| Indiana Jones and the Volcano | | | | my left. I crawled in the direction of the |
| | | | flow until I was within a few inches of the |
| Experiencing a live volcano was on top of our | | | | mass. To my surprise, the air felt like I had |
| agenda when my friend Rob and I visited the | | | | just opened a 400-degree oven. The surface |
| exotic land of Costa Rica. The plane touched | | | | was so hot, I instinctively jumped back a few |
| down in the capital city of San Jose, and we | | | | feet. When we first arrived earlier in the |
| headed for the car rental to pick up a 4x4 | | | | morning, the extremely cold wind and pelting |
| and a map to Mt. Arenal, the nearest active | | | | rain had so neutralized the radiant heat from |
| volcano. | | | | the lava, we didn't even notice the |
| | | | temperature. |
| After an arduous drive through torrential | | | | |
| rain, we finally arrived in a quiet village | | | | But the heat was not the only aspect of the |
| supposedly at the foot of a fire-belching | | | | lava that the elements had concealed from us. |
| monster. I say supposedly because it was so | | | | I picked up a small twig and approached the |
| foggy, we weren't even sure a volcano | | | | foot of the black mound that had gushed from |
| existed. We couldn't see a tree a block away, | | | | the top of the mountain. Getting as close as |
| let alone a volcanic mountain looming 5,000 | | | | I could to the sulphurous heat, I stuck the |
| feet above us. | | | | branch into the rain-drenched ground about |
| | | | two inches in front of the lava. Within a |
| Locals claim if you really listen closely, | | | | minute, the lava hill reached the stick and |
| you can hear the beast rumble. We never heard | | | | buried it! |
| a whimper. By the second misty day and night | | | | |
| of no sighting, I suspected the local | | | | Suddenly my whole body reeled with the |
| population had fabricated the story of an | | | | involuntary shudder of recognition. For the |
| erupting volcano in order to attract tourist | | | | last hour Rob and I had been walking on a |
| dollars. A volcano of convenience. No muss, | | | | live, moving lava flow! And Rob was still up |
| no fuss. Just some imaginary rumbling every | | | | there running around on the molten granite. |
| so often that only the locals hear from a | | | | |
| volcano no one ever sees because of the rain | | | | Another eruption, three times louder than the |
| and fog! | | | | first one, filled the air. My ears throbbed |
| | | | from the deafening boom. My feet and body |
| Waiting out the rain, we were eating a tasty | | | | registered avalanche after avalanche of |
| native dinner of red beans and rice at a | | | | crashing rock careening down the side of the |
| colorful local dive when the owner of the | | | | volcano. Descending the rough trail, I ran |
| café strolled over to our table. Without | | | | head over heels in a panic, determined to |
| invitation, he plopped himself down. Miguel | | | | outrun any rockslides coming my way. After a |
| appeared to me exactly as I've always | | | | half-hour of the fastest, long distance race |
| imagined don Juan of Carlos Castaneda fame to | | | | I've ever run, I arrived at our jeep safely |
| look. His face was dark and swarthy with a | | | | sheltered under a broad-armed tree. |
| kind but inscrutable expression. Staring | | | | Collapsing into the front seat, I fought to |
| straight into our eyes, he declared in | | | | catch my breath. |
| halting English, "You want to know volcano, | | | | |
| not just look at it." | | | | As my pulse and mind quieted, I was overcome |
| | | | with fear for the safety of my friend still |
| Being a veteran traveler, I have learned to | | | | walking around on the moving bed of liquid |
| be agreeable in a foreign country and, in | | | | rock in the midst of periodic violent |
| general, say "yes" to practically everything | | | | explosions. I began feeling intensely |
| spoken to me by the locals. Not realizing the | | | | responsible. I'd left a young kid in my |
| full import of the distinction between the | | | | charge on top of an erupting volcano! A |
| words Miguel had used, I responded amicably, | | | | nightmarish vision bombarded me. I saw his |
| "Yeah, yeah, of course, we'd like to know the | | | | parents, who had entrusted their son with me, |
| volcano." | | | | watching local authorities dig through the |
| | | | rubble of the volcano searching for the body |
| Without another word, Miguel turned over my | | | | of the lost American youth. Feeling so guilty |
| paper place mat and began to draw a crooked | | | | and worried I could neither relax nor rest, I |
| line. We watched in silence as he guided the | | | | decided I must leave the jeep and hike back |
| pencil over the grease-stained paper in | | | | up the volcano. I had to find Rob. |
| absorbed concentration. What emerged was a | | | | |
| detailed map of twists and turns with | | | | No sooner had I opened the door of the jeep |
| landmarks indicated by little, kid-like | | | | than an insistent inner impulse told me to |
| pictures of trees, stone walls and tiny | | | | stay put and listen inside for further |
| shacks to represent a village. | | | | instructions. When I receive such forceful |
| | | | commands from my inner coach, I usually obey. |
| Finished, Miguel sighed and spoke directly | | | | Quieting myself as much as possible under the |
| into our souls with piercing, green eyes. | | | | circumstances, I endeavored to get in touch |
| "This map take you to volcano. To be with | | | | with my next best intuitive move. I |
| volcano-to feel and know spirit of volcano." | | | | challenged myself, Was it wrong what I did? |
| Then he laughed softly and cautioned us we | | | | Was it selfish and self-absorbed to look |
| would be scared because the volcano would | | | | after my own safety and leave a young kid |
| definitely erupt when we were there. "But | | | | behind? |
| volcano not harm you," he added hastily. With | | | | |
| a wistful look in his face, Miguel shared how | | | | After I felt all the intense emotions stirred |
| he has picnicked at the edge of the volcano | | | | up from asking these soul-searching |
| his whole life and the towering inferno had | | | | questions, I received a very strong message |
| never harmed him. His words only mildly | | | | directly from Spirit. My inner knowing spoke |
| consoled me. | | | | to me emphatically, saying: |
| | | | |
| The sound of the cold, drenching rain woke us | | | | "You did the right thing. You followed your |
| at dawn. We still couldn't see or hear the | | | | intuition. If you recall specifically, your |
| volcano. Since the downpour discouraged us | | | | inner coach told you that it was dangerous |
| from any tourist activity, we decided we may | | | | for you to stay, and that you needed to leave |
| as well get soaking wet following Miguel's | | | | immediately. It said nothing about your |
| map to wherever it led. | | | | friend Rob. Nothing at all. You were right to |
| | | | follow your guidance and leave. In fact, had |
| We drove up the steep mountainside until the | | | | you stayed, you may very well have endangered |
| rugged jeep road ended abruptly at a craggy | | | | your friend's safety! Had you stayed, you |
| cliff. I was very surprised Miguel's | | | | would have been out of alignment with your |
| hand-drawn map actually corresponded to what | | | | intuition and, therefore, out of harmony and |
| we found on our journey. We followed our | | | | integrity with yourself. This discordant |
| friend's makeshift chart through a hole in a | | | | state has a strong tendency to interfere with |
| fence, up a circuitous rocky path, over many | | | | another person's ability to tap into and |
| collapsed lava rock walls and past | | | | follow his or her own knowing. Had you |
| long-deserted fruit orchards. The trail ended | | | | stayed, you may have hindered Rob's ability |
| at an imposing 300-foot wall of solid | | | | to hear and heed his inner direction. You |
| volcanic lava flow so jagged and sharp we | | | | took the most helpful, loving and appropriate |
| couldn't climb it. | | | | action by following the letter and spirit of |
| | | | your intuition. You following you own |
| Fortunately for us, Miguel had anticipated | | | | internal urging allowed your friend the space |
| this challenge. At the edge of the lava flow, | | | | to realize he must rely on his own internal |
| his map showed a naturally camouflaged trail | | | | wisdom." |
| through the dense rainforest. We plunged into | | | | |
| the dark primeval forest. The jungle growth | | | | Spirit's message was a fascinating new lesson |
| was so thick with vines and roots, the path | | | | in intuitive guidance for me. In general, and |
| so muddy and slippery, I felt we'd dropped | | | | for its reassurance in my present |
| into a comic scene right out of the Harrison | | | | predicament, I was grateful for this fresh |
| Ford movie "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of | | | | perspective. I never before realized the |
| the Lost Ark." During one hilarious moment, | | | | precision of intuition. I never before |
| Rob and I both lost our footing and, | | | | understood the independence of one person's |
| clutching each other, slid back down fifty | | | | guidance from the inner counsel of another |
| feet of the mudslide trail. Grabbing | | | | person in a shared situation. |
| overhanging vines, Tarzan-style, saved the | | | | |
| day-and our necks! Our guardian angels must | | | | At the exact moment I realized the import of |
| get a lot of overtime pay! | | | | what I was being told by my inner coach, Rob |
| | | | came streaking down the trail toward the |
| Undaunted and filled with the rush of | | | | jeep. In the fury of the last violent |
| adventure, Rob and I helped each other stand | | | | eruption, Rob received his own internal |
| up, pull ourselves together and restart the | | | | signal to vamoose. Guided by his own inner |
| climb. Clawing and scratching our way through | | | | compass, he immediately took the Mudslide |
| the rainforest, we finally reached the top of | | | | Express through the jungle to safety. I was |
| the lava flow. My first impression was how | | | | extremely relieved-and appreciative to |
| very windy and cold it was up there for a | | | | Spirit-that my nightmare vision of Rob's |
| tropical climate. The pouring rain and dense | | | | demise was averted. I gave silent thanks for |
| fog had persisted, obliterating the view of | | | | the eternal lessons I learned from our |
| anything more than a foot in front of us. As | | | | escapade. |
| we inched our way along the top of the | | | | |
| volcanic rock, I remembered how Miguel had | | | | Back on solid ground, Rob and I were anxious |
| told us of his many idyllic picnics here with | | | | to leave the mountain rains and clouds. We |
| his friends. Not very conducive weather for a | | | | hopped into the jeep and sped toward the |
| picnic on this morning! | | | | sunny western coast of Costa Rica. Driving |
| | | | down the mountainside, we both lapsed in and |
| Suddenly, a booming roar filled the air, | | | | out of thankful silence for being alive. |
| followed by a very powerful rumble that | | | | Perhaps the next day, the morning's events |
| reverberated throughout our bodies. We felt | | | | would seem a great adventure, but, right |
| the Earth roll in one undulating wave after | | | | then, the very real danger we'd just survived |
| another! Even though Rob and I had never | | | | remained very palpable and raw. Our minds, |
| experienced an eruption before, we | | | | emotions and physical bodies were still |
| instinctively knew this was the volcano | | | | remembering and replaying our narrow escape. |
| showing its might. The ground continued to | | | | |
| heave in unnerving spasms. People-size | | | | Suddenly, Rob and I experienced simultaneous |
| boulders sped past us down the slope. Flying | | | | intuitive hits to pull over and get out of |
| rocks were propelled into nearby trees, the | | | | the jeep. Leaning against the vehicle, we |
| sheer force imbedding the projectiles cleanly | | | | turned as one toward the top of the mountain |
| into their trunks. We heard and felt nearby | | | | we'd just descended. As if waiting for us to |
| avalanches crashing their way down the | | | | stop our downward trek away from the mountain |
| mountain. We could only see a fraction of the | | | | and turn our gaze upward, the clouds parted |
| devastation because of the blinding downpour, | | | | to reveal the awesome Mt. Arenal volcano for |
| but our bodies definitely registered the | | | | the very first time since our arrival in |
| massive rearrangement all around us. | | | | Costa Rica so many days earlier. The dense |
| | | | mist lifted. We saw exactly where we had been |
| A sharp electric terror shot through every | | | | hiking on the lava flow. We pinpointed where |
| cell of my body. Its message was explicit and | | | | the tree line ended and the lava flow began. |
| commanding, "Leave! Now! You must go now to | | | | We'd been standing only a hundred yards from |
| save your life." | | | | the open mouth of the volcano when it |
| | | | erupted! |
| I shouted to Rob, "We're out of here! It's | | | | |
| not safe!" To my astonishment, he shook his | | | | The restaurant owner Miguel had promised we |
| head from side to side indicating he didn't | | | | would be with, we would feel and we would |
| want to go. | | | | know the spirit of the volcano. He said the |
| | | | mountain would definitely erupt when we were |
| "I'm staying. This is too cool!" he yelled | | | | there. And he'd promised the volcano would |
| over the roar of the wind and falling rock. | | | | not harm us. The rain and his crude map |
| He was nineteen years old. His sense of | | | | tricked us into going so close to the volcano |
| novelty and exploration was still stronger | | | | that we did, indeed, get to know the volcano, |
| than his sense of danger and good judgment. I | | | | not just view it. |
| started to argue. I made zero impression on | | | | |
| the brash, young daredevil. | | | | Was it the spirit of the volcano that sent |
| | | | Miguel to us? -and turned the skies into a |
| Then another explosion rocked our world. I | | | | torrential downpour in order to obscure the |
| watched in horror as the heat, ash and force | | | | treacherous nature of our journey so we |
| of the blast denuded a huge 200-foot tree in | | | | wouldn't be scared off? Rob and I agreed, |
| one second, stripping off all its leaves and | | | | stranger things have happened. One thing was |
| limbs. If this volcano could do that to a | | | | certain. If we'd been able to see where we |
| tree, it could do the same to us! I knew with | | | | were going, we would never have walked as |
| certainty I was supposed to leave posthaste. | | | | close as we did to the mouth of the cauldron. |
| | | | |
| Jumping off the top of the lava mound right | | | | Now, viewing the majesty of Mt. Arenal, we |
| into the rainforest, I bolted without another | | | | were humbled and ever so grateful for the |
| thought. I threw myself into the "Raiders of | | | | experience of having been able to safely feel |
| the Lost Ark" express mudslide, riding the | | | | the mountain's power and personality. As we |
| flowing water and sludge through the dense | | | | were sending out our thankfulness to and |
| jungle growth down the side of the | | | | admiration of the volcano, the mountain |
| still-quaking mountainside. In what seemed | | | | erupted again with an explosion twice as high |
| like only a few seconds, I arrived at the | | | | as the volcano itself. Two miles of elegant |
| bottom of the lava flow. The path was | | | | ash plume shot up into the dark blue sky. The |
| certainly faster and easier going down than | | | | event was quite dramatic and very humbling. |
| climbing up! For a brief moment, I lay soaked | | | | |
| to the bone, resting in a mud puddle, my | | | | We knew the volcano was responding to our |
| ripped clothes covered with brown muck. | | | | love and appreciation for its gift to us that |
| | | | day. Then the clouds closed back in and our |
| Recovering some of my composure, I became | | | | mighty friend said good-bye, leaving us |
| aware for the first time of heat radiating | | | | forever changed and enriched by its |
| from the lava flow smoldering several feet to | | | | friendship. |