Sulfur miner showing off his sulfur sculpture

Wongsorejo - East Java - Indonesia

The crater of Kawah Ijen is the largest sulfor mine of Indonesia and one of the largest in the world. The miners extract the sulfur at the bottom of the crater near an acid lake and carry it all the way to the top of the crater and down the mountain. The climb is steep and the air is often saturated with toxic fumes for which few workers have proper protection. The average sulfur load is around 70kg and the workday starts at 4am. Miners are paid around 8 cents (1280rp) for every kilogram of sulfur they carry at the bottom of the mountain. According to them, their salary have been cut as punishment due to the fact that many have started doing business with tourists (selling sulfur sculptures and offering chariot rides to tourists up and down the mountain) resulting in a decrease in productivity. In spite of the meager pay and the health hazards, many miners are satisfied with their job as its pay is about four times the Indonesian minimum wage and most of them only work here for short periods.