Vulcano

Today was one of those days that I am just in state of wonder. . . who gets to sit on a volcano vent or traipse through sulfur gas coming from a huge crack in the earth or wades in a warm volcanic mud pool????  The answer is ME!  Crazy!

We hopped on a boat that took us on a beautiful boat ride to the island of Vulcano.  Vulcan was the Roman God of fire and metalworking (Hephaestos in Greek mythology).  The last real eruption was in 1890, but in 1988 a huge crack opened and out of it pours hot gases that contain sulfur.  If you remember from high school chemistry sulfur smells like rotten eggs!!!

This a picture of the port of Lipari as we were leaving .

Our boat was great and I got to stretch out on the front and enjoy the view!

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This is picture of Vucano.  You can see the gases rolling over the side of the crater in the middle of the photo.  The tallest peak is about 1500 feet above sea level

The ascent was steep and the path was made up of volcanic scree

Then it turned to a slippery red mud

 I was sitting on the volcanic vent and Jeanna is next to me! I was getting very hot from the steam!!!

A picture of the crater with the gases escaping the crack. . .notice how all the smoke is going up and over the crater lip.  This is important later on. . .

Dan, our guide sitting on the vent. . . his glasses were all fogged up because of the steam!

 Playing in the steam. . . it felt like we were standing on a cloud!

 We begin to walk around the crater rim. . .the steam is still flowing over the rim

 On the highest point on the crater rim looking out to the sea

Heading down the crater and the wind shifts pushing the gas into the crater right into our path.  We had to get out bandanas and wet them.  We covered our nose and mouths with the wet bandanas so we wouldn't have to inhale the sulfur gas!!

 You can see the yellow sulfur crystals gathering at the mouth of the vent

 Heading into the gassiest part of the trail. . .the gas was so thick sometimes you could see where to step!

 Heading into the steam

Engulfed in steam

The descent was fast. .  .sliding down the scree and our next stop was a delicious lunch!  The fish was caught that morning and everyone said it was delicious!  I, of course had chicken :-)

Then it was off to the volcanic mud baths!  I am telling you there was some serious people watching here!!  The mud is said to be medicinal and people were rubbing the mud all over their bodies and I mean ALL over!  Three of our group decided to go for the body plunge. . .I decided to just wade into the mud.  

In this picture I am wading in the mud, checking to see if my feet were disintegrating!  The mud was lukewarm but then you would step on a very hot jet of gas!!

 Dan, Stefano, and Diane submerged in the mud!

 Fae dipping her feet

 Leela enjoying the benefits of the mud and enjoying the sulfur aroma of the baths!

 Diane enjoying the benefits of a mud pack!!

You may be wondering if the sulfur mud smell lingered . . . the answer to that is yes. . .as I sit here and type I can still smell it!  I am hoping that with a good hot shower and scrub with soap it will be a distant memory!

Tomorrow we head to Sicily and Mt. Etna!