The blue flames of the Blue Fire, and the final chapter to Bali reached by ferry.
10:30 PM, waking up again
The time is 10:30. I wake up with the alarm. I take a shower as usual.
Samu still seemed to be asleep. By the time I finished packing, he woke up and got ready. He looked really sleepy.
In the end, we barely made the meeting time, but we were the second group to get into the van.
We drove the van and arrived at the foot of Mount Ijen. Waking up at 10:30 felt like nighttime — I thought it was time to go back to sleep.
I forgot to take motion sickness pills, so I hurriedly took some. I was starting to feel sick. I wanted to sleep but couldn't fall asleep, so I couldn't rest in the van.
I expected fewer people at Ijen than at Bromo, but that expectation was completely wrong. When we arrived at the base camp, there were a lot of people.
Fried bananas were laid out on the table, and I ate them. I was so hungry I could have eaten them all.
But I restrained myself for others. I thought things like, that table has fewer people so that's nice, or hey, there are leftover bananas over there.
Oxygen masks and Chernobyl
There were things that looked like oxygen masks on the table. Ijen is a sulfur volcano, so there’s sulfur dioxide, and inhaling it is harmful, so masks are necessary.
Putting on a mask, I felt like I was in a Chernobyl movie — it was kind of funny. The local guide helped us put them on, and I ended up hanging the mask around my neck.
The local tour guide explained that we’d hike to the top of Ijen and then descend from there. So it was a real mountain climb. It takes 1.5 hours to go up and 1 hour to come down. It was 2 AM now. I thought it sounded brutal, but I was also excited.
Ready to go, team "adidas"
Charging off together with Samu and Lean! Our entire group of 30 people was going. The team name was apparently adidas, so we called ourselves "Adidas" to avoid getting lost. It was pitch dark. I rented a light and put it on my head.
We started walking with the local staff. I was always at the front. I was almost overtaking the local staff.
It was clear I was good at climbing. Everyone was gasping and tired, but I wasn’t tired at all — I was actually enjoying it. Even sleep-deprived, my stamina felt powerful.
I chatted with the local staff as we climbed. He said he climbs Mount Ijen almost every day as part of his job.
Having mountain climbing as a job sounds fun, but doing it every day seemed harsh. When he asked how many times I’d climbed mountains and I said, "This is my first time," he was surprised. Maybe my fitness was unusual.
Like a school of sardines
The starry sky was really beautiful. I went ahead too fast and had to wait sometimes. When I looked back, a flood of people with lights were walking toward us like a school of sardines.
Finally we reached the summit! Everyone was exhausted. Some looked like they were about to die, while others seemed cheerful and fine.
Looking down at the foot of Ijen, I could see a lot of people. Did we have to walk all the way there? We started walking. It was 3:30 AM. We had to see the Blue Fire before sunrise.
A lot of people were descending, and not only young people but many middle-aged people who walk slowly, so I had a feeling there would be congestion.
Thrown off by the speed of the local guide
While descending, I was thrown off by the local tour guide's speed. He’s used to it because he does it every day, but he was too fast. He skillfully avoided rocks, passed the people ahead, and moved forward.
I was barely able to keep up, but when I glanced back, there was no one behind me.
"Wait! There's no one behind you!" I called, but he seemed a little irritated. He said everyone would come through this route eventually, so it's fine. We hurried down to the base.
The sulfur fumes were intense. Whenever the wind shifted, sulfur would blast out in different directions. I could smell sulfur dioxide, so I walked with my mask on.
Blue Fire, the blue flames of life
The Blue Fire drew near. Deep inside here there's an active volcano that spews year-round. The force was immense.
It was my first time seeing blue flames so close. The area was packed with people. The flame felt like a life flame — a fire that never seemed to stop.
I felt its beauty. The local guide said, "I'll take a photo for you!" so Samu and I took a picture together, and he also took one of me alone.
I hoped it turned out to be a good photo.
Because the area near the Blue Fire was crowded with people wanting photos, you couldn't stay long. It was a take-your-shot-and-move-on situation. I decided to look around for now. I couldn't find Samu, so I wandered alone.
Sulfur miners digging out sulfur
While walking, I heard "Move! Move!" and an older man with an iron tool was digging out sulfur minerals that had erupted and formed — right in front of me! He dug out yellow, magma-like minerals and carried them away by hand.
They were miners working the mine, and apparently they do about five round trips a day — down and up repeatedly. They get paid a certain amount per kilogram of sulfur, and that’s how they make a living.
Working in such a dangerous place at that early hour seemed incredible. At the same time, I felt grateful and lucky that I can travel thanks to programming. I was really glad to have been born in Japan.
A turquoise lake of sulfur dioxide
I went to a nearby lake. Because it had sulfur dioxide mixed in, the color was turquoise. I found Lean and took pictures together, and I also had photos taken of just me. Samu was there too. It was my first time seeing a lake of that color. It felt very strange.
At one point the wind changed and a large amount of sulfur dioxide blew our way. Following the tour guide's instructions, I covered the mask over my mouth, inhaled, and exhaled. The smell was pungent, and I thought staying there long would probably make you sick.
Descending, and a sense of accomplishment
It gradually got brighter. Someone shouted, "Adidas!" — it was time to go back up. Most people had already gone up; it was just us. We slowly climbed up.
The sun rose and Mount Ijen became clearly visible. The route we had descended from was now vivid and the scenery was clear.
Many people carrying sulfur minerals were around, and mixed with them we climbed up. The view was so beautiful that I had Rok, who was nearby, take a photo of me.
When I took the mask off, it left marks on my face — I had worn it tighter than usual. I also took a photo with the tour guide, which turned out nicely.
When we reached the top, I was hit by a sense of accomplishment. The scenery was beautiful and very green. In the distance were other mountains, and the air tasted so fresh. After all, the mountaintop is a lump of nature, making it the best place to seek healing.
On the way down, human-powered carts were coming and going. Mainly Chinese tourists used them; teams of two would push the carts. The horses looked exhausted.
They are forced to make dozens of round trips every day. I think the joy of climbing comes from doing it on your own two feet — that feeling of accomplishment can only be tasted by your own legs. Coming all this way and not climbing the mountain on foot seems like such a waste to me.
Samu's story
While descending I just talked with Samu. Since starting his working holiday, he’d worked at cafés, bars, as a cleaner, and in restaurants — he told me a story of how he became a freelance marketer.
I could empathize with how much he had struggled. I’ve also had many hardships and times I felt mentally cornered. I felt like we were kindred spirits.
He said he practices yoga and meditation and that those had become very important to him. He shared that he recently met a girlfriend in the Philippines and they started dating.
You never know how life will turn out. But how you build your life is up to you — how much you act, how much you throw yourself out there.
I learned a lot from Samu and felt lucky to have met a good friend. He's very sincere and hardworking. I think he’ll become someone great in the future. I want to work hard so I don't lose to him.
A simple lunchbox and nonstop business talk
We safely arrived back at base camp, returned the lights, and received our lunchboxes. A small bun with cheese, butter, and a banana. It was too meager to call a lunchbox. Still, it had that Indonesian feeling, which was nice.
Even while eating, the conversation never stopped — it was all marketing and business talk. It's really fun to be able to talk business as equals like that. We had a shared trait: we were all avid readers who loved reading.
Ferry to Bali
We got back into the van heading for Bali. The trip was nearing its end. After driving one to two hours, we arrived near the ferry to Bali!
I bought a ton of snacks but hardly ate any, so when I was getting off I asked Herry, "Want these?" and he was happy to take them all. Herry was very cheerful, friendly, and approachable.
But he also seemed to have firm convictions and emotions deep down. We took photos together and exchanged Instagram handles.
Before boarding the boat we got our tickets and boarded the ferry. I said goodbye to Herry. "Thanks for the three days — you were a great driver."
The ferry departed safely and headed for Bali. Though Java and Bali are separated by a tiny strait, the trip actually took about an hour. Also, the time zone changed by one hour, which surprised me.
It's funny that such a small strait has a time difference — the Earth is interesting. The ferry ride was really hot and tough.
We stayed on the outer deck, the intense sun beating down on us and baking us.
More memories in the adventure notebook
At the end I asked Samu and Lean to leave messages in the adventure notebook. More memories were added. Whenever someone writes in the adventure notebook for me, I feel a strange emotion. When it's someone I care about, that page becomes very special.
When I asked Samu to write, he said, "Wait a sec," and first jotted down what he would write on his iPhone. Among many people I've met, some write spontaneously and some think first and note things down before writing. Maybe like the MBTI P and J difference — one structures and summarizes first, the other writes as they feel. People are diverse and interesting.
Samu wrote a lovely message. I don't remember the exact content, but it was philosophical. If he were an INFJ it would be funny — there's something about similar types being drawn to each other.
About 70% of my close friends are INFJs. They're so considerate with emotions and have a sense of beauty. But sometimes their messages are too long and exhausting. I wonder if I have to respond — things like that feel complicated.
Lean wrote a message in Spanish for me. I decided to read it in Spanish. I didn't understand all the meaning, but I could read it. She said, "Your pronunciation is very beautiful; I could understand almost everything." That was a nice compliment.
I wrote a small message card too and gave it to Samu and Lean. On the ferry to Bali, feeling the breeze and baking under the blazing sun, I felt the adventure entering its final stage.
Farewells, and heading our separate ways
We arrived in Bali, got off the boat, and went our separate ways. The tour allowed choosing various destinations in Bali like Uluwatu, Canggu, Denpasar, and Ubud. There were vans for each. Ubud had the most people; my beloved Canggu didn't have many.
At the end I said goodbye to Lean and Samu. I told Samu, "See you in Vietnam in about a month!" and told Lean, "See you in Argentina!" It was a three-day adventure but they felt like travel partners.
A month later, the intensity of that moment had faded with time. That's why when you meet people, you should cherish each moment and feel and enjoy each other to the fullest.
Mustering the courage to speak
I boarded the van heading to Canggu. The girl I’d briefly noticed while climbing Ijen was on board. My heart raced a bit. There was also an Algerian couple and a pair from the Philippines.
I heard a familiar sound from the front seat. She was filming with an Osmo Pocket 3. She had the same camera as me.
Five months ago at Ao Nang Beach in Thailand, I noticed someone but couldn't bring myself to talk to her — I just watched.
I still regret that. It was a chance I didn't want to waste, so I mustered the courage and talked to her: "I have that camera too!"
From there, maybe because I was nervous, the conversation didn't continue. Normally I'd ask, "Are you going to put that on YouTube?" or "Where are you from?" but I steered into a weird topic.
She told me that Ijen's sulfur dioxide is poisonous to cameras, and that was the end of the conversation.
When you care about being liked or what others think, you can't speak well. But I didn't lie to myself. This time I properly spoke to her. That was a big step forward for me.
Fear of rejection keeps you from approaching people. This time it didn't end in rejection, but it still didn't go well.
It didn't go well because I was nervous, not because I'm unattractive. Also, there are the other person's circumstances — you can't control that. So being turned down doesn't equal being unattractive.
From now on I'll be braver, honest with myself, and express my feelings to others. The important thing is not to live with regrets and not to lie to myself. How I conquer myself — that's a core of life.
Seven-Eleven break and Filipino kindness
We stopped at a 7-Eleven. Two Spaniards were in front of me, but their English was broken and it got awkward. Still, using that as an excuse not to talk felt like running away.
Back on the road from the convenience store, we were about two hours from Canggu. A girl in the back tapped my shoulder and offered me a snack: "Want this?" She was very friendly and I thought that was really nice.
They were on a four-day vacation to Bali from the Philippines. The conversation got lively, but the driving was rough and winding so I felt nauseous and kept facing forward as much as possible.
Arriving in Canggu, returning after two years
We finally arrived in the Canggu area. The driver helped with my backpack. The two Spaniards left with a cheerful "Bye bye~ Nice to meet you~." We couldn't exchange contacts, but I'm glad I spoke to them.
One thing I noticed: at work I don't feel embarrassed at all. Because there's a role assigned to me.
But in private I get embarrassed. Ideally I'd be the opposite — able to talk with no backing or excuses. I believe I can become that. I believe I can naturally be friendly and unconditional without overthinking. I'll keep challenging myself.
I checked into a hostel near Canggu Beach. They gave a welcome drink and it felt nice.
The place really felt like a villa, with two pools and solid architecture — a place for Western travelers. I left my bags at the hostel and took a shower. It felt so good, like a long-awaited shower.
There was a roommate in the room; we greeted each other and did brief self-introductions.
The freedom of laundry day and my regular restaurant
I walked to a laundromat. Shockingly, express service finished in three hours. I dropped off a huge pile of laundry and felt so relieved. Nothing beats the feeling of dirty things becoming clean.
While waiting I went to my regular restaurant, Warung Java, and ordered two cups of rice and lots of Balinese dishes. I was a bit worried about eating such a big portion after so long, but I managed to finish everything.
Seeing the server's face, I realized it was someone who had been there two years ago — it felt nostalgic.
Bali felt more developed each time I visited — it's really impressive. Bali is a Hindu region, and stepping from Java's Islamic region felt like moving through a dimensional portal — the difference was that stark.
At night I wrote in my journal at Starbucks.
