Things to Do #40: Visiting Ijen Crater

I had always wanted to go to Ijen Crater. This magical crater is not as well known as Mt. Bromo to Indonesians, yet it is famous amongst French.

Turquoise-Coloured Acid Crater

I made it to Mt. Ijen on the 18th October 2011 during my 7-day overland trip on Java with my friend. I could say it was last-minutes decision that we finally went to Ijen. It was not so easy to get information on how to reach Ijen by public transport. On the 16th October 2011 I was on Mt. Bromo where I got information that the hotel where I was staying could arrange a transport from Bromo-Bondowoso-Ijen-Probolinggo for Rp 300,000. It was not a bad deal I thought, so my friend and I decided to take the chance and booked the trip. After booking the trip, another issue that came up was how to find a hotel. From my little research before going on trip, I found out 2 lodgings; Arabica Homestay and Catimor Homestay. After a little talk with fellow travellers during dinner, we decided to stay at Catimor. We took standard room for Rp 135,000 per night.

On the 17th morning, we were leaving Bromo and heading to Ijen. Besides us, there were 4 Russians tourists sharing the car. The road from Bondowoso to Ijen was terrible, though the view I saw is magnificent. At a point, the car had to stop to cool the engine. We finally reached Catimor after dark. It is located in the middle of coffee plantation and is a beautiful small hostel.  The room was decent and was better than what I had imagined.

We left Catimor at 4 am to go to Ijen. I had to pay Rp 5,000 for the entrance ticket and Rp 35,000 for my camera. From the parking area we supposed to walk for about 1.5 hours. The track was slippery, yet the sulphur miners were walking as if it were nothing but a smooth track. The view along the way to the crater was awesome, unfortunately it was foggy. The wind was blowing hard. Despite the low temperature, I felt really hot; thanks to the gruesome path and my red chucks. It was kind of stupid to hike with Converse sneakers indeed. The sky was grey and dull, but the velvet green scenery was indulging my eyes. All along the way we passed sulphur miners who greeted us. Some of them even spoke French fluently. On this way up we met Slamet, a young sulphur miner with 2 children. From him, we got some interesting facts on Mt. Ijen and the life of sulphur miners.

After hiking for 1.5 hours finally we arrived at the rim of the turquoise crater of Ijen. There we decided to go down to the crater to have a closer look. It was against the rule, but it seemed nobody cared about that. The way down to the crater was very slippery and tiny. When we passed the miners who were carrying sulphur baskets, we had to give them way and put ourselves in difficult position.

Struggling for Life: Ijen sulphur miners have to carry heavy load and walk long distance to make their living

We had the chance to see sulphur miners working from near distance. So near that when the wind blew, we were suddenly surrounded by thick sulphuric smoke. It felt really bad because when I tried to breathe, the smoke burned my throat. I wonder how these people could endure all this hardship and still be friendly and happy only with minimum equipments.

In the Middle of Deadly Smoke

At 8 am, we were leaving the crater as our van was scheduled to leave Mt. Ijen at 10 am. I fell down several times on the way down to the parking ground. I found it easier to keep myself standing while running than to walking. So I decided to run all the way back to the van, leaving nothing but my footprints and dust behind me.

Unleash Your Fear

I am often afraid. Afraid of uncertainty of the future. When it happens, my heart suffers and it becomes restless. But I also know that I can always talk to my heart and calm it down. Or I challenge it by doing things which it is afraid of because by facing my fear I gain courage and confidence as well as freedom!

When fear and uncertainty hold you tight, you just have to jump off the bridge and grow your wings on the way down

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

~ Litany against fear (Bene Gesserit)

Walking the Walk

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #42

I comprehend life when I am walking. Every step I take sheds obscurities clouding my mind

Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to.
Don’t try to see through the distances.
That’s not for human beings.
Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty & frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

Rumi

Blessing is…

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #41

Blessing is...

Blessing to me means live in the sunshine, swim the sea, breathe the wild air, dance in the rain.

Carefree why can we not be Forever you and me. Forever me and you.

Blessing is to be carefree, stress free and to be with people I love.

Sunrise.. Sunrise… It’s Like The Sparkle in Your Eyes

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #40

Sunrise.. Sunrise...

 

Only One

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #39

Only One

You may only be one person to the world.
But you may also be the world to one person.

We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #38

We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness

Nothing

Emptines is dancing in my mind.
Gratification is singing in my heart.
Serenity is living in my soul.
My body is floating on nothing.

23 December 2002

Kurasakan Cinta

Kenangan dirimu menguar di udara.

Bayang dirimu melayang dalam angan.

Ingin kurengkuh dirimu dan ku simpan selamanya.

Apa daya, tangan ini hanya menggapai fatamorgana.

Kuhirup udara….

Terasa cinta.

April 2009

Love Does Not Consist In Gazing At Each Other

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #37

Life has taught us that…

Love Does Not Consist In Gazing At Each Other

But in….

Looking At The Same Direction Together

Learn to Breathe

What’s the first thing we do in life?

What’s the last thing we do in life?

The answer of the first question is taking the first breath and the answer for the second is releasing the last breath.

Breathing is a huge blessing that we take for granted. I think even most of us don’t even realize that we breathe.  About a year ago, I stumbled into yoga practice. Then I learned a little bit about pranayama. The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, prana, life force energy, particularly, the breath, and ayama, control or mastery. Pranayama is used to control, cultivate, and modify the prana in the body. Prana is taken in through the air we breathe, and since the pranayama exercises increase the amount of air we take in, they also increase our intake of prana.

We Breathe the Wrong Way

Most of us breathe too shallow and too quick. So-called modern technology and automation reduces our need for physical activity. Thus, there is less need to breathe deeply, so we’ve started developing the habit of breathing shallowly.

By breathing shallowly we are not taking sufficient oxygen and are not removing enough carbon dioxide. The result is building up toxin in our body and reduced vitality, poor immune system, fatigue, sleep disorder, and premature aging. It even causes mood swing.

Why Is Breathing (Correctly) Important?

Breathing is the only means of supplying our bodies with oxygen. It is also one of the ways to get rid of waste products and toxins from our body.

As we know oxygen is vital for our existence. It is the most vital nutrient in our bodies and is essential for the proper functioning of the brain, nerves, glands and other organs. Among our organs, brain requires more oxygen than any other organs. If it doesn’t get enough, the result is mental sluggishness, negative thoughts, depression and, eventually, vision and hearing declines.

By breathing correctly we can supply enough oxygen for our body which leads to purification of blood stream.

Let’s Breathe!

Several researchers have reported that pranayama techniques are beneficial in treating stress, improving autonomic functions, relieving symptoms of asthma, and reducing signs of oxidative stress.

I have had the chance to learn more about pranayama through Art of Living. It started when my office, in collaboration with Art of Living, organised a course to manage stress. I directly joined the 5-day-programme. During the programme all the participants were required to be vegetarian in order to maximize the detoxification process.

Every day I was introduced to various breathing techniques, such as ujjayi breath, nadi sodhana (alternate nostril breathing) and bhastrika and also sudharsan kriya.

Ujjayi breath

This breath is also known as the victorious or ocean breath. It is used throughout the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. It also provides more resistance during the practice as breathing this way ensures that you take in enough oxygen and creates enough energy for the workout.

The ujjayi breath basically consists of inhaling and exhaling through the nose. In the same time you are supposed to make a hissing noise with the back of the throat during the inhalation and exhalation. The ujjayi breath consists of three parts. As you inhale the air will first fill the stomach, then the rib cage, and finally the upper portion of the chest.

Nadi Sodhana

It is a simple breathing exercise that you can use to relax and calm your body as well as to improve your health and mental fitness. This exercise helps particularly well when you are having a lot of anxious thoughts or when your trying to quiet your mind of too much mental chatter.

How to do this breathing technique? First, sit in a comfortable crosslegged position. Using your right hand, fold your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky sticking up (Vishnu Mudra). Then bring your thumb to the right side of your nose and your ring finger to the left side. Close off your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril. Close off your left nostril with your ring finger. Open and exhale through your right nostril, then inhale through your right nostril. Close off your right nostril with your thumb. Open and exhale through your left nostril, then inhale through your left nostril. Continue alternating 5 to 10 times. This process will cause you to begin feeling more calm and relaxed even after just a minute or two

Bhastrika

This breathing technique will increase ventilation, increase blood circulation, increase clearing of nasal passages and releive inflammation of throat, remove diseases of the nose and chest and eradicates asthma. Practicing this breathing technique regularly is said to help you keep diseases away.

To do this technique you need to be seated in comfortable posture in padmasana (crossed leg) or vajrasana (zen pose). Place your hands on your knees. Then breathe in by inhaling forcefully through both the nostrils. Make sure that your lungs are full with air. Once you inhale fully, exhale with great force making hissing sound. In bhastrika pranayama you need to apply force while breathing in and breathing out.

Sudharsan Kriya
Su means proper, darshan means vision, and Kriya is a purifying practice. The Sudarshan Kriya is therefore a purifying practice, whereby one receives a proper vision of one’s true self. The rhythmic breathing pattern of Sudarshan Kriya harmonizes the rhythms of the body, emotions and mind. Just as emotions affect our patterns of breathing, we can bring about changes in our mental state by altering the rhythms of our breath.

Sudarshan Kriya is an integral part of the Art of Living programmes.

Keep breathing!

Beauty in Captivity: A Reminder of Animal Welfare Principles

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #36

Day/date: Sunday, 20th March 2011.

Place: Jatinegara Bird Market, East Jakarta

Beauty in Captivity

Again I organized a photo hunt with some friends. Initially there had been many who showed interest to joint the hunt of the week. but it turned out only some of them coming. Well the main reason is the late night outing the day before.

I’d never been to Jatinegara bird market before. I’d thought it was like the one in Malang. I was wrong. This market is “wilder” and “nastier” in the sense of broader variety of wild animals being traded there. I saw there were turtle hatchlings, owls, eagles, snakes, baby wild cats, black-capped lories, parrots, leeches, scorpions, slow loris, crows, bats, and many more. I guess you can just find almost everything there.

My heart always goes low to see animal in poor captivity. Animals also deserve to live well. If you decide to keep animals as pets it means you’re willing to take responsibility for their well-being. To measure animal welfare, you can use the five principles called “Five Freedoms”:

1. Provision of food;

This is obvious that nobody wants to be hungry or underfed. Animals also need ready access to fresh water and have suitable diet to maintain their health.

2. Provision of suitable environment;

Just like us, animals do not want to feel the cold or to be baked under the sun. They certainly want a place to retreat to, to rest in comfort. We are as the carer should provide them an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3. Provision of animal healthcare;

Nobody wants to be sick or to be injured or feel pain. We have to ensure that animals under our care are not exposed to injury, disease or pain.

4. Provision of an opportunity to express their most normal behaviour;

A bird needs to fly. At least it needs to spread its wings. A gibbon needs to brachiate. Animals are like us human, they have the need to express their natural behaviours. A convenient enclosure or cage to meet animals comfort zone is as  important as companionship of animals of the same species for their welfare.

5. Provision of protection from fear and distress.

Enclosures also have to allow animals to get away and hide if they like. They don’t want the distress of disturbance whilst mating, sleeping or delivering, rearing or nursing young.

If you have a pet back home, do take care of them well. Also please do not keep wild animals at home. They are much more useful and beautiful in the wild.

In The Atitude of Silence The Soul Sees Clearer Light

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #35

Honestly not many photos I made for the 35th week of FWPP. I’d been very occupied at work the last 2 weeks and will still be busy till end of March.

So many noises and things were running in my mind. Everything seemed so blurry. I couldn’t sort things in my mind. Everything was tangled into a complicated knot which clogged my mind, my soul, my emotion. I felt restless, helpless, and peevish.

In The Atitude of Silence The Soul Sees Clearer Light

Luckily my office organised kind of workshop to reduce stress. I joined the workshop in which I learned to silence the noises in my mind. Then after I was able to listen to myself and to understand myself better.

If you’re confused and feel so many things happening in your mind, silence them then listen to them one by one. In the silence the voices sounds sharper and louder.

Cemeteries Have Stories

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #34

When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere

I arranged a visit to Ereveld Menteng Pulo and Ereveld Ancol on the 12th February, 2011. There were 4 friends out of 7 who could make it to visit these cemeteries managed by the Netherlands War Graves Foundation (Oorlogsgravenstichting).

The cemeteries are beautiful, well taken care of. Yet, to me they “sing” sad songs. Song of love, song of separation, song of terror, song of war. In the tranquil cemeteries with their rich intertwined histories, I remember of life, love, humanity, peace, death.

Life is not always easy. It’s not always rosy. It can be chaotic. But life is always worth living, despite all the tumults and problems. As life always renews itself. It always rolls like unbroken circle. Life doesn’t cease to grow.

A Quest of Adventure at Taman Safari Cisarua

Fun Weekend Photography Project: Week #33

I went with 12 Couchsurfing friends to Taman Safari in Cisarua, Bogor. Different from the previous visit, this time we planned to take the trekking adventure instead of taking a bus to get around the Park.

We took the economy AC train of 07.29 am, which costs Rp. 5,500,  so that we would arrive early at Taman Safari as the trekking is only open from 8 to 11 am. We arrived at Bogor train station around 9 am. The plan was to get a mikrolet (mini van) to Sukasari, then from there to take another 2 mikrolets to reach Taman Safari. With regard of the tight remaining time, we decided to rent a mikrolet to directly take us to the Park. After difficult negotiation with the driver, finally he gave us the rental price of Rp. 350,000/- for return journey. Not bad.

We reached Taman Safari approximately at 10.30 am. After buying the tickets for Safari trekking (Rp. 30,000/person), we got introduced to our guide. A handsome young man called Haris. He asked whether we would take the Kancil (Java mouse-deer) route -the short route- or Macan Tutul (leopard) route -the long route. Being somewhat a bit arrogant after experiencing difficult and long trekking to Baduy, we took the long route, that is 9 km. The route isn’t a difficult one. There are steps and paved trek. It was a disappointing trekking experience for 2 reasons: 1) the trekking route isn’t challenging enough; 2) we couldn’t see any animals, except the bulls and white lion, which we saw from so far a distance that we could hardly differentiate it from stones.

The Tourist and The Guide

Hence after finishing Kancil route, we decided to enter the Park to get a closer look of the animals. Look whom we’ve met!

The Red Haired Lady

We also met Mr. Gibbon, who is so playful and friendly. He wasn’t put in an enclosure. Instead he was roaming around the park. As free as a bird. Almost.

Where The Future Will Bring Me?

I had the chance to meet the handsome birds. The penguins.

Trio in Tuxedo

Swim in the blue

Also met the (once) airborne kings. Hawks.

Look Into My Eyes

Ferocious Enough, Eh?

How to get there?

From Jakarta, driving your private car is the most convenient way to go around Taman Safari. Yet if you don’t have a car or if you want to add a little bit of adventure to your journey there, follow this how-to-get-there guidance.

By train

• Take train from Jakarta to Bogor. Click here for the train schedules;
• From Bogor Station, take mikrolet 02 to Sukasari. From Sukasari take another mikrolet 02 to Cisarua;
• Get off at pertigaan (T-junction) Simpang Taman Safari and take another mikrolet to Taman Safari.

By bus

• Take a bus of from Kampung Rambutan bus station;
• Get off at pertigaan (T-junction) Simpang Taman Safari;
• Take the mikrolet to Taman Safari.