Volcano tourism

The only problem with volcano tourism is that lava is unpredictable. Usually it moves along at a slow creep. but then once in a while it burps a molten rock. I admit to getting close to lava in Hawaii and Sicily, but I am wondering how smart I was.

Quote: Pacomartin

The only problem with volcano tourism is that lava is unpredictable. Usually it moves along at a slow creep. but then once in a while it burps a molten rock. I admit to getting close to lava in Hawaii and Sicily, but I am wondering how smart I was.

All life is risk, yadda, yadda, yadda. However, not al risks are equal. Surely this can be quantified and weighed.

I understand taking a risk for recreation, even a mildly high risk. The view of molten rock up close must be astounding, though for me not worth much risk (and couldn't you get a similar feel, more safely, at a steel mill?) I'd understand why some people would find this appealing, and if they understand and accept the risks, it's up to them.

Things like BASE jumping or Russian Roulette (is there a difference?) are a different matter entirely. So is bungee jumping. Bungee jumping on top of a river of lava, now, that would be insane.

Quote:

but I am wondering how smart I was.

I'm not, lol.. There are lava accidents all the
time, when people make too many assumptions.

Mt Etna in Sicily where I went in 1996.

La Times article

The rich can pay for the helicopters that can get them in and out of dangerous situations. One man went Komodo Dragon watching but felt tired so the group leader left him there, he fell asleep in the sun and the next tour group found only his cane. So the group leaders have to be smart and the participants have to be aware and physically fit too.

Smart? Ever join a fire line in a forest fire? Ever drive a road in Malibu or Colorado? Ever try to outdrive a severe storm? Ever go to rock shows particularly the early ones? Heck, ever go to Shambyla in BC even these days cars get left behind and no one ever shows up for them.

Danger lurks. Two German girls spent their Gap Year tramping in New Zealand and just happened to meet a fellow countryman who was a crew leader on a dairy farm. He offered to take them to their next destination by boat. It turns out he had less than six months experience, was prone to ignore advice, had an insufficiently equipped boat and chose to take two young girls on what any New Zealand sailor would describe as the most dangerous body of water in the country at the worst time of the year to transit it.

Adventure. Life is not a cocoon. Risk. Rewards.

Quote: Fleastiff

Danger lurks. Two German girls spent their Gap Year .

What's a Gap Year. You have to spend a
year working at The Gap? Does your
story have a happy ending, did the girls
have fun?

Quote: Fleastiff

The rich can pay for the helicopters that can get them in and out of dangerous situations. ......

Smart? Ever join a fire line in a forest fire? Ever drive a road in Malibu or Colorado? Ever try to outdrive a severe storm? Ever go to rock shows particularly the early ones? Heck, ever go to Shambyla in BC even these days cars get left behind and no one ever shows up for them.

Ever see the movie Open Water?

Quote: Evenbob

What's a Gap Year.

It's like a sabbatical. I think it technically referred to a year off between ending and starting a new phase of schooling, but sort of warped to include any long period of time off.

As far as volcanoes go, I'd likely have gone in for a closer look as well. While they're unpredictable, they sort of feel predictable. You don't generally see a great gush of ash or explosion of rock in some of those seeps typical of Hawaii (assuming they don't touch water). And the more violent outbursts up in Icelandia don't suddenly cool out and become mellow. If it was just oozing, I'd wanna get close, too.

Quote: Evenbob

What's a Gap Year. You have to spend a year working at The Gap?

Good guess, but the term is well known in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. as a year or two spent after High School but prior to entering university or the work world on a "vacation, of sorts". Many Australians get Canadian Gap Year visas that allow them to work at Canadian ski resorts for scant wages but endless skiing and partying and traveling when off duty. They are a sort of cultural adventure on a budget. Canadian and European residents also get Gap Year Visas in Australia and New Zealand to "explore the culture" such as living in hostels, backpacking, exploring the countryside, exploring the Kings Cross pub and drug scenes, working at odd jobs such as picking crops or packing produce, etc. Normal tourist visas do not allow seeking or accepting any employment even at low wages.

>Does your story have a happy ending, did the girls have fun?
They had lots of fun backpacking together thru the NZ countryside until they happened to set sail with a novice sailor, in an ill equipped boat in extremely dangerous waters with a storm bringing winds in the wrong direction for having even a slight chance of completing the voyage.

Remember the Tsunami that hit Indonesia and Thailand and made headlines around the world. Watch the videos. Americans, Germans, English and Dutch grab their cameras and watch in awe; locals grab their motorcycles and flee. Danger awareness varies.

Quote: Fleastiff

Many Australians get Canadian Gap Year visas that allow them to work at Canadian ski resorts for scant wages but endless skiing and partying and traveling when off duty.

I went to Breckenridge Colorado for a week once. Slept on the floor of an apartment and attempted to ski the mountain. I observed that everyone I met was on a "break" which is more American than "gap". The rules of the break permit them to drink heavily, smoke a lot of dope, and do work beneath their intelligence while they pursued as much tail as possible. The most highly prized work was obviously anything on the mountain, since it came with ski passes. You would have spoiled rich kids clean toilets if they got a free ski pass.

The recently graduated high school kids were on a "break" before they went to college. The recently graduated college kids were on "break" before they went to work. The engineers who had worked for three years were on a "break" before they got their next job. Everyone was at pains to explain that this was not "real life". Then there were a bunch of men in their 50's who were usually divorced. They were not on a "break" but were dedicating their life to skiing, smoking dope, and trying to get women half their age to sleep with them.