and speaking of volcanoes, we went inside of one! well, sort of — it’s more like a “lava tube”, which is what happens when lava tries to escape not from the top of the volcano but from a lateral vent. the entrance through a low-ceiling tunnel was a bit claustrophobic for me… but well worth the discomfort as the interior was interesting!

you go down through a series of steps, marveling at the vegetation dripping with all the humidity of the overhead fogs…

deep down, a lake was formed with all the rainwater, which also creates white silica-rich stalactites. my photos are crap, but the boy shot this video which does a better job of showing the place:

and in the end, someone in our group even bought the cup:

i’ve been inside a volcano, it says — true story! :D