As I arrived in the plane, I looked out of the window with great anticipation. I saw the volcano it was colossal, I could feel the blistering heat coming from the volcano, even though I was still in the plane. And there was lava squirting out of the summit like nothing I have ever seen before. Mauna Loa is renowned for its unpredictability, and it was practically unstable now. It was like an egg being boiled until it finally cracked, but in this case it would not be the soft yellow centre squirting out, it would be a vast flow of molten lava oozing out, with rocks soaring into the sky like a space shuttle departing for space.
This was the first time I had been to Hawaii. I was told by a geologist that it was the most unpredictable volcanic island in the world. I felt my whole body shiver as I was told this, but I knew it would be the greatest experience of my life. Nothing in the natural world could ever beat Mauna Loa for its shear size or beauty; I could smell my adrenalin pumping around my body like a swarm of bees. We landed a few miles away from the volcano, named Mauna Loa. Richard and I departed the plane and collected our luggage which had already been unloaded on to a trailer.
It was a typical American trailer, with all the grunt and power you would ever need. The Americans always have to be bigger and better. Richard was a good friend of mine; we had studied in the same university. We had decided to come and visit Hawaii so everything we had done over the four years in university studying volcanic activity would make sense and with out doubt make things a lot clearer. It would also be great experience. Richard was well spoken and a typical graduate of Oxford, you could tell he came from a good background.
He was very plump in stature and he had a stomach that was if he had been fattened to be sold in the cattle market. But never the less he was a great chap to be with, especially after a few pints. Richard incised that he drove, he was always one for his big toys. He once told me that he had a tractor for his 12th birthday, I found this incredible, as my parents would never have been able to afford such a luxury for me to prance about it in. On our drive to the offices I was very worried as we had very expensive volcanic analysing equipment, and Richards driving was hazardous, he had already lost a few points back in Britain.
