On our planet, few places allow us to contemplate the liquid heart of the Earth, to approach these open windows on the magma that sleeps under the earth’s crust and springs from time to time, according to its moods.
There is Kilauea in Hawaii; the craters of Ambrym, Vanuatu; Nyiragongo, Congo; Masaya, Nicaragua. But the lava lakes of Erta Ale, in the surreal desert of Danakil, Ethiopia, are as spectacular as they are constant, in addition to being relatively accessible.
“It’s an expedition,” says Kamel Ameha, an Ethiopian guide. “We must ride on basalt so hot that the driver must wear gloves as the steering wheel of the SUV becomes hot. Of course, punctures are also frequent … Then, we must walk 16 km at the end of the day to go to the crater, always being accompanied by armed guards to the teeth, security requires. Once there, there are many vents that let escape volcanic gases and prevent sudden eruptions, and a smell of sulfur prevails everywhere. But the show is splendid and it changes every time.”
