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Christopher Morris in Ecuador as Mount Tungurahua erupts, 2014 Christopher Morris in Ecuador as Mount Tungurahua erupts, 2014
(10 days later)
In the junior year of my acting degree, I chose to study Spanish in Cumbayá, just outside Quito in Ecuador. I was living with a lovely 65-year-old woman, Aida. In the junior year of my acting degree, I chose to study Spanish in Cumbayá, just outside Quito in Ecuador. I was living with a lovely 65-year-old woman, Aida.
I met a lot of other Americans who were there to study. One weekend we visited Baños. One of its biggest attractions is “the swing at the end of the world”, it sits on the edge of a cliff with incredible views. We were lucky with the weather – sunshine and clear skies – and rented quad bikes to ride up the mountain to the swing. On the way up, we passed friends coming back down. “Apparently the volcano is active today,” they said. On a clear day, the swing has an amazing view of Mount Tungurahua. Viewing it from more than 8,500ft (3,000m) above sea level, there’s usually cloud cover. To be clear enough to even see the volcano was lucky – to see it active was the best of luck.I met a lot of other Americans who were there to study. One weekend we visited Baños. One of its biggest attractions is “the swing at the end of the world”, it sits on the edge of a cliff with incredible views. We were lucky with the weather – sunshine and clear skies – and rented quad bikes to ride up the mountain to the swing. On the way up, we passed friends coming back down. “Apparently the volcano is active today,” they said. On a clear day, the swing has an amazing view of Mount Tungurahua. Viewing it from more than 8,500ft (3,000m) above sea level, there’s usually cloud cover. To be clear enough to even see the volcano was lucky – to see it active was the best of luck.
The swing is a rickety thing. It hangs from a treehouse, just two old ropes attached to a metal beam, and an old wooden plank with a “seatbelt” – a rope across your lap. If the rope snapped, all it would do is keep the plank underneath you as you tumbled down the mountain. Still, we all took turns. It was a rush – one minute you have your feet on the ground, the next you’re not just looking out over a volcano, you’re thousands of feet in the air, your legs dangling over what looks like a sheer drop. The swing is a rickety thing. It hangs from a treehouse, just two old ropes attached to a metal beam, and an old wooden plank with a “seatbelt” – a rope across your lap. If the rope snapped, all it would do is keep the plank underneath you as you tumbled down the mountain. Still, we all took turns. It was a rush – one minute you have your feet on the ground, the next you’re not just looking out over a volcano, you’re thousands of feet in the air, your legs dangling over what looks like a sheer drop.
Every five minutes, smoke would spurt out of the volcano, followed by this big, thunderous rumble. After we’d been there for 20 minutes, it started spewing out smoke continuously. The smoke and the rumble slowly got bigger, and before we knew it there was a huge mushroom cloud. I flipped between thinking, “This is so cool” and “Are we in danger?” Every five minutes, smoke would spurt out of the volcano, followed by this big, thunderous rumble. After we’d been there for 20 minutes, it started spewing out smoke continuously. The smoke and the rumble slowly got bigger, and before we knew it there was a huge mushroom cloud. I flipped between thinking, “This is so cool” and “Are we in danger?”
I asked my friend Sean to try to get one good picture of me with the volcano in the background. People see this and say, “Wow, you look so relaxed.” But I was freaking out. The ash cloud, which I later found out was full of poisonous gases, started to engulf the sky. When we heard the locals saying, “We have to go”, we knew it was time to evacuate. (Luckily, early tremors gave residents enough warning.) In the half hour it took to get down the mountain, the ash cloud eclipsed most of the sky.I asked my friend Sean to try to get one good picture of me with the volcano in the background. People see this and say, “Wow, you look so relaxed.” But I was freaking out. The ash cloud, which I later found out was full of poisonous gases, started to engulf the sky. When we heard the locals saying, “We have to go”, we knew it was time to evacuate. (Luckily, early tremors gave residents enough warning.) In the half hour it took to get down the mountain, the ash cloud eclipsed most of the sky.
Sean sent me the photo and I made it my Facebook profile picture. A couple of months later, I was still in Ecuador, and I started getting texts and posts on my Facebook wall: “Dude, you’re on BuzzFeed!”; “Dude, you’re on Instagram!” Once, in a doctor’s office, I was flipping through National Geographic and there I was. Sean had won a merit prize in the travel photo contest. Sean sent me the photo and I made it my Facebook profile picture. A couple of months later, I was still in Ecuador, and I started getting texts and posts on my Facebook wall: “Dude, you’re on BuzzFeed!”; “Dude, you’re on Instagram!” Once, in a doctor’s office, I was flipping through National Geographic and there I was. Sean had won a merit prize in the travel photo contest.
Looking at it now, my whole experience of Ecuador jumps back to me. That night, we took a bus back to the top. We were silent in the pitch black, watching shoots of red and orange rolling down the mountain, and all we could hear was crickets chirping and volcanic rumbling. It was an amazing show. Looking at it now, my whole experience of Ecuador jumps back to me. That night, we took a bus back to the top. We were silent in the pitch black, watching shoots of red and orange rolling down the mountain, and all we could hear was crickets chirping and volcanic rumbling. It was an amazing show.
• As told to Erica Buist.• As told to Erica Buist.
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