see a volcano

One day I would love to see a volcano!

I have climbed 4 volcanos, Diamond Head in Hawaii, Mt Lassen in California, Mt Fuji in Japan, and Gunung Api in Indonesia. It had been a dream of mine for many years to see the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia, nine small islands sitting close together in the Banda Sea. These islands were once posessed by the Dutch because of their spices, mostly nutmeg. It is a bit of a hassle to get there, but well worth it. They are way off the well beaten tourist path, and the name of the game is adventure. From Bandanera, the main island, Gunung Api, the volcano island, is within swimming distance. However, I took an outrigger canoe. It is a good idea to start your climb early as the afternoon sun can be brutal. At first, the climb is easy with a nice trail with stairs and covered rest stops with great views of Bandanera and Lontar Islabd with its plantations. Then about a third of the way up, the trail becomes much steeper and changes to loose scrag that you have to work your way up by grabbing branches and exposed roots. It’s very tiring as you go back one step for every 3. After some hours you finally reach the top. The view is amazing. You can see all the Banda Islands, even the most far way, Ai and Run. This is a live volcano. There is smoke spewing from the caldera, and if you sit down to rest, your butt gets hot. Even walking around gets the soles of your feet hot, so unfortunately, you can’t stay long. Of course, descending is much faster, but there is a lot of slipping and sliding until you reach the easy part of the trail. Then it’s a hop into my outrigger and a short paddle back to Bandanera. Theses are some of the most beautiful islands in the world, deserted white sand beaches with crystal clear water abounding with countless varieties of coral and colorful fish. Bring your own mask and snorkel. Stay at one of the cheap homestays. Usually 3 meals are included in the price. For the climb up Gunung Api, have good shoes, a hat, water, and a camera.

I was on holiday when i was about 5-6 in Lanzarote where we went up to a dormant (think it was completely dead actually) volcano and the water was pure green as we walked over the bridge over the crater. I only remember it from pictures but i wanted to see it again now so i can appreciate it more.

Washington happens to have five of them (Adams, Baker, Glacier, Rainier, and St Helens). They’re among the highest and most distinctive looking peaks in the state so it’s hard to avoid seeing them (when it’s not too cloudy).

I have visited and trampled upon the grounds of Mt Kilauea in Hawaii, while it was erupting! Awesome, but the weather is unpredictable and quick to change! The temperature was in the 60s (in the summer) and there was acid rain created by the volcano, but the shear beauty and experience made it all worth it!

Went to the bottom of the volcano where it meets the ocean – where it was much warmer – and walked on the cooled lava – experience!

I recommend making a trip to where there are lots of volcanoes. Costa Rica is great for that because you can do a lot of other natural eco-tour activities. It was really cool to see the orange and red lava flying out at night. There are also lots of thermal springs nearby to enjoy. We only had visibility for a few minutes each night because Costa Rica weather is really cloudy.

Here’s hoping I don’t wake up one morning buried under forty feet of lahar.

I watched Volcano Arenal ooze lava… I sat outside my hotel in the grass with a vodka tonic.. The drunker I got.. the more I would say “MAGMA” like Dr. Evil.. Muuuahhhhaaahh “One Million Dollars” --hahah.. Im still finding it humorous! But seriously It was Super cool to watch Molten Rock come down the side of the mountain.. In the middle of the night you can feel a little vibrations and hear a rumbling sound (kinda like Super loud hunger pains) Ridiculously cool!

It was 3 weeks into a month holiday in Italy and I was on the balcony of my family’s villa – my mum’s Italian we stayed with her uncle. And the air felt like it was burning me just standing there, i no Italy is really hot but its like a different kind of hot like really burnin ur skin and the air was full of ash. I asked my mum wot was going on and she said the volvano mount vesuvius was being a bit temperamental and we had to leave cos we were really close so we got in the car and left and on the drive down the road we drove past it and saw it erupting, it was amazing and sumthing i’ll never forget. xxxxx

2 years ago I went to Volcanoes National Park (see website http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm) and drove/hiked all over…it was incredible. Don’t cheat yoursself, see an active volcano…and why not in Hawaii, ya know? This year when my brother was visiting we took the helicopter tour, and it was even more amazing.