Kawah Ijen (Ijen Crater)

In February, my friend Ayu and I went to Kawah Ijen, an active crater lake in East Java where sulfur is mined. It is the largest crater lake in Java--the climb to the top is 3 km high, the lake itself is 200 m deep and it contains 36 million cubic meters of steaming acid water, usually covered in a disgusting, smelling swirling sulfur cloud that sometimes made it hard to breathe--but it was definitely worth it!

This is a view of another volcano on the climb to the top of Ijen Crater.

Ayu fully prepared to battle against the cold and the overpowering, rotten-egg odor of the sulfuric smoke that attacked us on most of our climb. Many layers and fur-lined jacket for heat, sunglasses, climbing stick, and face mask--unfortunately, the smoke still won that battle.

Shadows, mountains, sulfur, 3 km marker!

The main attraction of this crater is that sulfur is hidding in the sheer walls of rock. This volcano is actually a twin of Mount Merapi in Central Java, which recently erupted. Climbing to the top we constantly passed men carrying sulfur in baskets, like these, from where it was mined at the top of the crater, then back down to the bottom where it is sold. The men carry loads of up to 70kg (around 155 lbs.) on their backs.

Ayu (without face armor on) and me at the top!

At the top! Something about I'm king of the world comes to mind...

There was too much smoke on the day we went there, but it was still a pretty cool picture of the green lake!

This is how it really looks on a clear day.

Still reppin' Texas =) (and underneath is my school exercise outfit...pretty sweet, right?)

Fading into the Background

The natural and the man-made seem to exist in complete harmony here. Walking around the many villages with the kids, this was one of the interesting things I noticed about how art just seems to happen. Beauty doesn't need to be posed or displayed. It doesn't need to be made or manipulated. It just is. =)