The Monastery Built on a Volcanic Plug

Yes, that’s right. A volcanic plug. Take a look at this amazing place. Taung Kalat, located in central Burma, thirty miles or so from the ancient city of Bagan towers above the earth like some sort of giant’s sand castle. Atop it there is a Buddhist monastery which rests upon the precipitous volcanic plug.

Image Credit Flickr User Pigalle

Yes, that’s right a volcanic plug. It sounds dangerous but at this stage in its life, Taung Kalat poses no threat. A volcanic plug (sometimes called a ‘neck’) is formed when magma, on its way up through a vent on an active volcano, hardens inside the vent. While the volcano is active this could well lead to the mother of all explosions and it would, you have to admit, be a shame if this beautiful monastery was to be catapulted in to the stratosphere. However, the volcano is thought (perhaps we should say hoped) to be extinct.

Maleo - The Bird That Can Fly The Moment it Hatches

Beneath the red hot sand of an Indonesian island something stirs. A large egg is hatching and soon the newborn creature will dig its way out to the surface and take its first gulps of fresh air. Yet no parent watches over it. This sounds as if it should be a young turtle, thrusting its flippers sideways as it makes its desperate lurch towards the ocean. It is not, however. This is a bird. More remarkable still is that when it emerges the chick will already be able to fly.

This is the Maleo.  You can read more about its extraordinary way of life over at our sibling site, the Ark in Space.

Kelimutu – Indonesia’s Tri-Colored Lakes

They are located on the same volcanic peak yet each of the three crater lakes atop Kelimutu in Indonesia is a markedly different color. It is the only place on earth where this amazing color variation takes place.

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 The three lakes all have different names and local people have for centuries believed that the lakes are the spiritual resting place of their ancestors. It is said the lakes change color according to the mood of the spirit – and if that is the case then the souls’ moods are constantly restless.

Dallol - The World's Weirdest Volcanic Crater

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In the North East of Ethiopia lies the Danokil Desert.  At its heart is a volcanic crater, Dallol, little known and seldom visited but quite extraordinary.  

Surrounding the volcano are acidic hot springs, mountains of sulphur, pillars of salt, small gas geysers and pools of acid isolated by salt ridges. It makes for one of the most bizarre landscapes on planet Earth.

Image Credit PhotoVolcanica.com

Dallol is one of the most remote places on Earth and very few people live here. Little wonder. After all, who would wish to live in close proximity to such a vast and alien backdrop as this? Even the name, in the local language of the Afar people literally means disintegrated. Even today the volcano is not mentioned in most books on the subject of volcanology.

Ijen: The Volcanic Sulfur Mine of Indonesia's East Java

Image Matt Paish

The Indonesian province of East Java (green, left) is the home to the Ijen Volcano.  The volcano has an enormous, turquoise acid crater lake at the top of a two mile ascent.

Hundreds of people visit the site each day, but for most it is not to take in the bizarre spectacle of the dead lagoon: around the lake men and boys mine for sulfur which is then taken, carried on their backs, down the side of the volcano. For them, the volcano represents their livelihood: for visitors, however, it can seem like a vision from Dante or Bunyan.

Image Daniel Rubio

Africa’s Unique Volcano: Ol Doinyo Lengai

For countless generations, the Maasai people of Tanzania have called the active volcano which dominates their landscape Ol Doinyo Lengai. The name translates as the Mountain of God.  Yet on the day Eng’ai, one of the gods of the Maasai, created this volcano she must have been in an unusual state of mind. Where most volcanoes spew lava which is rich in silicate materials, Ol Doinyo Lengai is different: very different.

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Among all the active volcanoes in the world, Ol Doinyo Lengai is unique.  Its yield of lava is natrocarbonatite in nature. In other words, its mineralogical composition consists of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals.  A carbonatite is a type of igneous rock more often enveloped in other formations and does not usually make it to the surface on its own.  It is often mistaken for marble. Although there are other examples of natrocarbonatite volcanoes in the world, all but Ol Doinyo Lengai are extinct.  If you want to see a truly different volcano, this is the one to put on the bucket list.

La Geria: Lanzarote’s Volcanic Vineyards

When volcanic activity caused the emergence of the Spanish island of Lanzarote 15 million years ago it was a desolate, lifeless place.

Settled only three thousand years ago, the island's volcano could still erupt again.

Although the last major eruptions started in 1730 over a period of six whole years and the volcano has been dormant since 1824, even today agricultural exploitation of the island is a difficult process.

Yet in the La Geria region of the island, farmers have come up with an ingenious way to grow their grapes.

Image Credit Flickr User Lobo Estepario

Calbuco: A Volcano Erupts

If you are a timelapse photographer, like Martin Heck, you must dream of something like a volcano erupting when you just happen to be in the vicinity with all your equipment.  I wouldn’t like to calculate the odds but that is exactly when happened. Located in southern Chile the volcano picked April 22 2015 to pop off, just when Heck was traveling away from the neighboring volcano Osorno.  The footage he captured is simply stunning.

Incredible Iceland Volcano Photo

(For those of you outside of the UK, Iceland is a supermarket chain which specializes in frozen food – no irony intended by the owners, we are fairly sure of that).  Never say that the British want to be left out in the cold when it comes to foreign affairs, eh? Now, thanks to photographer Paul Miller, they finally have a volcano to call their own!

Explore Nicaragua's Masaya National Park

Located just an hour from Granada by car and about 20 kilometers from Managua, Masaya National Park is Nicaragua’s largest and first national park and home to the shield volcano Masaya, or “La Boca del Infierno” (“Mouth of Hell”), which the Spaniards named the active volcano after planting a cross on the crater lip during the 16th century in order to exorcise the devil. The Masaya Volcano National Park includes two volcanoes and five craters within a 54 square kilometer area. The volcanic complex is made up of a nested set of calderas and craters.

Both volcanoes have erupted several times throughout history, causing the local indigenous people and the Spanish conquerors to fear the volcanoes’ wrath. The eruptions have dramatically affected the landscape of the surrounding area, and rocks and volcanic ash still cover the terrain around the volcanoes. In addition, a variety of vegetation began to form after the eruptions, helping create a rough, but tranquil setting. The park is also inhabited by many different animals, including coyotes, skunks, raccoons, opossums, deer, iguanas, and monkeys.

Although the air is overwhelmed by the stench of sulfur, which invades your nostrils and mouth every time the wind blows, the stunning views of the park and the surrounding area make this gnarly smell worth withstanding. Visitors can view the massive crater that consistently emits smoke and sulfur gas by taking a look over the edge of the Masaya Volcano.

After taking some shots at the edge of hell’s mouth, those who wish to explore the volcano can take a brief hike through the narrow trails and pathways of the volcano. Be sure to stop along the way to check out the craters and vegetation that grows in areas that were untouched when the volcano last erupted. Hikers can opt to explore the park during the day or take a night tour that begins at dusk and includes a tour of the Tzinaconostoc Cave, which was formed by lava streams and is home to over 300,000 bats.

After dark you can stand at one entrance of the cave and snap photos of these rats with wings that dwell in this underground tunnel. The hike ends with a visit to the highest viewpoint of the volcano’s mouth where flowing lava seeps through the crater opening. Looking down at the glowing, bright orange light creeping through the dark entrance of the volcano makes it easy to understand why the Spanish named it La Boca del Infierno.

Hiking trails vary in distance and can be anywhere between 1.4 and 5.9 kilometers, taking about an hour to trek. All hikes are organized by knowledgeable tour guides and aren't too strenuous or difficult; just be sure to wear sturdy shoes and comfy clothing, which can be found at retailers like Marks and Spencer. The park contains a visitors’ centre where you can get information about the Masaya National Park and its volcanoes, book a tour, and learn about other aspects of the park such as the flora and fauna that inhabit the area. Remember to check out the other volcanoes that exist in the region during your stay in Nicaragua.

Frying Pan Lake – the Biggest Hot Spring in the World

In 1886, Mount Tarawera, near the town of Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island erupted.  It was New Zealand’s largest volcanic eruption and it killed over a hundred people. It left behind a massive crater but nature had other plans for the place. Less than 130 years later New Zealand is the proud owner of the largest hot spring in the world.

Image Credit Flickr User 4nitsirk

The Monastery built on A Volcanic Plug

Image Credit Wikimedia

Yes, that’s right. A volcanic plug. Take a look at this amazing place. Taung Kalat, located in central Burma, thirty miles or so from the ancient city of Bagan, towers above the earth like some sort of giant’s sand castle. Atop it there is a Buddhist monastery which rests upon the precipitous volcanic plug.

Image Credit Flickr User exfordy

Image Credit Flickr User nico t

It sounds dangerous but at this stage in its life, Taung Kalat poses no threat. A volcanic plug (sometimes called a ‘neck’) is formed when magma, on its way up through a vent on an active volcano, hardens inside the vent. While the volcano is active this could well lead to the mother of all explosions and it would, you have to admit, be a shame if this beautiful monastery was to be catapulted in to the stratosphere. However, the volcano is thought (perhaps we should say hoped) to be extinct.

Image Credit Flickr User thrillseekr

Image Credit Flickr User exfordy

The monastery is still actively used in the practice of Buddhism. Although many locals divert from the religion in its strictest form, also worshipping the Nats, thirty seven spirits revered in conjunction with Buddha, the monks retain an important role in the community. The volcano is thought by the Burmese to be the home of the most important Nats and as such is often referred to as their country’s version of Mount Olympus.

Image Credit Flickr User gusjer

At dawn there is little to compare to the serenity and beauty of Taung Kalat. It is unsurprising that the local people believe it to be the home of the Nats. Which semi-divine being wouldn’t want to make his or her home here?

Image Credit Flickr User xabi.s

Image Credit Flickr User Bruno Desclee

To get to the top of Taung Kalat is arduous, but once there the views are breathtaking. There are an astounding seven hundred and seventy seven steps up to the top of the volcanic plug. One of the more renowned Buddhist hermits, U Khandi, who died in 1949, maintained these stairs for many years. A shame then, that the Burmese Government does so little to protect the site or the local people.

Image Credit Flickr User Victor SCY

Image CRedit Flickr User dominiqueb

The monastery is often called Mount Popa but this is a misnomer. That is the name of the volcano. The volcano, thought to be extinct, dwarfs the monastery, the name of which translates to ‘pedestal hill’.  The local people call the volcano Taung Ma-gyi which means ‘mother hill’ to avoid confusion between themselves, but tourists tend to get it wrong.

Image Credit Flickr User AntwerpenR

Image Credit Flickr User Pigalle

The stupa of the monastery are remarkable pieces of work. From this vantage point it is best not to look down as the walls of the plug seem almost vertical from here and there is little protection in terms of hand rails. In other words, don’t get dizzy and slip from this point.

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The Macaque monkeys have made their home on Taung Kalat. However, they are wild animals and should be approached with caution. They are quite likely to steal anything you place on the ground for more than a few seconds so tourists are always advised to carry their belongings at all time.

Image Credit Wikimedia

If you can manage the steps up to the top of the plug then you will enjoy views in all directions around the monastery. There is the city of Bagan, ancient and inscrutable from one point. From another the volcano rises like a Burmese Mount Fuji. The caldera (its cauldron like shape, created when land collapsed) of the volcano is huge so that the mountain takes different shapes from the various directions.

Image Credit Flickr User pigalle

Image Credit Wikimedia

As well as being the bringer of death and destruction the volcano has ensured the area is rich in both flora and fauna, including the ubiquitous Macaques. Popa is thought to come from the Sanskrit language and means ‘flower’. While the areas around the volcano are fairly arid, the soil here is extremely fertile, being made up of so much volcanic ash. In contrast to much of the region, Popa has around two hundred streams and rivers.

Image Credit Flikcr User AntwerpenR

Image Credit Flickr User dominiqueb

You are guaranteed a friendly welcome from the local vendors who rely on tourism for their living. It is unfortunate, however, that the military junta which runs the country neglects its citizens. The sites are not adequately protected from either the elements or the tourists and the army may even have used forced labor in the area. However, when stable government is properly returned to the country, this is bound to be high on the list for many to see.

Image Credit Flickr User xabi.s

Leah and the Volcano

Image Credit Flickr User tarotastic

Now this is certainly a photograph to show your (no doubt astonished) grandchildren!  Leah Taylor was holidaying with her family in Papua New Guinea when the Tavurvur volcano erupted.  Although the volcano is well known for the devastation it can cause in the area of Rabaul, this does not seem to concern Leah at all. Not even a little. Not one jot.

True, it isn’t every day that you get to have your picture taken with an erupting volcano in the background, so Leah makes absolutely sure that her gleeful pluck is recorded for posterity by holding her arms outstretched and acting like there is pretty much nothing going on behind her. Way to go Leah.  At your age I would have reacted altogether quite differently!

Pompeii Fast Food Joint To Re-open After Two Thousand Year Hiatus

In just about the longest refurbishment period in history, the Pompeii based snack bar owned by Vetutius Placidus is to re-open.  Its last customers left in something of a hurry one thousand nine hundred and twenty one years ago but the high profile launch tomorrow promises to be something of a more unhurried affair.

Three hundred specially invited guests are to taste the delights of Roman fast food in the thermopolium (that’s snack bar to you and me) in a special ceremony to mark the reopening of the joint, which has been closed to the general public for quite a number of years.  Now after a long period of excavation and preservation, visitors  will be able to once more taste the house specialty – baked cheese with lashings of honey.

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The snack bar will re-open at an unveiling ceremony on 21 March 2010 and will re-open to the general public several weeks later. The thermopolia were a standard feature of life in Pompeii – and indeed around the Roman Empire.  There were over one hundred and twenty in the town, before it was enveloped by about sixty feet of pumice and ash and were remarkably similar to our own fast food joints of today.  With one exception – most of the food was delicious and healthy.  With the exception of the sweet deserts most of the food sold here would have been downright good for you – something that our modern day chains could learn from perhaps?

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The thermopolia were so popular, in fact, that many of the houses in Pompeii lacked one room that we take for granted – a kitchen.  The food was so cheap and available that it is thought that most Pompeians simply didn’t bother including a kitchen in their homes.  Plus there is the fact that eating out was one of the most important social activities in Pompeii.

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The shops were typically fairly small with large L shaped counters – just like shops today in fact that serve the same purpose.  In to these counters large vessels would be sunk, that would then be used to contain the hot or cold pre-prepared food.  The customers would take their food and pay for it at the counter.  They could choose to eat it on the hoof or to eat it in the dining area – the triclinium.  These rooms would be decorated with gorgeous frescos – such as this scene from the tragedy Andromache by Euripides.

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 For those not in a hurry the triclinium offered a place to relax and chat with friends while the food was consumed.  Below is a reproduction of how a triclinium would have typically looked. Perhaps a note to McDonalds or KFC could lead to the introduction of seating like this in their establishments?

However, as the thermopolia were used mostly by the less well off, the richer classes would often scorn these places as just a little too down market.

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There was even an area called a viridarium, which was an enclosed garden, in which the customers could enjoy their lunch or dinner.  Vetutius Placidus left a jar of coins with the last few day’s takings at the site.  It can only be hoped that his newest customers spare him the occasional thought as they tuck in to their food.

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