Unforgettable Longing, Eventually Resonates - Hiking Mount Ijen

1️⃣ Mount Ijen in Indonesia, one of the only two places in the world where you can see blue flames, the volcano I've longed for, finally met after seven years. The saying "Unforgettable longing, eventually resonates" comes to mind. Yes, as long as I live, I will see it. Things remain the same, and so do people. 2️⃣ This time, we went directly from Mount Bromo to Mount Ijen, which took about 5 hours by car. We departed from the hotel at 1 am and arrived at a small rest shop at the foot of the mountain, where we could rent masks, goggles, cotton-padded clothes, etc. Masks are a must. When you descend to the sulfur crater to see the blue fire up close, you'll find that this blue fire is the flame of burning sulfur, which is toxic gas, so you must wear a gas mask. Goggles are basically useless. 3️⃣ Mount Ijen is somewhat dangerous, so it's best to have a local guide. It's about 4 km from the foot of the mountain to the crater, which requires hiking. There are two-wheeled handcarts on the road, the so-called Lamborghinis, which can push people up and down the mountain. The mountain porters are already working very hard, but there are even harder jobs here than porters, relying on this hard-earned money to make a living. 4️⃣ The crowd set off at 2 am. After a 1 km gentle slope, the mountain road becomes quite steep. There are many people on the road, and there are two supply and rest stations along the way where you can buy food and water and use the restroom, which is quite convenient. On the ridge of the volcano, as you get closer to the crater, the smell of sulfur in the air gets stronger and stronger. People who encounter it for the first time will feel a little "panicked," but the local guides are used to it and don't take it seriously at all. 5️⃣ The section of the road down from the ridge to the crater is quite difficult to walk, and every step must be taken with great care. Because we were traveling in the early morning, we had no idea what kind of environment we were in. 6️⃣ After much hardship, we reached the sulfur crater, and there were more people than I expected. The blue fire wasn't as shocking as I imagined, but it was real earth fire, a special fire of nature, and the more I looked at it, the more magical it felt. It was blue flame! 7️⃣ As the sky grew brighter, the azure sulfuric acid lake beside the crater appeared before our eyes, which was quite stunning. The lake was bubbling, presumably with sulfuric acid gas. I tried to reach into the lake water, and it was very hot, but there was no other discomfort. Later, I learned that the pH value of the lake water here is only about 0.5, making it one of the most acidic volcanic lakes in the world. 8️⃣ In addition to the blue fire and the sulfuric acid lake, the most eye-catching things in Mount Ijen are the sulfur miners. They risk their lives to go down into the thick sulfur smoke to mine sulfur and then carry it to the factory to sell. Each time, they carry about 75 kg. 9️⃣ Ordinary people just carry backpacks, and it's quite strenuous to go back and forth to the volcano once, while the miners engage in this dangerous and heavy physical labor every day, and their income is only enough to survive. If you think life is hard, take a look at them. Life is so difficult, but they still live strong. As long as there is hope in your heart, life will always get better.🌅