Ijen: When You Think Your Life is Hard

Matahari belum muncul. Pagi-pagi sekali kami berangkat dari penginapan, semua sudah siap dengan sepatu kets atau sepatu trekking dan backpack. Jaket tebal membalut tubuh kami, tiba saatnya berjalan tiga kilometer di tengah pekatnya pagi yang masih gelap. 

Sun still hiding when we departed from the small inn where we stayed. Everybody ready with their sneakers and trekking shoes, also with the backpack. Thick jacket wrapped our body to keep us warm, and now it's time to walk about 3 kilometers in the dark before the sun appear.

almost sunrise and we can see the smoke

When the sun came, here's some of the view

Saya sudah lama tidak trekking sehingga berjalan pelan agar tidak kehabisan napas. Udara dingin tidak terasa saat trekking, badan bahkan terasa hangat karena tubuh terus bergerak. Dua jam kemudian kami tiba di puncak, blue fire terlihat di kejauhan di bawah dan kemudian perlaham matahari muncul.

It was quite some time since my last trekking session so I had to walk slowly to keep my breath stable. The cold weather didn't bother us at all, it was even felt warm due to our constant movement. Then, two hours later we arrived at the top with the blue fire visible downhill, and then slowly the sun came up.

and the crater

Warna kawah ijen kemudian membiru tosca, membuat kami sontak berdecak kagum dan kesenangan sendiri. Angin bertiup kencang di atas, saya mengeluarkan jas hujan untuk menahan angin dan masih kedinginan. Namun pemandangan yang saya lihat jauh lebih berarti, apalah artinya menahan dingin saat anda disuguhi pemandangan seperti ini..

The Ijen crater then turned turquoise, so beautiful and amazed us. At the top, wind blew so hard that I had to put on my raincoat and still felt freezing. But one thing for sure, this view is priceless, well I don't mind a bit (or more of) freezing when I can see this kind of view.

Kawah Gunung Ijen terletak di perbatasan Bondowoso dan Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur. Jarak tiga kilometer tidaklah seberapa dibanding apa yang didapat setelah berjalan dua jam. Kawah berwarna turquoise dengan asap sulfur yang membumbung di sisi danau sulfur ini, indah adalah kata yang merendahkan apa yang saya lihat. Terlalu indah mungkin, atau keterlaluan indahnya.

Ijen Mountain Crater is located on the border of Bondowoso and Banyuwangi, East Java. 3 kilometers distant was nothing compared to what you would see after that two hours walk. The turquoise-colored crater with the sulfur fumes rose alongside the sulfur-lake. Beautiful was a degrading word for this view. Maybe it’s too beautiful, or outrageously beautiful.

Ijen tidak hanya memberikan kenikmatan visual. Ada sisi hati yang sedikit sakit saat mengetahui mereka yang bekerja menyambung hidup dengan menambang ijen. Para penambang Ijen mesti melewati rute trekking dengan membawa beban 80 hingga 90 kilogram belerang.

Ijen not only satisfied you visually. It also like a stab in my heart, knowing how hard they work for living. These Ijen miners have to walk such a long hard route while carrying 80 to 90 kilograms of sulfur every day.

Kami bertemu turis asing berperawakan tinggi yang mencoba mengangkat keranjang berisi belerang tersebut namun sesenti pun tidak terangkat. "This is crazy, I can't imagine a human being can lift this and walk that far, few times every day," ujarnya.

We met a foreign tourist who look like someone who is strong and tall. He was about to lift the bucket of sulfur but the basket didn't move, not even a slight centimeter. “This is crazy, I can’t imagine a human being can lift this and walk that far, few times every day,” he said.

 

Hal yang akan membuat kita merasa sedih adalah bahwa penambang ini hanya dibayar 650 rupiah per kilogramnya. Setiap hari mereka harus melalui rute ini bulak balik dan hanya mendapat sekitar 50 ribu rupiah.

Thing that make me sad was the fact that these miner were only paid 2 cent,- per Pound. Each day they have to walk the route back and forth and only get less than 4 US Dollar.

"Cari duit susah banget ya"

“Getting money is not that easy, huh?”

Namun saya memperhatikan mereka, semua ramah, mereka berjalan sambil ngobrol dengan sesama penambang, menyapa kami saat kami berpapasan, bahkan memberi tahu agar berhati-hati saat berjalan menurun.

However, when I paid attention to them, they all are so friendly, they walk the route, carrying such heavy loads while having chit-chat with fellow miners, greeted us as we passed by and even told us to be careful walking down the hill.

Mungkin definisi kebahagiaan kita berbeda. Meski mungkin para penambang ini benar-benar bahagia, saya berharap mereka dapat dibayar lebih dari apa yang mereka kerjakan.

Maybe we have a different definition of happiness. Though these miners are truly happy, I still do hope they could get paid more from what they do now.

@marischkaprue - she knows life could be hard sometimes, but it will still beautiful

Photos by Ferry Rusli

NOTES:

• You can help a bit! Beberapa penambang menjual belerang yang sudah dibentuk dan berukuran kecil, hanya Rp. 5000,- , buy 1 and pay like you buy 2 or 4. Kecil untuk kita tapi bayangkan hanya untuk mendapat 10 ribu rupiah biasanya mereka harus membawa 15 kilogram belerang.
• You can help a bit! Some miners sell the shaped-sulfur in a small size with only 5.ooo rupiahs, buy 1 and pay like you buy 2 or 4. It is just a little thing for us but imagine that only to get Rp 10.000,- usually they have to carry about 15 kilograms sulfurs.
• Terdapat Trip Organizer yang menyediakan open trip ke Ijen seperti Fun Adventure, 3 days trip termasuk Taman Nasional Baluran & Taman Nasional Meru Betiri biasanya dengan budget Rp. 899.000,-
• There is Trip Organizer that provides open trip to Ijen like Fun Adventure, 3 days trip was included Taman Nasional Baluran & Taman Nasional Meru Betiri usually with Rp 899.000,-.
• Contact Fun Adventure di +62 81 23410 5848 
• Contact Fun Adventure at +62 81 23410 5848

First time trekking together!