Digging Asa in Kaldera Ijen

The new midnight passed one hour and the cold wind blows on the foot of the Ijen crater, Banyuwangi, East Java, but it does not sort the steps of sulfur digging in Ijen crater.

Raegas, a bit of 400 sulfur miners leave the warmth of the fireplace of their cottage in Paltuding and Bunder Post. Conclusion, basket, torch, thick jacket, head cover and mask, prepared. Once ready, the one-per-one digging diggers leave the cottage to the Ijen injury.

The yellow is their goal. Cold Hawa, the weight of the travel field, and the smell of the bravery sulfur is not a barrier for the family support men. Setapak for a setapak, they head and decrease the cliffs of the Ijen bud.

Although the digging of the sulfur never studied geological science, they know when it should swing his linggis to the cliffs of sulfur in the lip of the cratulations of Ijen. The digging should wait the wind brings the sulfur smoke away from them. Along with time, they should immediately swing the linggis when the smoke is not attacking them.

In a day, they carry a 70 sulfur - 120 kilograms out of the Ijen crater in the picants that are in the shoulder. They get up to Rp600,00 per kilogram.

So don’t wonder if looking at the back skin that is dark brown and abrasion. But their hard work becomes a fascinating view and the peculiarities of the Ijen Cratulations. Foreign and domestic tourists capture the ductility of sulfur digging in their photo camera and video camera.

Hopefully, their tenacity becomes an interesting conversation for foreign tourists to be transmitted to their friends, brothers and colleagues to dollars flowing to the tourism sector of this beloved republic through Ijen.

Of course, the uniqueness of Ijen’s Kawah slopes still complements the magic and exotic views of the Ijen mountains that have a height of 2.443 meters above the sea level.

Photo and Text : Seno Soegondo