Location: 10.712865°N, -85.177265°W ; Alt: 760.6m
	Photo Date: 27 May, 2008
	ISO: 100
	Aperture/Shutter: F/6.3, 1/100"
	Focal Length: 14mm
	Camera: Olympus Evolt E-510
Category: Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 2008

Volcàn Miravalles. Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The mineral rich waters not only allow life to thrive (and make for a great spa), but stain the lava in vivid colours.
Miravalles is extremely rich in iron oxides/hydroxides, with subordinate minerals of pyrite, calcite, chlorate, zeolites and the usual silicates. Not only does this make for extremely obvious reddening of everything it touches, but it makes the water extremely acidic.
Not for drinking!
Makes me wonder about those bottled waters that claim they're 'volcanically filtered' ...

Location: 10.712776°N, -85.177221°W ; Alt: 753.1m
	Photo Date: 27 May, 2008
	ISO: 100
	Aperture/Shutter: F/6.3, 1/125"
	Focal Length: 14mm
	Camera: Olympus Evolt E-510
Category: Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 2008

Volcàn Miravalles. Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The feeble chains of man string losely across the fumerole field. A weak attempt to enforce our will on nature.
Every stake in the line, every rail and every stair are charred black with disdain from the perpetual heat from below. A casual reminder of the emense power beneath our feet and who the real boss is.
We attempt to control nature with levees and silicon chips, confine it with fences and define it with words, yet should the volcano erupt one of it's pyroclastic flows it once used to create itself, all of these would be swept away like so much dust in a single, brief, cataclysmic moment.
We must be mindfully conscious of nature and the environment not for her sake, but to save ourselves from extinction. After all, half million years of human history is a terrible thing to waste.

Location: 10.712908°N, -85.177401°W ; Alt: 746.2m
	Photo Date: 27 May, 2008
	ISO: 100
	Aperture/Shutter: F/8, 1/100"
	Focal Length: 14mm
	Camera: Olympus Evolt E-510
Category: Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 2008

Volcàn Miravalles. Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Heading into the fumerole field reveals an alien landscape. A land where hot, sulphuous, mineral laiden water bubbles and steams it's way through what appears to be solid ground. Pools and even streams of the scalding liquid have formed throughout the vale and only add to the mass of clouds eminating from every possible inch.
Although the thick stench of sulphur and heavy tang of iron linger heavily in the air (and permiates hair and clothing), life clings to all surfaces ... in one form or another. Each tapping into the abundance of power released from the very heart of the Earth.
A gift from Mother to all her children
Despite the extreme conditions and toxic air,
the constant bubble all around you and persistant warming from the earth (mmmm... warm toes) creates a very calming ambiance.

Location: 10.712983°N, -85.177601°W ; Alt: 745.3m
	Photo Date: 27 May, 2008
	ISO: 100
	Aperture/Shutter: F/5.6, 1/80"
	Focal Length: 42mm
	Camera: Olympus Evolt E-510
Category: Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 2008

Volcàn Miravalles. Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Even in the tropics, the rain gets cold at altitude ... especially when it's been raining on you for a while. Having clambored up and back down the volcano and being utterly soaked to the bone, this steaming pool was like an oasis in the fog. Guaranteed to pull any chill straight out of you and engage in full relaxation mode.

The bottle of Nicaraguan wine and a canned Cuba Libre certainly didn't hurt the mood either.

This pool actually over looks the fumerole field (when the steam from them is thin enough to actually see anything), while the volacno itself towers above you on all sides. It makes for an excellent vista while soaking in the mineral waters.
You're own private little valley of peace and tranquility.
As if I needed another excuse to come here!

All photo bloggers are familiar with the typical friendly, but largely uninspired comments like "That's nice" or "Awesome!".
While I'm glad you stopped by and made your visit conspicuous, and I do appreciate visits, these sorts of comments do not do much for the actual progression of the skill on display.
Even bad comments, if well constructed and thought out, can be extremely useful ... actually in many cases the disappointments of the viewers can be more helpful.
I fully welcome comments and critiques of my work regularly and, granted, may not heed all of them, but I certainly reflect upon them and my work.
The nature of pleasantry or limits of experience, for some, does tend to restrict the extent of comment they are willing to provide. In order to help educate the commenter (as there really isn't a course for it), I've found an article from the Digital Photography School website that has a few great tips on leaving better and more useful comments.
Even if you consider yourself a good commenter, it's worth a quick browse:

"How to Win Friends and Influence People - A Guide to Commenting on Other People’s Photos"

Location: 10.713090°N, -85.177841°W ; Alt: 842.9m
	Photo Date: 27 May, 2008
	ISO: 100
	Aperture/Shutter: F/4.9, 1/125"
	Focal Length: 27mm
	Camera: Olympus Evolt E-510
Category: Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 2008

Volcàn Miravalles. Guanacaste, Costa Rica

After riding and hiking our way up to a couple of waterfalls on the side of the Volcàn Miravalles, we sogged our way to this unassuming entrance that opens up to a sizable array of fumeroles (through a less restricted route ... well, a less 'path ends in boiling water' route).
The thick smell of suphur and constant bubbling/steaming of the ground give this place a very spiritual feel.
It is no surprise that volcanoes have been worshipped as either gods or homes of gods by almost every culture that has encountered them.
This particular location (a tourist oriented site named Las Hornillas) has steam baths, a sauna (a cave with a door on it to keep the steam in), a sizable mud plain for splattering on yourself and several extremely active steam vents.

Miravalles itself, is a stratovolcano, created by multiple violent and sizable pyroclastic flows potentially 1.5 million years old. Rising to 2030m it is an imposing feature on the landscape and clearly visable from the city of Liberia.
In the modern age, the volcano has been largely silent. With the exception of a steam explosion (near the area this photo was taken) in 1946, it has not erupted in recorded history.
The government owned and operated electricity/telecommunications company (ICE) also has a sizable geothermal facility sprawled out around the slopes of the volcano to make use of it's abundance of steam energy. The buildings are reasonably visable on Google, although hard to identify.

Sign reads (roughly): Prohibited access beyond this point

As technology progresses, we become closer and closer to being able to engineer life forms (or portions of them) in order to serve us better. Biotechnologies will allow us to have organic computers, light bulbs grown in tubes and a wide array of other, no doubt, handy items.
Bio-mimetics and Cyberware are also on the very near horizon, but have the added advantage of being morally neutral; that idea of subjugating living creatures for our own use is often frowned upon by a significant portion of Western culture (I'm looking at you PETA). Granted, I'm not entirely on board with the idea either, especially when there could be other options (even riding horses makes me uncomfortable for that poor bugger that has to tote me around).

"Science is one thing, wisdom is another. Science is an edged tool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingers." - Sir Arthur Eddington

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