Mt.Etna the Unpredictable Volcano

Mt. Etna is the largest and most active volcano in all of Europe. It dominates the northern region of Sicily – an island south of Italy. We happily made our way from Naples to Catania, which would be our base for exploring the volcano. After a very long 8 hour train journey, we arrived in Catania in the early evening around 6pm. We were surprised at how dark it had already become reminding us that winter is slowly approaching. We were hoping to stay at the Hotel Bellini as recommended by the Lonely Planet and headed directly there before the catastrophe occurred. The unevenness of the roads and sidewalks due to their use of the local lava rocks that originates from Mt. Etna, was the final blow to one of C’s most precious belongings over the last 10 months – that of his home, his yellow bag. The wheel had had enough, and decided to take it’s own life, when the rubber disintegrated, and Chris was left to drag the remains while sobbing quietly to the hotel. A friendly Iranian born man who owns the hotel greeted us, and we immediately knew we would be staying there, despite my declining bargaining skills. Not sure if I am out of practice or not expecting Europe to be the kind of place where you haggle, but I was able to save us a whopping 2 Euros per night and got a great room for 44 Euros. Eager to get some rest and some badly needed sleep, we called it an early evening and decided to leave the exploring for the next day.

Attempting a life saving operation…unfortunately it didn’t work, the bag was caputz

What was left of the wheel

What do you think of Chris’ new bag?

Catania is a very small town, but one that we thoroughly enjoyed. It’s quaint, clean, and one of those places where you can stroll the streets for hours and just wander. And wander we did for one and a half days….

Piazza Duomo is the heart of Catania - this square is the site of the Cathedral, the Elephant Fountain, City Hall (seen here) and the Palazzo dei Chierici

The domineering Cathedral is the main focal point in the square

The Elephant Fountain – this fountain can be found in the middle of the square and has become the symbol of the city named by the locals as “u liotru”. The fountain is topped by an Egyptian obelisk and according to an old tradition, the word “liotru” comes from the name of Heliodorus, a magician from the Byzantine era, who had the same powers as Circe: he could transform people into animals. He used the elephant as his steed.

The Amenano Fountain which can also be found in the Duomo square. The River Amenano is represented by the youth in the center while on the sides, and lower down, there are two enormous Tritons.

A close up shot of one of the Tritons in the Amenano Fountain

Although Catania was a nice stop, our primary reason for coming here was to explore Mt. Etna. We caught a bus early the next morning for 5 Euros per person return, which was well worth the money for a two hour bus journey that drops you off at Nicolois Nord-Rifugio Sapienza (at an elevation of 1923 m). From here, we had wanted to walk to one of the summits to find the lava flows, but upon arrival, were deterred from attempting this as not only were there no information booths around, but also an old man manning a souvenir shop advised us that it would take approximately 8 hours to go up and down. Considering that it was already 10:30 am and we had to be back down by 4:30 pm to catch the bus back to Catania, our original plan was thwarted.

The devastating effects of the last volcanic eruption on Mt. Etna…this we saw on the bus ride up to the mountain

Of course each mountain has its own money-making schemes. Mt. Etna has a cable car that you can take up to an altitude of 2500 m (for 24 Euros per person), and from here again you can either walk or go on the much recommended jeep excursion to 2900 m (for an additional 22.5 Euros to see the lava). Having really no choice, we decide to fork out the dough to the next elevation and figured that we would find our own way to the lava flows on foot. Once we got to the end of the cable car though, the weather had taken a turn for the worse, thus we were turned back by the thick fog and a lack of a map. I was all gung ho to give it a shot and try to find a way to the summit, but C being the responsible one (actually the scared one) suggested we spend the 45 Euros for the excursion.

The view on the cable car ride up

Come on, I’m ready to explore, fog or no fog!!

With our tickets in hand, we shivered in line for over an hour, waiting for our turn to get on the many jeeps that kept coming down the mountain to drop off tourists, but were not taking any more people up to the top. We were then advised that they were waiting for the weather to clear up as it was not possible to see the lava in the thick fog. We waited an additional 20 minutes, when the burly man in front stated that no jeeps were going up, and we all could get our money back.

Disappointed that we were not going to be able to see the lava, we got our money back and figured we would make use of the 48 Euros that we had already spent on the cable car and spend a bit more time exploring before heading down the mountain. As we walked around and took a few pics, luck appeared to be on our side, as Mt. Etna started to reveal herself as the fog began to slowly dissipate. The path to the top that we barely were able to make out a couple of hours earlier became more visible with every step we took up the volcano. We didn’t think much of this, as the weather at this elevation can change rather quickly, but we carried on regardless. Before we knew it, we had reached a couple of the smaller craters left in the eruptions of 2002, and myself “being the adventurous one” crossed into the out of bounds area to get a closer look at the smoke that was rising out of the crater’s belly.

Taking in the view and hoping the weather starts to clear up

Hallejuah!! Is that the sun I see??!!

One of many craters on the volcano

One of the craters emitting numerous amounts of smoke… why would you not want to get a closer look??

Inches away from an actual crater….this is too cool

It was surreal experience walking up the volcano with signs of past eruptions all around us, the lack of vegetation and the bareness of the land; at times it seemed like we were on another planet. The walk up was rather difficult at times not only because of the 400 m vertical climb, but also due to the soft fine volcanic sand that would disappear under our feet with each step coupled with the breathing problems we both encountered due to the high altitude. Whatever it was, this was one of the most challenging hikes compared to all of the others we have done thus far. As we continued to climb, it did not seem to bother us as the jeeps were making their trips up to the lava again. The climb up was definitely worth it not only to be able to climb the most active volcano in Europe, but to see the lava flow was something else.

Starting the trek into the unknown

The bare landscape

The hike was quite amazing with beautiful views

A reminder of past eruptions

Almost there….

It is exactly as I pictured it in my mind: a dark red-orange mass slowly pulsating as it inches its way down the mountain, releasing exuberant amounts of heat and sulfur while making that sizzling noise that make you wonder when it will pop again. We did not get a chance to see how far the lava flowed down the mountain due to dangerous conditions, but to see this much was enough for me. I seemed to be drawn to the lava and did not want to leave. It might sound funny, but I guess it is one of those intriguing elements in nature that captivates you. From seeing it on television, to the school science fairs where there is always that one exhibit where some one builds a volcano and has lava pouring out of it; it is a natural phenomenon that intrigues all ages. We stayed for about a half an hour, observing the lava, taking in the view, and trying not to inhale the copious amounts of sulfur that would flow off the lava intermittently.

Our first view of where the lava is…you’d think those men with the shovels are workers trying to contain the lava but nope, they’re vendors!! Yup, they’re men who take the lava and use it to melt rock and make various objects such as bowls and ash trays. No matter where you go, you can’t escape them.

And here it is…the red lava pulsating its way down the mountain side

Up close and personal….I may be smiling in the pic but I’m sweating bullets as the heat coming off the lava is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

Caught in an attack of sulfur smoke…this stuff can be pretty dangerous if you’re not covering your mouth and nose

Chris in front of the lava rock from which the lava seemed to be flowing out of

Just one more pic…

We slowly made our way back to the cable car area, taking some time to leave our mark on the volcano, before leaving Mt. Etna. Despite the uncertainty at the beginning of our day, our time on Mt. Etna was all worth while. It is not everyday you can say that you climbed a volcano, and saw it in it’s active state. Another grateful experience that this amazing trip has offered us.

Making our way back down the volcano and stopping to add some graffiti

Leaving our mark that we were here

”Honey, do you think this is too big to take home as a souvenir??”

Patience does pay off….an unforgettable experience!!

Next we are off to one of the countries that I have been looking forward to the most – Greece. We will be embarking on a full 2 days of traveling to take in the archaeological remains of Athens and to enjoy some badly needed R&R on a couple of the Greek Islands.

Until then, keep smiling…

Ravy the Roamer