Hypnotic Ijen

[caption id="attachment_38082" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Wikipedia"][/caption] Indonesia is famous for having active volcanoes and mountain ranges from its location on junction of world's rings of fire. Most people consider this a form of natural beauty only to be enjoyed visually from its unfriendly weather and terrains. As a reflection, most young children in Indonesia love to draw mountains the central part with paddy field and villages on the foreground and orange sun, clouds, blue sky, and flying birds on the background. According to official record, Indonesia has 700 mountain and 240 of which are volcanoes. The number of volcano in Indonesian comprises 13 percent of all volcano in the world. Apart from being a form of potential danger to community living nearby, volcano offers simple yet excellent natural beauty. Among those in East Java is Mount Ijen. With relatively friendly terrain compared to other volcanoes in Java, Ijen can be a good alternative to introduce our youth to volcano. Moreover, it has a charming crater lake on its summit. There are many accesses available to reach the mount belonging to three regencies of Banyuwangi, Bondowoso, and Jember. The most common routes, however, are started from Banyuwangi and Bondowoso. From Bondowoso, more than two third of the route from this city is asphalt road and half of it can be accessed with public transport. Bringing comfortable warm clothes shoes, fresh water, and food will be enough for reaching it. A tents is necessary if you want to spend a night outdoor on the savana around the last post. [caption id="attachment_38083" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wikipedia"][/caption] Along the path leading to its entrance, you will see refreshing greeneries. Vast expanse of coffee plantation side by side with pine forest is a great company for our journey. Reaching the last post, you will see a savanna with several tents on it and the mountain rising high on its background. After getting the admission ticket, you will continue the journey on foot through a quite large pathway. Large pine threes are shading every trekker along the way. When the sun rising, rays of light piercing through branches and leaves create dimension as if in a time tunnel. Sometimes, they act like a spotlight shining to the actor of life on Mount Ijen, the sulfur miners. Its summit can be reached without special mountaineering gear. Relatively safe, one, however, still have to be careful especially when hiking at dark. From the summit on the altitude of  2,368 m asl, you will see the magnificent, 5.5 acres world's most acidic crater. It lies some 50 m below your feet. It is 200 meter deep in average with high concentration of sulfur. Under the sun, the lake water reflects the cast of turquoise, smooth like mirror with light yellow bubbles from sulfur mixed in contrast with its dark gray wall. Although dry, cold, and windy, volcanic sand covering the soil manages to feed bushes and other mountain vegetation. The breathtaking view of the summit is a magnificent gift from nature. Accident caused by difficult terrain and cold weather is rarely happened on Mount Ijen. Steep sandy bank of crater lake naturally alerts everyone not to approach it. For comfort, always bring handkerchiefs or masks to cover your nose and thick cotton glove to prevent your finger tip from cold.