(Strange Sounds) – Whole communities live in the shadows of 3 volcanoes currently erupting in Guatemala, with more than 180,000 people around Volcan de Fuego.
And when they explode, there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. A huge rumble and a belch of steam and rocks erupt from the crater of the volcano that towers above us. It’s truly terrifying feeling such power, so near. I looked about me, wondering where I would hide if the volcano’s eruptions suddenly intensified.
And then I realized – and it’s obvious really – there is nowhere to run and hide. Up here, perched high on the side of Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano, at the closest monitoring point to the peak of the volcano, one feels very insignificant.
To my right, away from the belching crater, a vast lava field plummets towards the valley floor and, in the distance, the towns and villages directly in its path. Our guide, volcano park ranger Alexander Rodas, who had joined us as we hiked our way to the overwatch position, confirmed my worst suspicions: if things go bad, we aren’t surviving. FULL REPORT
