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Living next to an active volcano
| For the past two days we have been living
at the base of the Arenal
Volcano. The Arenal
Volcano is Costa Rica's most active volcano. It
awoke from several hundred years of dormancy in 1968 with
a violent set of eruptions which killed approximately
200 people. Since then it has been in a state of near
continuos eruptions. |
Click to enlarge
Dave and Frosty getting ready to explore the Arenal
Volcano on horseback!
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For the people living around Arenal
its activity is both a blessing and a curse. Thousands
of people come to the base of the volcano with the hope
of getting a glimpse of the fiery lava as it cascades
down the sides of the volcano. At the same time everyone
we talked to seemed ever watchful of their giant neighbor,
knowing that another giant eruption could spell disaster
for the area.
Lava is always coming out of Arenal's
main crater, and several locals told us that as long
as the lava continues to flow out they are not too worried.
If the volcano grows quiet for a few days, the locals
become worried because larger eruptions usually follow
brief periods of little or no volcanic activity.
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Click to enlarge
The top of the volcano was covered in clouds this
morning, but we could see where new lava had slid
down the side of the volcano and hardened into rock.
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Last night we were lucky enough to get a
taste of Arenal's
power. Around 9:00 PM, the clouds that had been obscuring
our view of the volcano cleared. From about a mile away
we could see glowing balls of lava sliding down the edge
of the volcano. Locals told us that these molten rocks
are sometimes as large as a school bus. The low rumbling
sound that the eruption produced sent chills down my spine.
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| This morning we mounted a couple of horses
and headed off to get an even closer look at the volcano.
A thick blanket of rain clouds covered the volcano and
poured rain on us as we road. The trails became muddy
and the horses had to work hard as we climbed higher and
higher up the side of the volcano. |
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After about half an hour we reached the edge of the restricted
area. No one is allowed in the restricted area, because it
is too dangerous. From the edge we could see bare patches
of hardened lava, so new trees and other plants are not able
to grow. It was easy to see why the local people are always
keeping a watchful eye on their giant neighbor.
Keep Exploring,
Dave
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