Idle question of the day...

[seawasp]

... how many of you have actually witnessed (as in, with your own eyes, not on TV screens, etc.) a volcanic eruption? I have, I'm just wondering how large a percentage of the population has.

(Mine was the 1970 eruption of Hekla on Iceland; we overflew the lava field and then circled the erupting cone for some time in a private aircraft)

Comments

[rezendi.livejournal.com]

I've seen the Eye-Of-Sauron-like red glow of Mount Nyiragongo's live volcano above Goma, burnt my boots on the hot rocks of the caldera of Gunung Batur, and visited Geyser in Iceland, but I've never actually seen a eruption of lava.

[seawasp]

I'd say you qualify. You've been in direct line-of-sight to Nyriagongo.

[chuk-g.livejournal.com]

A friend is supposed to be flying from Canada to (eventually) Goma tomorrow but can't get to the volcano because of the other volcano.

[rezendi.livejournal.com]

No kiddin'. What for? Goma is not exactly high on anyone's list of tourist destinations. (Although Gisenyi, a short walk across the Rwandan border, deserves to be.)

[chuk-g.livejournal.com]

He has friends in the area, and it's a starting point for some more tourist-y destinations. Trip is actually back on now.