep hit the bumpy, rough, narrow roads with potholes. At about 5.15 am we arrived in Paltuding (1,850m above sea level), the base and starting point before the 3 km climb to Ijen Crater. Ijen Crater or Kawah Ijen is 2,799m and for us the 3 km hike is a struggle! 

A serious sign board to remind climbers

The signboard says, people with asthma, heart diseases and hypertension are prohibited from climbing the crater. You really do not know what to expect when you're in the crater. The wind can be dangerous if it blows the sulfuric fumes towards you but if you're lucky it will puff towards the opposite direction.   Hasbullah, our driver, bade goodbye and told us to take our time and not to rush the hike up the mountain. 

The sulfur at rest while the miner makes a turn back for another load

Walking about 100 meters we could feel the escalating gradient. This is going to be difficult I thought.  One of the miners stopped to greet us and we chatted him.  He introduced himself as Sur (Suryanto), and instantly, we hired him as our guide for the day but he put no price for his service. He carried our knapsacks, put our water bottles and jackets in his baskets and he walked with us. The first 2 km was hard but our determination kept us going! 

Huge chunks of sulfur

Along the way we saw several baskets loaded with sulfur at rest. We were told that the owner had made a turn back for another load of sulfur. A strategy  to get the sulfur out of the crater as early as possible before the sulfuric smokes get thicker approaching midday. Our conversation had somehow helped us managed the climb and along the way Sur told us a story of how the miners once carried an old lady who wanted to see Kawah Ijen badly. 

Mount Merapi behind us - this is a different Merapi found in Central Java

It is extremely dangerous if one falls or gets hurt along the track. He also told us many people made a turn back after few hundred meters.  We were elated after the struggle to arrive at the first station which meant we have made it to the first 2 km. We had a brief stop at the station, which is actually a small shack which sells coffee and very simple breakfast. The cafe is also the first weighing post where all miners weigh their loads of sulfurs. Take their note and walk another 2 km to the Paltuding station.

Mount Raung just next to Mount Merapi at the background

While it takes the fittest person to ascend Ijen crater in one hour, we did it in two hours and most people did the whole journey in 3 hours and we took five hours :)!  Never mind, we made it and we didn't make or ever thought of a turn back. Once the first 2 km is over, the mesmerizing view is worth all the troubles. The path began to get scenic and we made several stops for photographs. With Mount Merapi and Raung behind us, we can't help turning our heads occasionally to catch a glimpse of the mountains. 

Soon we came to the flattest part of the mountain with a massive view of the caldera laid perfectly before our eyes.  We forgot about our aching feet and trembling knees. The stunning view just took our breath away  We saw the three girls in our group neatly tucked on the slope of the mountain taking a rest.  At about 10 am the wind starts to spread the acidic sulfuric smokes across wider area and by 2 pm access to the crater is closed as hiking is impossible with thick smokes covering the crater. 

Landscape at the rim of the crater

Glad we made it!

Stratovolcano - last eruption in 1999

A worker at the edge of the lake

Water source for river Banyupahit - making it highly acidic and metal polluted

The path down the crater

The sulfur miners exposed to the dangerous sulfur smokes daily

The rocky 'path' the miners climb every day

From the other side of the crater we watched the miner

A miner at rest with his load just after the ascend from the crater

The corrosive blue green water 

Tourists who successfully made up to the top

Beautiful landscape with hardly any vegetation surviving here

The unusual beauty that outweighs the risks

The miner's walk produces the squeaking sound of the bamboos basket, 

The rest point at the mid-way of the journey

Hiking in Lower Belum Rainforest - Lake Temenggor, Malaysia

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints

Hiking the Lower Belum Rainforest is an unforgettable experience. It is pretty strenuous and a real challenge walking for hours, climbing the slippery muddy trails and crossing the deep rivers. The density of the tropical forest and humidity remain a huge challenge - it can be so tiring. Hiking in Belum can take days but we opted for a day trip which took about 8 to 9 hours. A good pair of hiking boots is essential and for those unfamiliar with leeches and mosquitoes take along insects repellent. Though exhausting, there were so much to learn from our lush, dense Rainforest and at the end of the day the hike was well worth it. 

We hired a boat with a driver and a guide who happened to be husband and wife team. It cost about RM 400 for the whole boat inclusive of driver, guide, water and lunch but it'll cost much more if you book the trip from the hotel. We carried some fruits, snacks and extra bottles of water to hydrate ourselves adequately. The boat can accommodate about 8 people and it is best to start as early as possible before it gets real hot.

Our guide estimated the elephants were here in less than 8 hours

It took about one and a half hour boat ride to get to our first destination in search for the salt lick spot. According to our guide there are about 60 salt lick spots around Belum and many wild animals frequented the area to lick the needed salts for their general well being or when they are ill. Our first stop was Sira Gajah and there we found fresh elephants dung and their tracks, which our guide could easily tell that the elephants were there in less than 8 hours.

With the help of our expert guides, we penetrated the thick forest and the humongous leafy trees were like a canopy protecting us from the blazing sun. Though shaded we still sweat profusely due to humidity. Along the trail, our guides showed us many medicinal plants usually used by the natives to cure their illness but some, like the Agarwood (Gaharu) and Tongkat Ali have been heavily commercialized for all purposes. Another interesting discovery during the hike was when we were shown fresh scratches of tigers claws on the tree barks and deep marks of the Sun bears claws. We were lucky that we were not greeted by them on that day!

Pulau Batu Putih

 
From Sira Gajah  we continued our journey by boat to Pulau Batu Putih (White Rock Island) which was said to be inhabited by dinosaurs million years ago. From the white limestone rocks grew the Bogak trees as evidence that dinosaurs existed in the area according to the guides. After a stop at the Temenggor Hydro Dam we headed for a picnic spot to have a late lunch. Not just a simple walk for a picnic but we had to wade the river for more than a kilometer towards the waterfall in the jungle. Some parts of the water was shallow but some can be as deep as 5 feet and it was a good dip after a sweaty hiking.

Wading through the river for a picnic spot near the waterfall 

Sira Gajah salt lick 

The inhabitant of Lake Temenggor waving us from a distance

Part of the trail to the waterfall

Rocks along the river

Our guide protecting our bags packed with camera 

Cool fresh green water

Ancient limestone hills dating back 400 million years 

I'm not sure what this is?

Breeding Telapia fish for exports

Lake Temenggor is the home of Telapia fish

The visible sun bear claws marks on the trees

Huge fresh elephants dung near the hot spring

Our guide cuts the Agarwood (gaharu) bark to give us the smell

Cute little monster

Some fungi found in the forest

Camel Trekking in Sahara II

Morning has broken

After dinner, a Dutch lady asked the Berber… “Where’s the toilet?” And the instant response was… “It’s everywhere!” OMG…Now I am thinking, if Adeline Loh wrote, “Peeing in the Bush” then I ought to be writing, “Peeing in the Sand” LOL! We smiled at each other; all eyes were on the Dutch lady as she confidently shone her torchlight and disappeared in the dark for serious business :). My heart pounded…I have never done this before! 

Time for entertainment

It must have been easy for these Berbers for they have lived on this endless sea of sand all their lives. The night moved on with everyone encircling the campfire, listening to the Berbers chanting to the beats of the drum. The Dutch tourists performed the song, Ya Mustafa in Dutch and they were such a sport….that was hilarious and entertaining. The guy from US next to me commented, “I have never seen so many stars in my life” pointing his finger to the sky. Nodding my head, I responded, “So do I!” The canvas of countless glittering stars above us was like a huge endless canopy! It was mesmerizing!

We were weary; our guide, Ali escorted us to our tent. I asked him if there are snakes and scorpions around and with a firm tone he replied, “Never a snake comes to Berber tent…never…never.” I have been reading too much about the deadly desert snakes and scorpions. After attending to the call of Mother Nature we were all ready to retreat on our bed laid on the golden sand.

My camel at rest

At about 2am I was awoken by the howling wind blowing onto our tent. The wind was whistling and everyone was sleeping like a log. I blinked my eyes on the little bamboo branches above me….praying and hoping it was not the desert storm! From a distance, I could hear the camels snorting and voices conversing in Arabic...it must be the Berbers checking on the camels and making security rounds near the tents. I don't know when did I fall asleep again but by five everyone had woken up and busy getting ready for fajar. We wanted to climb the dunes before the sun burns the sand. 

I peeked out of the tent...and surely morning has broken! The vast pink dunes lay perfectly in front of us.  Eagerly, we started to climb the 150 meters dunes and every few steps forward would slide us back...it looks easy but not until you try it.

Morning light on the dunes

Our tent from a distance

So picturesque

Took this picture from my camel's back

Every group is getting ready to trek

Ali Baba's group - so named by Ali :)

Morning has broken

Morning has broken, like the first morning 
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning 
Praise for the springing, fresh from the word 
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven 
Like the first dew fall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden 
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning 
Born of the one light, Eden saw play 
Praise with elation, praise every morning 
God's recreation of the new day

Sung by Cat Stevens