tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63616373364647579652024-03-13T09:52:51.575-07:00Learning in MontserratMrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-14907660370393758272012-07-21T19:43:00.001-07:002012-07-21T19:43:51.123-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="color: #741b47;">July 17, 2012: </b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">Well, we are back in the United States and I finally finished posting about our last day in Montserrat. We had a blast! It was, hands down, the best trip I've ever been on! I decided to post some more pictures from the trip that didn't make "the cut" on my other posts, but are still worthy of screen time! :) The island had many beautiful flowers (so there are a lot of pictures of ones that I saw)! Hope you enjoy them! </span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very sad....lots of houses in the exclusion zone and outlining areas had for sale signs in their yards. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor's House - when the flag is flying, the Governor is home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">huge frog - they were everywhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water was gorgeous! This shows the water, cliff, and the cave! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rendezvous Beach (if you look closely you can see an abandoned house). The only way to get to Rendezvous Beach is by boat, kayak, swimming, or a 40 minute hike over the mountain. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hummingbird nest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hummingbird nest is at the base of this (inside the rope...look closely).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">old sugar mill</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a lot of cows and goats that either roamed the island or were just tied up on the side of the road (like this one). It was really sad, many were very skinny (look at the one on the right).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me...blogging! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scriber drinking from the fresh water (out of a tree leaf...of course)! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the bromeliads in the tree? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodlands Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign at Woodlands Beach. I thought it was really cool! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runaway Ghaut...see sign above</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took so many pictures of beautiful homes. I felt the need to show that not all of the island was filled with such homes. There were also homes like this on the island! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The village of Cudjoe Head was named in the 18th Century after a slave, Cudjoe, who ran away from his master. He was caught and
lynched at Cudjoe Head corner and his head was placed on a silk cotton
tree to remind anyone considering running away what the punishment would
be if they were caught. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the churches on Montserrat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Montserrat! :(</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></b>Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-5991246048811012712012-07-17T19:34:00.001-07:002012-10-05T16:07:03.379-07:00<span style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
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<b><u>July 10, 2012</u>: </b><br />
<b>Today is our last day in Montserrat! :( I was able to get to talk to the head volcanologist, Paul Cole, at the MVO (Montserrat Volcano Observatory). It was such a great opportunity and I was thrilled that he was willing to meet with me! I first asked him some questions and then he took us on a tour of the MVO. Mr. Cole arrived in Montserrat in 1996, after the initial eruptions in 1995. He said the '97 eruption was very dramatic and that the probability of more activity is very likely. The average amount of sulfur dioxide that is emitted from the volcano is about 500 tons per day (sometimes it is higher and sometimes lower). Two very common crystals found in the volcanic rock in Montserrat are hornblende (it is black in color) and feldspar (more of a milky color). About 40-50% of the rock is composed of crystal. The pyroclastic eruption only barely penetrated the stratosphere, therefore the climate was not effected by the eruptions. The ash from the volcanic eruption only went as far as Puerto Rico (which is not very far...about 500 miles away). We got to go into the main control room of the MVO. It was really cool to see all of the equipment that they use to monitor the volcano. They have a seismograph drum that was used, but has been replaced with more high tech instruments. The computer screens were all monitoring the activity. There were six rockfalls from the summit of the volcano today! We also got to see the seismograph data from the February 2010 eruption. It was quite amazing to see! Mr. Cole discussed with us the three things that they look for when monitoring the volcano: seismic activity, gas emission, and deformation. </b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster of Montserrat showing the monitoring stations around the island and the Soufriere Hills Volcano.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seismic Monitoring stations</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seismograph</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seismogram paper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current data from the day we visited, July 19, 2012. The areas that show seismic activity were from rock falls (there were six, so far at the time of our visit). </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the seismic data from the February 2010 dome collapse...WOW! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seismometer is underneath the beige lid and is powered by the solar panel on top. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ash Bucket" to collect and see how much ash falls at different locations during an eruption.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcanologist Paul Cole and me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soufriere Hills Volcano from the helicopter pad! </td></tr>
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<b>After our trip to the MVO we went back down to The Green Monkey Dive shop and rented kayaks and snorkel gear for a couple of hours. We kayaked over to Rendezvous Beach and snorkeled some more! Today we saw a lot of the same sea creatures, but some new ones as well. We saw a stingray, which was really cool to see. He/she was not as curious as the squid we saw on our first trip to Rendezvous Beach. I followed him around for a bit, but he was not wanting to play! We also saw a very cool looking tiny fish. It was bright blue with almost fluorescent blue spots on it. It was such a pretty fish! After snorkeling, we met up with some people (a couple from the UK on vacation and a geologist from the UK) we met while in Montserrat for dinner! </b><b>Dan, the geologist, was there to do some drill work to determine whether, Little Bay would be a good location for the new port in Montserrat (since Plymouth was destroyed). </b><b>It was a perfect wrap-up to a wonderful trip to Montserrat! </b></div>
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This picture shows the damselfish in both its juvenile and adult stages. We saw it in the juvenile stage! It is amazing to see how much they change in their lifetime! </div>
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<a href="http://www.saltcorner.com/AquariumLibrary/critterPics/Microspathodon_chrysurus.jpg">http://www.saltcorner.com/AquariumLibrary/critterPics/Microspathodon_chrysurus.jpg</a></div>
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Stingray</div>
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Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-52513789879201750352012-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:002012-10-05T15:16:08.647-07:00<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: justify;">
<b><u>July 9, 2012</u>: Today was a SUPER busy day....so this will be a really long post!</b></div>
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<b>Rainforest Hike: </b></div>
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<b>We got to go for a 2 1/2 hour hike through the rainforest. We went on the Oriole Walking Trail. The oriole is the National bird of Montserrat. Scriber, our hike guide was absolutely amazing! He was incredibly knowledgeable and was (in my opinion) the "Oriole Whisperer". He could do bird calls and lure the birds into the area so we could have a better look. I got a couple of pictures of them, but they were still a bit far to get a great shot. The rainforest was breathtaking! I have never seen such a diverse and densely populated forest! Besides the oriole, the only other wildlife that we saw was the Black Widow moth, wasps, and termites. The Black Widow Moth has a great little legend. If one lands on you, you will become wealthy. Unfortunately, none of them landed on either of us! :( Some of the wildlife that we didn't see includes: the forest thrush, the shy bridled quail dove, the mangrove cuckoo, the trembler, bats, and purple throated carib. Other regional endemic species that may be found are the mountain chicken (which is actually a type of frog...not a chicken), the galliwasp (which is half-snake, half-lizard), the tarantula, and the agouti (which is a rodent). We did not see the agouti in the rainforest, but one darted across the road while we were on our way to the hike. They look like a large rat with no tale. I think I'm glad we didn't see any in the rainforest. There were tarantula holes in the ground all over the place. Scriber tried to coax a few out of their holes, but none cooperated! I was disappointed! As for plant life, there was a great diversity! I have three pages of notes on all of the types of plants/trees. One that we saw shortly after we started is called the silver fern (or the local tattoo). It is given this name because it has pollen on the underside of the fern. You can lay the leaf on your skin and the slap it. It leaves a pollen tattoo of the leaf on your skin. I videoed Scriber as he explained it and demonstrated. It was so cool! Be sure to check out the video. Philodendron (elephant ear) was everywhere in the forest. They are called the "lover of trees" because they attach to the trees to reach the light gaps in the forest. They have a mutualistic relationship. The elephant ear grows on the tree to receive sunlight and in return it is able to funnel more water down to the root system of the trees in which it makes it's home. The roots of the elephant ear are used for crafts (mostly for making hats). We also saw many crab eye beans. They are a type of bean that you eat, but the locals often use them for crafts (eyes for dolls, beads for necklace, etc.). Some (there are many others that I'm not listing) other plants that we saw were the vanilla plant, the coffee bean plant, lots of moss, fungi (which was poisonous), the rubber tree (I took a really good video on Scriber describing the rubber tree), bread fruit trees (they make great chips...taste very similar to potato chips), the stinging nettle (the leaves can actually sting you and will leave raised marks that itch, much like a mosquito bite), the cocoa trees and cocoa pods, and the banyan tree (which was my absolute favorite). The first banyan tree that we saw, I thought was amazing. It was huge and the roots were too. Scriber was amused by my excitement of the size of the tree and said, "Wait until you see the other one on this trail". He was right!! The second banyan tree that we saw was out of this world! Scriber said it was probably about 300-400 yrs old. It was the most amazing tree that I've ever seen. The roots towered well over our heads and out of our reach. The pictures that I took will not do the tree justice. There were bats living in a hollowed out section of the tree (you could see the mango colored bat droppings on the roots and ground nearby). The banyan tree was by far the highlight of the hike for me. We also passed by one of the water collection areas in the forest. The water is collected and then distributed to the people of Montserrat. Montserrat is composed of about 90% water. Only about 10% is even being used for domestic use. It has some of the purest water in the world. There is an area on the side of one of the streets called the Runaway Ghaut. There is a legend that goes like this, "If you drink from this burn, to Montserrat you will return" Jon and I both drank from the ghaut and both plan on returning!</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">silver fern (local tattoo...see video below)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">philodendron (elephant ear)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Se4GIWC6hUw/T_2lnTJ592I/AAAAAAAAAL4/us7ugm1LjVA/s1600/IMG_7987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Se4GIWC6hUw/T_2lnTJ592I/AAAAAAAAAL4/us7ugm1LjVA/s320/IMG_7987.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vanilla (the green plant on the tree)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gS29NE2D_DY/T_2lxBYLggI/AAAAAAAAAMA/WkczYhR46-o/s1600/IMG_8017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gS29NE2D_DY/T_2lxBYLggI/AAAAAAAAAMA/WkczYhR46-o/s320/IMG_8017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">coffee plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a7XEwZfYXeI/T_2mSq1tEOI/AAAAAAAAAMc/aqsEqi9cG80/s1600/IMG_8067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a7XEwZfYXeI/T_2mSq1tEOI/AAAAAAAAAMc/aqsEqi9cG80/s320/IMG_8067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">moss (covered the entire visible surface of the rock)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPg-Xh6VqKI/T_2mGxmrfGI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/PpcuGy_Oogo/s1600/IMG_8019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jPg-Xh6VqKI/T_2mGxmrfGI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/PpcuGy_Oogo/s320/IMG_8019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fungi (very poisonous) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0r4Aq591TFE/T_2nDLp2bgI/AAAAAAAAAMs/RBbGrSRDA3Y/s1600/IMG_8066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0r4Aq591TFE/T_2nDLp2bgI/AAAAAAAAAMs/RBbGrSRDA3Y/s320/IMG_8066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stinging nettle (leaves sting you, leaving raised marks on your skin)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O08qsSJLC_4/T_2n18K47nI/AAAAAAAAANQ/y4MD1-7PxTQ/s1600/IMG_8103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O08qsSJLC_4/T_2n18K47nI/AAAAAAAAANQ/y4MD1-7PxTQ/s320/IMG_8103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">empty cocoa pod</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Hqctwk8YiE/T_2m7A-p8fI/AAAAAAAAAMk/YWpws39touk/s1600/IMG_8023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Hqctwk8YiE/T_2m7A-p8fI/AAAAAAAAAMk/YWpws39touk/s320/IMG_8023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banyan tree (this is the first one)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gob3f2OdNVw/T_2nRnhCu2I/AAAAAAAAAM0/Hb7ITpaycQE/s1600/IMG_8079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gob3f2OdNVw/T_2nRnhCu2I/AAAAAAAAAM0/Hb7ITpaycQE/s320/IMG_8079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banyan tree (second one....it was massive)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x-Km85HTnG4/T_2nfvU_cKI/AAAAAAAAAM8/MeNTBu_T-eY/s1600/IMG_8086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x-Km85HTnG4/T_2nfvU_cKI/AAAAAAAAAM8/MeNTBu_T-eY/s320/IMG_8086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banyan tree (Scriber and I are standing in the middle of the roots...they are huge)! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8bGZSMZ7IT0/T_2nsDPGA-I/AAAAAAAAANE/Vsrl_Sv4JbI/s1600/IMG_8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8bGZSMZ7IT0/T_2nsDPGA-I/AAAAAAAAANE/Vsrl_Sv4JbI/s320/IMG_8087.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banyan tree - See how tall it is? Scriber is reaching his arm up and he still is not reaching the top of the roots! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Video of Scriber demonstrating the "local tattoo" (silver fern).</div>
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Video of Scriber showing us the rubber tree.</div>
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<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: justify;">
<b>Tour into part of the exclusion zone:</b></div>
<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: justify;">
<b>THE GATES WERE OPEN!!!! After lunch, Winston, our taxi tour guide from July 5th, picked us up and took us into the exclusion zone. There are parts of the exclusion zone that you can go into when the gates are open, but some areas are strictly prohibited (the capital of Plymouth being one of them). We got to go into Richmond Hill. Richmond Hill was the sight of the Sugar Mill Museum and the Montserrat Springs Hotel. There was a large area that showed the terrible erosion that has occurred, and houses that were damaged badly, but not destroyed. The Montserrat Springs Hotel was recently updated prior to the 1997 eruption. We actually were able to go INTO the ruins of the hotel. It was an incredible and emotional experience. To see the ruins first hand and walk through the different areas of the hotel was mind blowing and completely unfathomable! We walked in and the front desk was partially buried, with a telephone and credit card machine on top. We walked through the the front lobby, the back office areas, saw the gift shop area, dinning hall, kitchen, and outside to the pool and pool deck. The pool was nearly buried up to the edge with pyroclastic flow. You can see the ladders that go into the flow. At one time there was some water still in it. Winston said that when they evacuated, they could not bring all the cows, goats, etc., so many of the cattle would stay inside the dinning hall with the pool deck and water in the pool right outside. When the water in the pool dried up, the cattle moved on to a different location. Many desks and chairs were partially buried in the pyroclastic flow and everything had a layer of ash or "dried mud" looking pyroclastic material. All of the metal had been rusted terribly due to the pyroclastic flow. Some areas of the roof of the hotel was composed of asphalt shingles and others had tile shingles. The areas were with the asphalt shingles were badly damaged. However, the areas with the tile shingles were completely intact with little to no damage (that should be great advertising for the tile shingle company)!</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3uT2BXwi_qM/T_21eK83iXI/AAAAAAAAANc/jgbIQav5s_Q/s1600/IMG_8161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3uT2BXwi_qM/T_21eK83iXI/AAAAAAAAANc/jgbIQav5s_Q/s320/IMG_8161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A house that wasn't destroyed, but badly damaged.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_BeZbnrwUM/T_21z2LDa2I/AAAAAAAAANk/Ad327GZVh4s/s1600/IMG_8165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2_BeZbnrwUM/T_21z2LDa2I/AAAAAAAAANk/Ad327GZVh4s/s320/IMG_8165.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">erosion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mK4zpC7d6l4/T_218W2VcjI/AAAAAAAAANs/VuDyIYjdkJU/s1600/IMG_8167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mK4zpC7d6l4/T_218W2VcjI/AAAAAAAAANs/VuDyIYjdkJU/s320/IMG_8167.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eroded road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBoLhF5eqVs/T_22D1HRdsI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ep0B0dHxtog/s1600/IMG_8169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBoLhF5eqVs/T_22D1HRdsI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ep0B0dHxtog/s320/IMG_8169.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sugar mill - was transformed into a museum - now it is vacant in the exclusion zone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AP98Liqr9PA/T_25JuVNfZI/AAAAAAAAAPc/1KzYzApILHs/s1600/IMG_8219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AP98Liqr9PA/T_25JuVNfZI/AAAAAAAAAPc/1KzYzApILHs/s320/IMG_8219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montserrat Springs Hotel - entrance</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FI8XKxIyWyA/T_22o2ZcwAI/AAAAAAAAAN8/lQKkPBKj6sk/s1600/IMG_8177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FI8XKxIyWyA/T_22o2ZcwAI/AAAAAAAAAN8/lQKkPBKj6sk/s320/IMG_8177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parts of the roof still in tact are the tile shingles. The parts that are destroyed were asphalt shingles. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMEwfMeWHBk/T_22ycjw1HI/AAAAAAAAAOI/OsyPBQgeJbw/s1600/IMG_8180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMEwfMeWHBk/T_22ycjw1HI/AAAAAAAAAOI/OsyPBQgeJbw/s320/IMG_8180.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front desk - phone and credit card machine on top. The desk is partially buried. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TmlG1741jj8/T_22_cv-kmI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/130vhJUNaso/s1600/IMG_8185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TmlG1741jj8/T_22_cv-kmI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/130vhJUNaso/s320/IMG_8185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the entrance to the gift shop. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzK4ylFOalw/T_23KuhHulI/AAAAAAAAAOY/zfnNpbEyZTs/s1600/IMG_8186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tzK4ylFOalw/T_23KuhHulI/AAAAAAAAAOY/zfnNpbEyZTs/s320/IMG_8186.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TVls0oBGhpQ/T_23VEBc6NI/AAAAAAAAAOg/daRbruh33l0/s1600/IMG_8187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TVls0oBGhpQ/T_23VEBc6NI/AAAAAAAAAOg/daRbruh33l0/s320/IMG_8187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iv3WYKHb_RI/T_235tPg24I/AAAAAAAAAOo/TK8zxWt-GVE/s1600/IMG_8188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iv3WYKHb_RI/T_235tPg24I/AAAAAAAAAOo/TK8zxWt-GVE/s320/IMG_8188.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitchen area</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nrH8gpZqOg/T_24Bz4UmMI/AAAAAAAAAOw/uQsyELgbwo4/s1600/IMG_8189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7nrH8gpZqOg/T_24Bz4UmMI/AAAAAAAAAOw/uQsyELgbwo4/s320/IMG_8189.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dinning hall </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0kAX0JvqRHI/T_24OxND8FI/AAAAAAAAAO4/S1RT365scJk/s1600/IMG_8192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0kAX0JvqRHI/T_24OxND8FI/AAAAAAAAAO4/S1RT365scJk/s320/IMG_8192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">buried pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfka9YLwGvY/T_24X20MyaI/AAAAAAAAAPE/zFBUkxZ4jys/s1600/IMG_8193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfka9YLwGvY/T_24X20MyaI/AAAAAAAAAPE/zFBUkxZ4jys/s320/IMG_8193.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pool ladder</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_atRI0VCnU/T_24jNfeuSI/AAAAAAAAAPM/OjvnN5x03vY/s1600/IMG_8213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_atRI0VCnU/T_24jNfeuSI/AAAAAAAAAPM/OjvnN5x03vY/s320/IMG_8213.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">back room - behind the front desk</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gojN7hvLwmQ/T_24rOGHesI/AAAAAAAAAPU/58Oo5C2IxWA/s1600/IMG_8216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gojN7hvLwmQ/T_24rOGHesI/AAAAAAAAAPU/58Oo5C2IxWA/s320/IMG_8216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">partially buried desk and chair</td></tr>
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Today was an absolutely unbelievable day for me!!! One of my favorites for sure. Just going into the hotel alone was an amazing treat! <br />
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<br />Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-35608330707360735532012-07-09T20:45:00.000-07:002012-10-05T15:15:56.454-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<b style="color: #741b47;"><u>July 8, 2012</u>: Lazy Sunday! Today was the first day that we did not have a set schedule. It was kind of nice. We had lunch at the most amazing restaurant, Watermelon Cottage. Trevor, the owner, is wonderful! We went to his place (it is his house, the restaurant, and he also has a guestroom downstairs) one night for dinner. It was great. It is nestled in a very wooded area. When we went at night you could hear the frogs and the babbling brook. He had some lighting so we could see out into his yard a little. We decided we wanted to see it in the daytime, so we went for lunch today. The food was wonderful, but the atmosphere and his company were fantastic! Seeing the birds (there was a nest with babies that we could see from our table), butterflies, and lizards. After a delicious lunch at Watermelon Cottage we decided to head the a local beach for a little while. Lime Kiln Bay Beach is a wonderful little secluded beach. When we got there, there was only one local couple there. The shore line is scattered with many rocks (they were all different colors, shapes, and sizes). It was fun to just walk along and grab them before the waves took them back. The undertow was pretty strong, so we didn't venture to far into the water (not to mention your legs and ankles would get plummeted by rocks...it hurt)! We also decided to go up to Jack Boy Hill, which was on the opposite side of the island. It was a long and very bumpy drive, but was well worth it. The view was spectacular and there were binoculars there for visitors. The volcano was really releasing steam (sulfur). It was crazy to watch the steam just pour out of the three vents we could see. The volcano still had a lot of cloud cover all around it, so the top is still not visible. We were able to watch the volcano for a while as well as see Antigua (the next closest island) in the distance. In all it was a very nice and relaxing day! Tomorrow will be yet another adventure on the mystical island of Montserrat! </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lunch view from Watermelon Cottage. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the pool at Watermelon Cottage. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lime Kiln Bay Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lime Kiln Bay Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the MANY hairpin turns going up/down the mountain roads! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Antigua from Montserrat at Jack Boy Hill. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soufriere Hills Volcano from the viewing deck at Jack Boy Hill. If you look closely (under the clouds) you can see the sulfur (gas) being released from the vents. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the mudflow from Jack Boy Hill. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the mudflow. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soufriere Hills Volcano from Jack Boy Hill. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acacia Bush is all over the island. The thorns are so long and very sharp! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acacia Bush - new growth - the thorns are nearly as long as your fingers! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-26068788020443260472012-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:002012-10-05T15:15:17.983-07:00<div style="color: #a64d79;">
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<b><u>July 7, 2012</u>: Today we went on an island boat tour. Our tour guide was Troy. It was fun to see the island, but especially Soufriere Hills Volcano, from the water. Soufriere is a French term used to describe any volcanic area, literally translated to mean, “sulfur in the air”. We were able to see the mudflow and the pyroclastic flow that buried town of Plymouth (which was the island's capital)! Two thirds of the island is now an exclusion zone. It is illegal to go into the exclusion zone (unless the gates are open and even then you can only go so far) and port and, in fact, Troy was unable to even stop the boat. He drove very slowly so we could see it. Seeing the buried city was stunning! I wish we could have gotten closer! The pyroclastic flow completely demolished the entire town! The volcano gave a lateral blast shooting the rocks (some bigger than some of the houses) and ash straight down into the city reaching about 110 mph. The plume of smoke and ash rose to an altitude of about 50,000 ft. Some areas are an estimated 60 feet deep in ash! Most of the houses and buildings were completely covered by the flow. However, some of the taller buildings were not completely buried, and can be seen in the pictures! The volcano is constantly emitting sulfur and the smell was incredibly strong the closer we got to the port of Plymouth! Troy told us that the volcano actually puts out more greenhouse gases that L.A. puts out in day. The only export in Montserrat is the volcanic ash. It is used for building construction. </b></div>
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<b>In all of the pictures below keep in mind that most of the houses/buildings are completely buried. The ones you do see were taller buildings (around 3 stories or more). Also, in some of the pictures you can see a "beach" area. This town had no beach prior to the eruptions. The beach was created from the pyroclastic flows. If you look at the Governor's Mansion (for example), it was on a cliff overlooking the water. </b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soufriere Hills Volcano (you can see the pyroclastic flow and the sulfur clouds). </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buried capital of Plymouth.<b> </b><u><b>In all of the pictures here keep in mind that most of the houses/buildings are completely buried. The ones you do see were taller buildings. </b></u></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyroclastic flow (you can see a building in the foreground. About 2 1/2 stories of the building are now buried under the ash! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building on the left side on the cliff was the Governor's Mansion. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot of the destruction.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pyroclastic material scorched the land. This area was in the center of the path. The houses were destroyed, but not buried like the ones on the left and right!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tug and barge. They are used to export some of the pyroclastic material out of Montserrat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buried up to the top floor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More buried buildings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buried and scorched buildings. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The growth (green area) on the left side of the mountain is a sign that the volcano is beginning to release less sulfur. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j2v0uXmAerY/T_pJMDE7gHI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/ExveukbD_Os/s1600/IMG_7691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j2v0uXmAerY/T_pJMDE7gHI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/ExveukbD_Os/s320/IMG_7691.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our snorkeling and boat tour guide, Troy. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_SBx11iGic/T_pJDTKhTtI/AAAAAAAAAII/kvY6ZOeJA7Q/s1600/IMG_7663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_SBx11iGic/T_pJDTKhTtI/AAAAAAAAAII/kvY6ZOeJA7Q/s320/IMG_7663.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this picture was cool. See all the layers in the cliff? Also, if you look to the bottom right of the cliff, you can see a landslide. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-36997990897858169512012-07-07T19:00:00.000-07:002012-07-12T13:36:27.874-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: #741b47; text-align: justify;">
<b><u>July 6, 2012</u>: Today we got to snorkel the reefs in Montserrat's
Rendezvous Bay! It was amazing! I've never gone snorkeling before, so it
was quite a treat! Rendezvous Bay is the ONLY white sand beach in
Montserrat! It isn't even fully white sand (like we are used to at
least). All of the other beaches are dark sand because of the volcanic
ash that has settled around the island and washed up on the shore! I
plan on taking home some baggies full of sand. Our snorkeling guide,
Troy, is originally from the U.S.. He moved here 8 years ago, but is now
planning on moving back. He was a great guide...very cool and laid
back, like most of the islanders! He told me to make sure to take some
sand samples home! He said if you put a magnet in the sand, the magnet
will come out "furry" because of all the metal from the volcano! The
coral was awesome, but has been damaged. Troy said the damage was from
Hurricane Hugo (1989) and from the volcanic eruptions that started in
1995 and continued on intermittently until 2010, which was the last
activity. We still saw a variety of coral and fish! I was hoping to see
some stingray and turtles, but we weren't that lucky! </b><b><u>We did not
have an underwater camera, so I don't have pictures of the actual
coral/fish we saw, but I've posted some pics from the internet of some
of the ones that we saw!</u> Some of the species of coral that we
got to see were: Brain Coral, Elkhorn Coral, and Fan Coral, as well as
others. Some of the fish we saw were: Caribbean Blue Tang Fish (Dory
from <i>Finding Nemo</i>), silver fish (also on <i>Finding Nemo</i>...the
ones that make pictures as large groups), squid (they were as curious
as we were...the two of them followed us as we followed them. The squid
were my favorite! They were very translucent and would change color
slightly to "blend in" with their environment (adaptation). It was so
cool! They would change from almost a brownish color to a really cool
purplish color! They were cautious, but still would allow us to get
close enough to study them (unlike the other fish that would "swim away"
(<i>Finding Nemo</i> quote)!</b></div>
<br /><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1VBccTLBbLc/T_jmujotIqI/AAAAAAAAAEU/mFejF18zdBw/s320/Reduced_Brain_Coral_Bahamas_05.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brain Coral<br />
<a href="http://www.drralph.net/Reduced_Brain_Coral_Bahamas_05.JPG">http://www.drralph.net/Reduced_Brain_Coral_Bahamas_05.JPG</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MFG6i77atJQ/T_jm2hRftzI/AAAAAAAAAEc/vUwVloSXMY0/s1600/PAL-05-08__Sea_Fan_Coral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MFG6i77atJQ/T_jm2hRftzI/AAAAAAAAAEc/vUwVloSXMY0/s320/PAL-05-08__Sea_Fan_Coral.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fan Coral<br />
<a href="http://foto-diver.com/gallery_palau/images/PAL-05-08__Sea_Fan_Coral.jpg">http://foto-diver.com/gallery_palau/images/PAL-05-08__Sea_Fan_Coral.jpg</a> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26TXeL9Km_s/T_jm5Lki--I/AAAAAAAAAEk/n4r1v5Wmzvo/s1600/Coral-ElkHorn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26TXeL9Km_s/T_jm5Lki--I/AAAAAAAAAEk/n4r1v5Wmzvo/s320/Coral-ElkHorn.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elkhorn Coral<br />
<a href="http://www.aboututila.com/Photos/AdamLaverty/Coral-ElkHorn.JPG">http://www.aboututila.com/Photos/AdamLaverty/Coral-ElkHorn.JPG</a> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFfuYqS2YhE/T_jm8OA67uI/AAAAAAAAAEs/JHJPtU0o5Ug/s1600/CaribBlueTangWMTa3_P490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wFfuYqS2YhE/T_jm8OA67uI/AAAAAAAAAEs/JHJPtU0o5Ug/s320/CaribBlueTangWMTa3_P490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caribbean Blue Tang Fish<br />
<a href="http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/tangs/images/CaribBlueTangWMTa3_P490.jpg">http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/tangs/images/CaribBlueTangWMTa3_P490.jpg</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz2XOTbkEho/T_joSr_FXiI/AAAAAAAAAE0/li-taUY3A8A/s1600/school-of-silver-fish-thumb17080314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz2XOTbkEho/T_joSr_FXiI/AAAAAAAAAE0/li-taUY3A8A/s320/school-of-silver-fish-thumb17080314.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">school of silver fish<br />
<a href="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_558/1290301315mhmOLF.jpg">http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_558/1290301315mhmOLF.jpg</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-25594675892285323742012-07-06T19:36:00.002-07:002012-07-12T13:34:25.724-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #741b47; text-align: justify;">
<b><u>July 5, 2012</u>: Today we went on our volcano taxi tour of the island.
There are three volcanoes on the island of Montserrat. Tectonics has
caused the plates to shift and push together to form these volcanoes.
Silver Hills is an extinct volcano, Centre Hills is dormant, and
Soufriere Hills is the youngest and is active. Montserrat sits on the
boundary between the Caribbean plate and the Atlantic plate. These two
plates are slowly moving together (or converging). As they move together
the molten rock (magma) inside Earth is pushed upward, causing the
volcano to erupt! Our tour guide, Winston, was great! I was able to go
down into the area where the mudflow was. It was amazing! I'm planning
to go back to bring some samples home with me (we had to get some
ziplock bags first). I got some great pictures! There was one house
that was three stories high before the eruption. After the eruption the
mud flow buried the house up to the third floor. Most of the other
houses in the area are completely buried under the mud flow. I have a
picture of another house that was on a bit of a hill, so it wasn't
completely destroyed. We also got to go to the MVO (Montserrat Volcano
Observatory). We watched a short video that was very informative. The
volcano first erupted in 1995 and continued to erupt until 1997 where
there was a very large eruption, engulfing the Capitol City, Plymouth!
In 2005 (10 years after the eruption) it put on yet another show. Since
then there have been no eruptions, but steam, gas, and smoke escape from
time to time. Winston tried to take us into the exclusion zone, but the
gate was locked and the guard was off duty. He promised to call the
guard (a friend of his) so we could go back when it is open. We got to
see the rest of the island and got a detailed history of the entire
island. It sounds like the island was a bustling colony until the
eruption. The town of Plymouth looked to be a very nice town. After the
eruption, the volcano completely buried the town of Plymouth and other
areas too with its deadly pyroclastic flow!There were 19 deaths from the
volcano itself. The island went from a population of 12,500 to 3,000,
due to the eruptions. Most of the people left because their jobs and
homes were gone. The island seems to struggle now. There was a benefit
concert in England to help rebuild some areas of the island. A lot of
people lost everything in the eruption. It was very sad to hear the
stories that Winston told us.</b></div>
<br />
<img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ldNvSNpuOc/T_eYPhxryPI/AAAAAAAAACc/8hHpoPGy0Ys/s320/IMG_7373.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a picture of the mudflow. It killed everything in its path! These trees are still standing, but were killed by the mudflow! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lwcNL0CQgIE/T_eYgL4Nq9I/AAAAAAAAACk/3wSzYRdPq8s/s1600/IMG_7375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lwcNL0CQgIE/T_eYgL4Nq9I/AAAAAAAAACk/3wSzYRdPq8s/s320/IMG_7375.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of the mudflow and the cause of it, Soufriere Hills Volcano (in the background...covered by clouds at the top).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdGYmslCGqs/T_eY3BPJb3I/AAAAAAAAACw/nuwAm-7NbrA/s1600/IMG_7377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sdGYmslCGqs/T_eY3BPJb3I/AAAAAAAAACw/nuwAm-7NbrA/s320/IMG_7377.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the 3 story house that was buried by the mudflow up to the 3rd story!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yMLMU-PTHG0/T_eZIb1PatI/AAAAAAAAAC4/izcMecGd1q8/s1600/IMG_7388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yMLMU-PTHG0/T_eZIb1PatI/AAAAAAAAAC4/izcMecGd1q8/s320/IMG_7388.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wonderful tour guide, Winston, and myself! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvVpTFUfCqM/T_eZVoexW8I/AAAAAAAAADA/6HYuZClQiOs/s1600/IMG_7389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvVpTFUfCqM/T_eZVoexW8I/AAAAAAAAADA/6HYuZClQiOs/s320/IMG_7389.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have tornado sirens...Montserrat has volcano sirens! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sxnyxTAy_BA/T_eZlKHTIXI/AAAAAAAAADM/b0Qzgz-zE0w/s1600/IMG_7390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sxnyxTAy_BA/T_eZlKHTIXI/AAAAAAAAADM/b0Qzgz-zE0w/s320/IMG_7390.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many houses in the area near or in the exclusion zone are for sale! I don't think I'll buy one in this area! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZRqykP_Y4o/T_eZ3WkKg9I/AAAAAAAAADU/xPWh-CY1HQw/s1600/IMG_7392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZRqykP_Y4o/T_eZ3WkKg9I/AAAAAAAAADU/xPWh-CY1HQw/s320/IMG_7392.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look closely, this is a conveyor belt that is moving the volcanic rock and ash up the mountain. From there it gets shipped to different locations on and off of the island. It will be used for building construction! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTRUZ-X26Qc/T_eaHFvExqI/AAAAAAAAADc/YA6zZrcmntU/s1600/IMG_7393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTRUZ-X26Qc/T_eaHFvExqI/AAAAAAAAADc/YA6zZrcmntU/s320/IMG_7393.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House on the hill....not completely destroyed or buried like those in the valley. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vvLhw22B4c/T_eaXCnRWII/AAAAAAAAADk/ZUnth3GpTjc/s1600/IMG_7398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--vvLhw22B4c/T_eaXCnRWII/AAAAAAAAADk/ZUnth3GpTjc/s320/IMG_7398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same house as above, different angle. You can see that plants are starting to grow inside of it! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zz-DVzOnQNI/T_eaeQ81P9I/AAAAAAAAADs/UmqGQdrHaJA/s1600/IMG_7407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zz-DVzOnQNI/T_eaeQ81P9I/AAAAAAAAADs/UmqGQdrHaJA/s320/IMG_7407.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a seismograph! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdIyURTjCOQ/T_eakkY1B4I/AAAAAAAAAD4/LOERcKWQlmE/s1600/IMG_7410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdIyURTjCOQ/T_eakkY1B4I/AAAAAAAAAD4/LOERcKWQlmE/s320/IMG_7410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you guess what this is? It is a frog that was petrified! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1XMooWOkOpE/T_eaqJt1qhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/ZIKrmEGWXDU/s1600/IMG_7413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1XMooWOkOpE/T_eaqJt1qhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/ZIKrmEGWXDU/s320/IMG_7413.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soufriere Hills Volcano taken from the MVO (Montserrat Volcano Observatory). The "clouds" you see are made mainly of sulfur dioxide, coming from the volcano and mixing with the humid air and other gases. The scientists say that the volcano is fully visible only about 8 hours a month! The entire time we have been here there has been cloud cover! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-efHlqBss2SQ/T_eaw2OPSKI/AAAAAAAAAEI/j-Cn24hB6jA/s1600/IMG_7414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-efHlqBss2SQ/T_eaw2OPSKI/AAAAAAAAAEI/j-Cn24hB6jA/s320/IMG_7414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mudflow - taken from the MVO. You can see that the mudflow traveled from the volcano all the way through the valley and out into the sea! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-61087386300269906232012-07-06T17:25:00.003-07:002012-10-04T08:27:08.781-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: #741b47;"><u>July 4, 2012</u>: After a 6am flight from B'ham to Miami, a connection in Miami to Antigua, and then a little puddle jumper flight to Montserrat...WE'RE HERE! I got to sit in the co-pilot's seat on our flight into Montserrat!! It was so cool! The plane was the smallest thing I've ever seen (pilot/co-pilot and then 3 rows with 2 seats each....so only 6 seats besides the pilot/co-pilot seats)! The island (from what we've seen so far) is very laid back. The money is Eastern Caribbean (the island is British owned, so we are using local money now). They drive on the other side of the road (and the driver's side of the car is the opposite side than what we are used to in the U.S.) b/c it is British owned! It is actually cooler here than it is in Hoover. The temps have been in the mid to upper 80s. It is very muggy, though, and there is no air conditioning in most places on the island. Our villa has air conditioning in the bedrooms only. The breezes are fantastic, though! There are many goats, chickens, and roosters that just roam the island. There are also HUGE frogs that come out at night! </b></div>
<br />
<img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vSJzbEAsMKY/T_eAjxk8_OI/AAAAAAAAACI/TZRafYubKxI/s320/IMG_0944.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montserrat from the tiny airplane! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X2H693joax4/T_eAEc2zIxI/AAAAAAAAABw/toZtlSclHhE/s1600/IMG_7444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X2H693joax4/T_eAEc2zIxI/AAAAAAAAABw/toZtlSclHhE/s320/IMG_7444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet little baby goat (mother and sibling are nearby). Goats are everywhere on the island (some have owners...some just roam the island freely). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A9pj86n7VCM/T_eBufklfHI/AAAAAAAAACQ/KAmL-6LOV6g/s1600/IMG_7452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A9pj86n7VCM/T_eBufklfHI/AAAAAAAAACQ/KAmL-6LOV6g/s320/IMG_7452.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roosters and chickens are hard to get pictures of. Here is one that was running fast to get away from me! They also just roam the island! </td></tr>
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<br />Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-23803166166572109912012-07-02T21:16:00.000-07:002012-07-02T21:16:34.265-07:00<b style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">The $2,997.00 check came in at the beginning of summer and has already been spent (well, nearly all of it has been spent)! Plane tickets were purchased and the villa and most of the activities planned! Our </span></b><b style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">(Jon and I are paying for him to join me on this adventure) </span></b><b style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">flight leaves on Wednesday, July 4th at 6:00am and we should arrive in Montserrat around 3:30! I'm SO excited! We will be there for a week and hope to learn a great deal about the volcano and the island itself! I plan on taking a lot of pictures (and video)! Hopefully, it will not be a problem to post pictures and blog while we are in Montserrat! Feel free to comment or email about the trip! </span></b>Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361637336464757965.post-87238604970190206212012-05-21T12:15:00.001-07:002012-07-21T18:39:23.196-07:00Why Montserrat?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Montserrat is a tiny
island in the Caribbean Sea. In looking for places to learn more about
volcanoes and such, I googled "active volcanoes in the Caribbean" and
Montserrat was one of the locations. Soufrière Hills Volcano began erupting in 1995 and has intermittently erupted since (with the last flow in 2010), and
still shows signs of activity today. Prior to its eruption, there was
seismic activity for a three year period. I would love to learn more
about this magnificent volcano, its seismic activity, and how its
eruption affected the island as well as the climatic changes it caused.
Studying the volcano will allow me to bring my own experiences and
knowledge into the classroom when we study earthquakes and volcanoes. To
enhance our unit on biomes, I would like to take guided tours through
the rainforests of Montserrat. This will help me to better describe the
layers of the forest, animal and plant life, as well as the vital
importance of forests like these. I also teach an enrichment class
focusing on oceanography. I would love to snorkel through the reefs of
Rendezvous Beach as well as others in order to get a first-hand
experience with the underwater world and the importance of the ecosystem
that thrives in the coral reefs in Montserrat. </span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>Mrs. Falknerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03128884779470334930noreply@blogger.com2