fh_trips | Bali Hai, Friday evening: up the volcano!

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island summer jaunt 2008

Bali Hai, Friday evening: up the volcano!

In the late afternoon, a rickety old bus carried the Fandomites as far up the right-hand side volcano as they could go. After that, it was only a short hike up an easy, winding trail, then a quick trip over the rope bridge to the peak.

[ooc: Field trip up early for SP! Open to all, and assume handwavy IC knowledge.

Wait for the OCD

Aaaaand we have OCD!]

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Once there, the guide gave a short talk about volcanoes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano), before taking anyone who wanted to see right up to the edge to peer down into the crater (http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh68/fhcollective/Bali%20Hai%20Hi%20HI/2912vil1.jpg). (The ground was covered in thick, soft moss and there was a safety fence around the crater

picture notwithstanding

Edited 2008-06-13 10:28 (UTC)

Amber listened to the guide and then followed along to peer down into the crater... "Oh my gosh that's a long way down. Oh my gosh."

Edited 2008-06-13 16:09 (UTC)

Romeo had to see this, and leaned in as close as the safety fence would let him. "Awesome."

Jack mostly listened to the volcano talk and peered over the edge. Safely. "Wow. It's like a big glowing hole to the center of the earth!"

The volcano actually reminded Lion-o quite a bit of his home planet.

Naomi listened to the guide as she looked over the edge, she was definitely amazed by what she saw.

Lucas couldn't believe what he was getting to see. He hung back from the group, staring deep into the crater for a while.

Getting to see inside a volcano was just another thing that added to this being an incredible day for Turtle. "So. Cool," she couldn't help but gush.

As it turned out, Inara had been more traumatized by the bus than peering over the edge into the mouth of the volcano. Watching the lava bubble almost under her feet was just fascinating and strangely mesmerizing--they had nothing like this anywhere she'd ever heard of.

Afterwards, there were long tables with plenty of food (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Thailand) and drink (lots of tropical juices and cocktails, along with the more ordinary beverages, hot and cold, alcoholic and non) to be enjoyed on the cushions, blankets, and chairs liberally scattered about the place.

Mac? March up a mountain in this heat? Not a chance.

She was there for the food, though. Tropical fruit juice, and vegetable Pad Thai were too good to miss out on.

It was really hot, too hot. Amber helped herself to some khao pad and tropical juice.

Romeo plopped down next to Amber with his own cup of juice. "The volcano is amazing," he informed her, with a grin.

[OOC: SP OK?]

"Hey, Romeo," she said with grin. "Yah, oh my gosh, I know it. Absolutely incredible."

[It's great, as I'm headed to the movies later! ;)]

"I can hardly mind the moving island when it shows us things like that," he said, shaking his head. "I never thought I should see a volcano so close."

"I don't mind at all," she said, agreeing. "Aside from the volcano, the beaches are gorgeous, the weather perfect; who would not want to live here?"

Amber smiled. "If I didn't take a picture to prove it, ma would hardly believe that I saw a volcano myself."

"I just wish we would stay here," Romeo had to agree. "Home is warm, and there's a beach, but even Verona is not quite this fair." And it took a lot for him to admit that. "I should send photos home, too. I rarely remember to do that. things here feel so separate, somehow."

"Entirely seperate," she replied, looking forward as she sipped her drink. "I mean, Mount Rose, I guess it's just your average small town and the knowin' everyone is kind of nice, but... I don't care to go back. Ma's there... Loretta of course, but," she shrugged a little. "No one ever amounts to anythin'. They grow old drinkin' and smokin' and have nothin' but a trailer and lung cancer to show for it."

Amber cast him a wry grin. "Not that I'm bitter or anythin'."

Romeo grimaced. "It does not sound like the kind of home one dreams of. Though the lung cancer, I fear that's the same where I'm from. I still haven't entirely quit smoking."

Not that he tried that hard.

"I've never tried it... much," she replied. "Ma's a chain smoker so of course I tried it. Coughed up a lung so I never tried again. I've never understood the purpose actually. Drinkin' however," she chuckled with a shake of her head. "Sometimes? I can totally get."

"I don't think it has a purpose," Romeo admitted. "It keeps your hands busy, it looks cool, and it's terribly hard to stop once you start."

"Drinking, though, drinking is better."

"Trust me, if you saw my ma? The coolness would definitely fall short of being anythin' but cool."

Amber wrapped her arms around her knees. "I don't drink much at all, I just get it when it happens." Yeah, she was weird.

There was no way to reply to Amber's comment about her mother without seeming indelicate, if not rude, so Romeo shrugged it off. He knew he should stop smoking, even if he did still rather like the way it maked him look.

He gave her a tiny smile instead. "Sometimes you need to escape, and you find it in a bottle," he suggested.

"Yah, perhaps," replied Amber thoughtfully. "Or even just to experiment," she added with a little chuckle.

"See, from the way you were talking I thought you meant serious reasons, drinking your sorrows away and all of that," Romeo said, with a little laugh. "Nothing so frivilous as boredom and a bottle of butterscotch schnapps."

Which had featured in a rather memorable afternoon with Benvolio, yes.

"I bought a bottle of wine because the bottle was pretty; what's that tell you for seriousness?" she laughed. "Serious reasons are few and far between for me, I'm afraid. I'm more inclined towards silliness I guess."

Butterscotch schnapps did sound very good. Amber would have to remember that.

Romeo considered this deeply.

And finally asked, "What did the bottle look like?" Because that, clearly, made all the diference.

"Well, it was French, obviously, considerin' where the island was last. And I will admit it was cheap," she said, her cheeks turning pink with her own amusement. "But it was pretty. Blue with flowers handpainted all over it. I was goin' to use it as a vase..."

Jack grabbed a bit of food and plopped into a comfy chair. Tropical paradise was certainly a good way to spend the summer.

Lion-o helped himself to some green curry. He figured Snarf would be disappointed about missing this part.

Inara, a bit hot from her walk and many minutes of volcano-staring, spread out a blanket, lounged on a cushion, and indulged herself in a fruit juice-based cocktail and some chicken saté.

Turtle skipped the fruity drinks this time, sticking with a good, safe glass of water (with lemon) as she scribbled down her notes for radio.

Naomi got a cold non alcoholic beverage and something to eat before she sat down on one of the chairs.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, it was time for the evening's entertainment: Firewalking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-walking). The guides (http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh68/fhcollective/Bali%20Hai%20Hi%20HI/fire-walking.jpg) gave a very serious safety talk before hand, and were standing by with sharp eyes and buckets of water in the event of accidents.

Amber enjoyed watching this but not without the occassional cringe. Oh my gosh ouch.

"All right. Let's go." Jack shucked off his boots, gaged the distance, and went for it.

"Piece of cake!" he exclaimed at the end. Ow. Ow ow ow.

She could do this. She could. Aaaaaannnnyyy minute now, really.

Watch the firewalking, wander over to look at the volcano, enjoy the view, or grab a chance to chat and mingle.

Interestingly enough, the other volcano looks to be steaming gently.

Lee found a spot on one of the blankets and stretched out on his back to peer up at the sky.

Well, hey, now Cal could scratch see a volcano off of his list of things to do before he died.

Cal didn't actually have a list of things to before he died, but he was now thinking of starting one.

Romeo spent most of his time on the beach, after the volcano tour, lying back under a palm tree, idly watching the waves.

After the volcano tour, and watching a bit of the firewalking, Amber laid down on a blanket and totally dozed.

Lion-o was watching the other volcano. The clouds of steam rising him the top reminded him of the landscapes he'd seen at home on Thundera.

I have decided that I am one day going to have to go and see an active volcano. They are just so awesome!

Assume people would be getting back to Fandom around about 11:30-12:00, since they'd be leaving the volcano round about sunset.

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Bali Hai, Friday evening: up the volcano!

Peer into the volcano!

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It can be food time now!

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Firewalk with me!

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Or just relax.

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OOC