Last Sunday I got to go on a shore excursion to the Fire Mountain National Park on the Island of LANZAROTE, (see the previous blog about Arrecife the capital City). Lanzarote, like many tropical and subtropical islands was born as a result of many volcanic eruptions over the years. Humans, being the adrenaline junkies that we are, can't seem to stay away from the danger and excitement of living on the edge of an active volcano! While the volcano's in the Fire Mountain park have not erupted for the last 50+ years, there are places where the heat from a sleeping dragon is very close to the surface. " How close" you ask? I am glad you asked! To answer that question our guide would scoop off the top 6" of gravel and then passed gravel around from the next few inches for everyone to hold and most people couldn't hold it! The next couple of demonstrations were more dramatic! (see the short video clip)The guide says that it is approx 250deg. C at a depth of 6 ft under the surface. I ask the guide if anyone was making any Geothermal power but he indicated that they "didn't see the situation as being long term enough to invest the capital".
Someone did invest the capital in a whole lot of camels whose only function is to take tourists trekking around the base of one of the volcano's and back to the parking lot and the waiting buses. 
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| After a 15 minute ride the camel and I both agreed that we were glad it wasn't longer! It was like riding with someone learning to drive with a clutch! The island is very dry in fact the only water source, until the addition of a desalination plant in recent years, was catching rain water in cisterns. To make it possible to grow grapes for their famous white wines, they have come up with a ingenious design. These semi-circular lava/rock walls catch the winds that blow in from the East and trap the sand from north Africa and moisture from the humid air! |
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| With a little water and a few more nutrients added, they can grow about anything!! |
What a fascinating post! The water shooting out of the ground is surprisingly impressive and seeing you on the back of a camel...well, I definitely feel sorry for this beast with his burden! What a fun and exotic tour you had, thanks for sharing :) Have you asked if there is any decent scuba diving off the Canary's? The water looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYour volcano is hotter then ours! We hike down Kilauae yesterday but there was only some steaming cracks - kind of like the cracks of Mt Doom! The Caldera is ringed by lush tropical forests. It's a weird juxtaposition! We're having a good time. Haven't seen Linda again. She said she knew our room # and would look us up before we leave.
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