Tag 78 - Lava Tour

6.50 am. Half an hour ago, the neighbor put on the Boney-M CD. You can't escape it, even if you close all the windows and doors.

Last night I was at the Hell's Abyss. That's what the Spanish conquistadors called the Masaya volcano. They believed that the devil lived here and placed a cross on the edge of the crater. During the pre-Columbian era, small children and virgins were sacrificed to the enraged gods in the volcano. There is a rumor that political opponents of the last dictator Somoza were thrown into the crater. The same thing is said about the Sandinistas, who are said to have disposed of some of Somoza's henchmen in the volcano. Flew over it with a helicopter... oops... man overboard.

The last major eruption was in 1772. It's still a bit eerie to stand on the edge of the crater, just 100 meters away from the lava. Sulphurous vapors swirl around us. They are the reason why you are only allowed to stay for 15 minutes. Apart from the lava, there is nothing to see at night. I was here during the day last year. If you're lucky, you can see the birds that have hundreds of nests inside the crater. In any case, a bell rings and you have to go back down. In the busy evening hours, groups of about 80 people are allowed to go up. Next, please!

Sunny today, 31 degrees with moderate east winds, most likely no rain.