Sunday 20 March 2005. We are on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. Having spent the morning wandering around the streets of Santa Cruz, we take a coach after lunch for an excursion to sites nearby.
El Caldera del Taburiente is the world's largest volcanic crater. Its circumference is almost 17 miles around and the crater reaches depths of 3500 feet. However it merely started life as a volcano and then the crater was enlarged greatly by the erosion of the much more modest original volcanic crater.
It is a national park, protecting the unique vegetation. The air is so clear here that an internationally famous astronomy station is on top of one of the mountains that ring the crater.
I find time to do a bit of scratching with the pencil. A pencil that I had had to borrow from the Purser's desk - I'd forgotten to bring one with me!
Steep gullies plunge down from the path, climbing equally as steeply on the other side of the path. I use the word steep with deliberation. We kept well away from the edge, as to slip down one of these would mean a long fall and a painful halt by banging into a tree or an even greater drop to the bottom!
Only rarely along our walk do the trees and bush clear to give breath-taking views of the crater. It is gob-smackingly impressive!
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments must be passed by moderator before appearing on this post.