I Guess I Should Mention the Violently Exploding Volcano
Posted on May 29, 2010 - Filed Under Guatemala, Simple Life | 5 Comments
So, if anyone has seen Guatemalan news lately, they know that Volcan Pacaya has been spewing it’s guts out. It all started three days ago when we felt a very sudden and abrupt jolt. It was a quake, but unlike most we get here, it was very violent and very short, knocking my drink right off my desk.
There were no more shakes after that, but apparently that jolt was the volcano erupting. Now, this particular volcano is always showing off its stuff, oozing lava and puffing smoke on a regular basis. However, it’s been 12 years since this sucker blew like this!
Volcan Pacaya is where all the tourists go. They can climb up it and see the lava up close. Maybe I read too many volcanic horror books as a child, but I try to stay away from hot molten rock as much as possible. I have no desire to hike up slippery sand slopes, sucking sulfur-laden air into my poor lungs only to stand next to a bubbling stream of what can only amount to instant death if you happen to slip and fall. And that isn’t even counting the lava rocks that frequently fall on people. I’m assuming that’s God’s punishment for wanting to get so close to something obviously so dangerous, since you’d think lava rocks would be pretty random, but they ALWAYS seem to fall on top of people.
Anyway. The volcano has been erupting so much that it send up huge plumes of ash and volcanic sand has been raining down in the capital. By sheer luck of the wind, we ended up getting NOTHING here, thank goodness. In the capital, everything is closed thanks to something like 3 inches of volcanic sand. Everything is black.
The government sent text messages to everyone’s phones, letting them know to sweep the sand into a pile in front of the house and work crews would clean it up. Apparently they don’t want the stuff going into the sewers.
And then . . . it started to rain. We are on our third day of seriously heavy rain that just doesn’t let up! (Update: The rain is from Tropical Storm Agatha which is due to hit landfall tonight and will be directly on top of us Sunday evening. Prayers would be appreciated!) So guess where all that volcanic sand is going? Yup, right into the sewers. It’s apparently a huge mess in the capital. Around here, we’re just getting flooded. My zucchinis that were saved from the wrath of the volcano have succumbed to the beating rain and are lying face down in six inches of water. 
The dirt that we had packed so carefully to fill in our entrance and in front of the bathroom is washing away and collapsing, making it a real hazard to go to the bathroom.
But at least we aren’t covered in black sand.
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5 Responses to “I Guess I Should Mention the Violently Exploding Volcano”
Talk to Me, People!
I just read about the volcano and came straight here. Good luck!
Genesis, make sure you’re all stocked up. Lots of roads are closed down because of “deslaves”. Rivers are overflowing all over the place, especially in the Coast. Guate City is seriously flooded and several houses have collapsed. Xela is flooded up to 3 or 4 meters in some places, to the point of some people having been rescued by lifeboats. Lots of prayers needed, please!
Uh… me being a volcano-lover, I could watch that video the whole day long… But I have to admit, what’s happening now is pretty scary. Seems like all volcanoes are teaching us a lesson recently.
And the tropical storm… geez. Stay safe my Dear.
Hope all will be over soon.
xoxo
I could not think of anything but your family when I read the news this morning. I will be praying for you. Keep us posted as you can.
I though of you and your family as soon as I heard the news. Glad to hear your are all far from the ash and sand. But not good about the coming storm. Thoughts and blessings be sent your way.