A Swede got lost in the volcano
Well not really but imagine this: You try walking up a somewhat active volcano, you can’t find up and return down. You mention to people you might try again. Some days later you decide to take a day trip to the beach but end up visiting a Finn who is 3 hours away on the other side of the island.
Two nights later you come back to the village and the owner of the hotel where you are staying has a weird look in his face. He starts telling how he thought you were dead or lost on the volcano. He was worried to death. He went to the police station and reported you missing. Now the old man is obviously relieved and happy. As you are speaking to the hotel owner there are over 20 people looking for you on the volcano. At 6 a.m this morning the best guides of the island climbed to the top of the volcano and inside the crater, where toxic fumes are always a threat, to make sure nobody is in there. Several people have lost their lives on this volcano, mainly tourists.
An hour later some of the search party come and visit the hotel. The “lost Swede” goes out to meet these young men.
I personally think this photo pretty much summons up the feeling at that moment. Selfishly out of the topic I might even say that it’s one of the best photos I’ve taken.
It’s a happy ending but sometimes we ‘independent travelers’, me included, fail to remember that there are actually people who do get worried and care about what we do and where we are.
And what did we do during the two days when people were worried to dead? We had fun and went hiking to another volcano on this island. It’s not active so we swam on the crater. More of that trip later since I feel it’s off the topic of this post.
Reader Comments
The Nicaraguan Police should arrest tourists that hike the volcanoes without a local guide and proper gear. Five tourist have died hiking the volcanoes in Ometepe. Five years ago I ended up dealing for 19 days with parents, family members, the Police, the Military, US and UK embassies, private security firms from the US. We were very lucky and found the bodies. The Island turned into a Zoo with the International media beating on us every day. Starvation budget backpackers are taking all the risks and we end up with the economic and emotional fallout of their stupid decicions. The Nicaraguan Airforce was burning $2000 per hour (Helicopters) looking for the lost hikers. Can a poor country like Nicaragua afford to do this? 10 days into the search, the Nicaraguan military and the Police gave up and passed on the responsabilities to BlackWater and Global Options (security firms from the US). The two hikers without a guide where found dead above the San Ramon waterfalls in the Maderas.