Gunung Sibayak is a Sumatran active volcano. Ganging up with 2 others we made our way to the top. One, I'll call Jonah, a Japanese American had an abundance of misfortune. As we reached the top, we were impressed by the bubbling steaming yellow green crater lake, the heat, the grumbling earth and sulfur clouds gushing from the boulders. All around the rim were gifts to the volcano. By keeping it sweet with offerings of banana, ciggies, rice and other things it didn't explode and wipe out the villagers below, who worshipped it. Must be working then. After a while we became aware of some people moving about in the base of the crater. Inquisitive, we made our way down over the boulders to investigate. If we moved together the clouds of sulphur fumes zoomed towards us. We'd scatter. Amazingly, the cloud of sulphur would follow the Japanese fellow. If he came towards you so did the cloud, so we'd “run away†from him for some clear air. We'd regroup and it would happen again – he seemed to be a sulphur magnet. When we got to the base of the crater we could see that there was a canvas and tin hut. There were two locals taking it in turn to venture into boulder crevices with a long scoop to collect the sulphur. Their only protective equipment consisted of a set of goggles. Apparently they lived up there all week and returned to their village once a week with about 60 kg of sulphur to sell. It was used to make matches. I guess that their lifespan was to be considerably shortened – an occupational hazard.
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