Unexpected Turn: The Blue Fire of Mount Ijen
Turquoise Treasures within the Crater
My childhood dream of visiting a volcano became a reality when I visited Mount Bromo in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. From sunrise at Mount Penanjakan to viewing Mount Bromo’s crater, the journey was incredible. After a splendid experience, I prepared for my next day’s exploration.
Anticipation and Disappointment: The Unexpected Turn at Mount Ijen’s Blue Fire
After descending Mount Bromo and returning to our hotel, we immediately started to our destination at about noon. In between, we had lunch at RM Handayani — Wisata Paiton. It is a beautiful place to have lunch by the lakeside and birds chirping around. We continued our journey then.
By around 8 PM, we reached our hotel. We had dinner at our nearby cafe. I was so excited since the next day was the main attraction, to view the blue fire at Mount Ijen’s crater. The blue flames were the result of ignited sulfuric gases coming out from the cracks of the volcano.
When I checked with my guide on the next day’s schedule, we were asked to be ready at 2 AM. Something struck me. Since as per plan we were supposed to start at 12 AM. When I enquired further about it to my guide, I got the shocking news that due to climatic conditions, the blue fire visiting hours were closed. I was upset.
Trek To Mount Ijen
We can’t overcome nature’s plan; after all, I believed that nature got me on this trip. With heavy hearts, we started at 2 AM to Mount Ijen from our hotel. It was freezing cold out there once we reached the foothills.
We started our ascend along with a bunch of fellow travelers to the top. The hike was not easy. Through the midway, the sun slowly started to rise. It was a beautiful sight as the sunlight revealed that we were surrounded by clouds and green mountains.
Turquoise-colored Acidic Lake
Walking a few minutes ahead, we could see mountain slopes filled with volcanic soil and proof of eruptions in the past. We then saw the turquoise-colored acidic lake inside the crater.
It looked mesmerizing, surrounded by rugged volcanic rock. Even though I was not able to view the blue fire, I was so convinced to have made this trip to view this beautiful blue lake. We then descended into the crater to view the sulfuric gases emerging from the cracks.
It is these gases that appear as blue flames during the night. As the day starts, these blue flames will vanish. It was also heartbreaking to see a few miners mining sulfur with bare hands and selling it at a lower price. After taking some memorable photos, we began to descend the hill.
End of the Trip
My three days adventure trip in East Java has come to an end.
From enjoying the Madakaripura waterfall to watching the sunrise at Mount Bromo Active Volcano and Turquoise-colored Acidic Lake at Mount Ijen, it was a journey of a lifetime.
I am greatly thankful to Mother Nature for making this a possibility; a huge shout out to Tourmountbromo for arranging such a splendid trip. I will share the financial details and tips and tricks for the journey in my next story.
Checkout my other days’ stories
Originally published at https://ethigeek.com.
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