BURNING BRIGHT

“H OW DID I BRING myself to agree to this?” I wondered, as I climbed up the steep slope of Kawah Ijen, a beautiful yet deadly active volcano in East Java, notorious for its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which harbours more than three-fourths of the world’s volcanic activity.

Covered by a canopy of pitch-dark sky at 2 am, my only source of light was a torch that helped me navigate the uphill hike. All attempts at keeping myself warm, including multiple layers of clothing, had failed. For a tropical country, Indonesia was sure cold that particular night, and I couldn’t help but wish that I was curled up in bed with a mug of hot cocoa.

All right, maybe