"Every year a hurricane hits us and every month the houses in the capital Rousseau are shaking on their foundations." Len Royer, the boss of the car-rental agency Best-Deal in Dominica - which by the way doesn't give very good deals - tells that the next few years are going to be quite exciting. "One third of the island is under threat of destruction by a volcanic eruption."
Maaike and Peter put on the hike boots. Accompanied by a guide they set off into the jungle to have a look at the boiling lake and latest tracks of the volcano eruptions. Peter leads the way carrying a rucksack with 2 raincoats, a piece of canvas, five oranges and two cans of vita malt. In another bag he has the video camera and in a third bag he has the all Maaike's photographic equipment. It's just a hike. Three hours or so. Quite enjoyable.
"In less than half an hour," Peter says " we climbed from 80 to 800 metres, I am puffing like a lame horse and Maaike leads the way together with the guide while also carrying most of our gear. I start to wonder if this trip was such a good idea after all. After one and a half hours I call for a break and ask the Lord to in future make flat mountains and dry jungles. Mud from my shoes is even stuck in my hair."
Peter is soaking wet and his cloths are starting to go deep red from the colour of the sulphuric acid. It also smells like rotten eggs.

"Come on Peter, don't start nagging." Maaike is of the opinion that her friend should work out a bit more. "And if you think you are going to have a heart attack you will just have to wait here until we return."
Peter sighs and thinks his own thoughts. Even if it is the last think to do he will finish this trip. After two oranges and a twenty-minute rest they climb on to 1000 metres. That means that they walk down a fifty degrees descent back to sea level and then continue on along a comparable path but this time straight up into the sky. Walk isn't really the right word. They crawl, climb, pull and groan their way forward.
Maaike: "We pass waterfalls, up through crags in the rock face and passed places where the poisonous gasses coloured the water black and the soil a rusty brown and killed everything that grew in the area. In the Valley of Desolation even my legs start to tremble and the guide tells that we are nearly there. Then suddenly we have arrived. In front the latest eruption can be seen. Just a day old."

Steam and sulphuric acid vapours rise up from the ground. Boiling water bubbles up before them and the ground is so soft that they sink in up to their ankles. The guide is getting restless. He wants to leave this spot as soon as possible. They stumble, fall and crawl through the hot rubbish and half an hour later find themselves standing before the crater. Below them the Boiling Lake of which there are only two in the whole world.
And the way back? Maaike and Peter have no idea. All that Peter can remember is the order in which they travelled. First the guide, then Maaike carrying all their gear and eventually Peter who is constantly contemplating just lying down in a hole in the mud somewhere. At the end of the day they arrived back at the village from which they departed. Groaning they manage to make it to a Coca-Cola shop. The lady behind the counter looks on in a sympathetic way as Maaike just manages to stammer a 'yes please'.