COSTA RICAN VOLCANOES

                                                  VOLCANOS

                                                  

         In Costa Rica, we were told that less than 10% of the tourists see Arenal clearly as its cone top is most often shrouded by clouds.  I could not believe how lucky I was on both trips to see it clearly nearly all the time we were in the area. The first time hurried off the van for pictures not knowing how long the clouds would stay at bay—then come to think about it there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Our motel room was directly across from the volcano. I could lie in bed and watch the red glow of the falling lava all night. My photographer son elected to stay up on the patio for his photo ops.

        It remained clear all night, and the volcano just kept belching its smoke and lava steadily all night long

Arenal exploded to life in 1968, after 400 years of inactivity, and has been steaming and spitting ever since. During that massive eruption 80 people were killed. Arenal is  perfect conical volcano, but as years pass the cone will eventually fall in on itself. It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

        A dam built in 1978 created a 25-mile long lake. The road around it really requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. There are several resorts around the lake as it is a popular recreation area.

         On another trip we stayed in a new 5-star hotel in La Fortuna, a farming community of 5000. We were literally at the foot of the volcano and again after a rainy day before, we had clear weather and wonderful visibility. I was delighted as I was anxious to show my granddaughters Arenal. They were amazed.

     On that visit with the teenagers we also visited Poas Volcano.  At an altitude of 8659 feet it was established as a National Park in 1971.  It has been dormant since 1991. The crater, over a mile across, is the second largest in the world and covers 13,138 acres.   Geysers in the crater occasionally go off, and we were lucky to see one small one. Poas has erupted 20 times since 1834. In 1974 she spewed volcanic ash 30,000 feet into the air. In 1989 volcanic activity closed the park most of the year. Surrounded by cloud forest, it is humid, damp and most often misty. We got whiffs of sulfa fumes.  We walked the half-mile paved path to the volcano to find it totally socked in with a heavy mist. It was a delightful walk with rich growth everywhere.  Rhubarb-type leaves were common and were the largest leaves I’ve ever seen. They were absolutely huge.

       A Cloud Forest is created when warm air from the ocean is forced upward by mountain slopes. As the moist air rises it cools forming clouds. The Poas crater is seen 30% of the time, and the best chance of seeing it is in the morning. We were there early, but still had the heavy mist in the beginning. Cloud Forests are eerie and majestic in early morning light. 

ALL ABOUT PEAT

                                                 PEAT OR TURF

       Peat has always been an important ingredient in Irish life as they used it both for fuel and cooking. When Ireland became a republic, the government gave every Irish family one acre of peat land. It is also often referred to as turf. This acre is inherited by offspring. The acre may or may not be near your home. For decades each family would gather with his neighbors and friends in July after a few dry days to harvest the peat.

      It was a hard and long chore. A special narrow spade is used to cut out a block about a foot long and 6 inches wide and thick. The logs, 90% water, are stacked teepee style to dry. After a few days all the logs need  to be turned. When completely dry they are quite light and are taken to the home and thrown on a pile for burning. I forget what that pile is called.

      Today, large machines with big wheels set wide apart are used to harvest the peat and can accomplish in a half day what took days to do by hand. Everyone helped everyone else in this chore. Burning peat gives off a strange aroma which I liken to incense burning.

      Electricity did not arrive in many areas of Ireland until 1958---and running water not until the 70s. Now many homes use electric heat.

      Seventeen percent of Ireland is bog land. Each foot of peat dug represents 1000 years. Blanket bog runs 10-20 feet deep but raised bog runs up to 30 feet deep. Bog land is very spongy and soft. Often old preserved oak will be found when digging peat. Buried air tight, it is well preserved and I liken it to drift wood. It is often used in decoration. It is not uncommon to find a body and when they do it is well preserved. The hair turns red, but the skin remains soft. It is possible to know what the person ate for their last meal as the contents will still be in the stomach! Sometimes the bodies are very old.

      Small, sure-footed, versatile ponies now known as Kerry Bog Ponies reflect the qualities of their living and working environment. They were used on family holdings in the mountains and valleys of Kerry for centuries. They were known locally as Hobbies. They were used to transport peat when it was dry from the bog to the home. They are cute little fellows and we saw a couple alongside the road one day posed waiting for picture taking.

      We stopped at a bog one day and it was really quite easy to jump up and down and feel the earth move. It was a strange sensation! The ground was very spongy, not quite as spongy as a water bed but definitely spongy. We smelled burning peat several times while riding around the countryside in a van over narrow country roads. I never really knew anything about peat and found it quite fascinating.