volcano

I mentioned before a regret of not going with some people to see lava. I was afraid it might be dangerous.

Some people went again, and I went with them. After walking for an hour and a half through rainforest and mud, and then an hour and a half over brittle lava fields with stream coming out at various places through cracks, we saw the main active point.

We could see redness, like a furnace, 100 yards away, maybe less. That's as far as we went. It was just to scary to proceed. We didn't know how lava worked -- might we break through the brittle surface into lava, or a deep air pocket? The surface seemed to get more brittle closer to the redness, and there were many large stream vents around it.

Anyway, we headed back. I broke through the surface at one point, scrapping my knee, our group's only injury. We had a scare on the way back -- we felt heat. We hadn't felt it on our way up, and for a bit it seemed that there was no safe way back, but we managed to go around the hot place. It was probably safe, but we didn't know how this place worked.

I thought it would be dangerous, and I think it was. We were all grateful to get back to the rainforest alive.

Part of me wishes we had gotten closer, so we could clearly see molten flowing lava.. Part of me is glad we didn't.

I would still like to see flowing lava before I die. Perhaps a safer opportunity will present itself someday.