El Misti Volcano., I always wanted to see a volcano, as far…

By A Mystery Man Writer

Description

I always wanted to see a volcano, as far as I can remember. I recall even as a young kid, being mesmerized by them and building some in “papier mâché”, and pouring colored vinegar and baking soda into it to illustrate eruptions for class projects. Well, my dream came true this year as we flew to Arequipa, Peru. We flew right over Misti, saw its crater and everything, and this memory will be etched in my brain forever. I only got a quick and blurry iPhone shot from the airplane, but this one is my best shot of Misti, from my hotel room window. Misti is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its proximity to Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city. It has an elevation of 5,822 meters above sea level, and a mere 16kms separates it from close to 800,000 people. Thankfully, Misti hasn’t had a major eruption since the 1400’s, but it did emit strong gas emissions in 1985, and seismic tremors happen daily, so it’s only a matter of time until it erupts again. Throughout the city of Arequipa, there are lots of evacuation routes marked everywhere. One cool fact about Misti is that in 1998, several mummies were discovered inside the crater rim of the volcano, confirming its sanctification under the Incas.