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Transporting of sulfur blocks from the crater at Mt Ijen @ 2380m above sea level to a factory near Banyuwangi is very labor intensive. The sulfur miners carry the sulfur blocks from the crater, descend the mountain slope to sell their loads. Then bring the same baskets, back to the same direction up the mountain to the crater, dig the same mineral & carry them down to the factory again. It is purely on foot, with the individual load of 80 – 100 kg in two baskets on their bare shoulders. And they are paid at only 700 Rp (USD0.06) for each kg! This means that they are getting only something < USD5 per trip for a load of 80kg! Most of them will make about 2 trips a day.
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Asia
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