Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

I must change my top ten to my top eleven because I have recently discovered volcanoes. More specifically, the type that are constantly erupting! In Costa Rica we went to see Arenal Volcano. This volcano was dormant for hundreds of years until July, 1968 when it blew off the west side of the mountain and killed 87 people in the nearby villages of Pueblo Nuevo and Tabacón (where we stayed). It has been erupting every day since, typically every five or ten minutes. Major eruptions: 1968, 1975, 1984, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000

(Love this picture, but I didn't take it.) See how it looks like it has two peaks. The right peak is the old peak and has not erupted for over 400 years (hence the green color). The left peak, where the side blew off in 1968, is only forty years old and is where all current eruptions take place. The new peak, which started as a hole at the base of the volcano, gains about two feet a year in height and has just recently surpassed the height of the older, inactive peak.Unfortunately, it tends to be super cloudy in the Volcán Arenal area, so three of the four days we were there it was hidden by rain clouds. We were lucky to get one clear morning and were able to get some great pictures and see an awesome eruption. It isn't as visually stunning during the day because the lava doesn't appear red, but it is quite awe inspiring. And more than a little alarming - the signs warning "area of high volcanic activity - enter at own risk" don't help.

For miles around you can hear the volcano making this nearly constant grumbling noise that sounds a lot like thunder. This is a recording of Arenal. If you get closer you can actually hear the plopping noises of the lava spewing out. I couldn't find any audio of the actual lava coming out but if you imagine the sound of a really fat person's thigh slapping together you are pretty close to what spewing lava sounds like. Thick and sticky.
On a note completely unrelated to fatty thighs - this is Dr. Heather with a starfish on her head during our snorkeling expedition.

If you're ever on Jeopardy: Each of the suits on a deck of cards represents the four major pillars of the economy in the middle ages: heart represented the Church, spades represented the military, clubs represented agriculture, and diamonds represented the merchant class.

- lada likes to spoon (she also likes to fork)