Volcan Masaya

Picking up where I left off, flying out of Managua's airport...

On to the airplane. I hate airplanes. They are cramped, the air is stale, people are unfriendly (or at least I am) and the windows are tiny. That's why I always pick the aisle seat. But as I walk down the aisle to my seat, I notice I have a window seat. Nuts. Sitting down, I gently curve my spine to the right, the better to accommodate the curvature of the plane's wall. I curse my poor decision and decide to make the most of it by looking out the window...


It's a VOLCANO!!!!!!


















Ok, so maybe that just looks like an eroded crater, lacking the dramatic pointy cone that we expect with a volcano.

But what if we peek inside?















Now that's more like it!

A pit from the depths of hell, spewing out noxious fumes, baring a volcanic skeleton that is testament to the dozens of massive eruptions that have gradually built up the volcanic edifice of Volcan Masaya. See the alternating bands of light-colored rock with reddish rock? Each sequence of red-white reflects the initial outburst from an eruption followed by an ash layer settling out over time. Of course, the same eruptions also covered the surrounding plains with rich volcanic ash, spurring copious agricultural settlement nearby, such as Masaya and Managua. That, my friends, is the crux of humanity's volcano problem. They are unpredictable and dangerous, yet attract settlement. This will be a theme which I will touch upon many times.

For those of you who want to see an actively erupting volcano...Kilauea is at it again!