Still Smokin’ After All These Years

The Arenal volcano in northern Costa Rica belches out a plume this week

on the 40th anniversary of the deadly 1968 eruption that marked the volcano’s

reactivation after 500 years of slumber. To remember the estimated

90 people who died and observe the event, the Arenal community held a

church service, served typical food and featured traditional dance exhibitions.

Experts from the Environment and Energy Ministry and volcanologists

from the NationalUniversity gave speeches, as did survivors, such as

73-year-old Dagoberto Quesada. “It was a day of death,” said Quesada. “It

was a sad day. Everyone ran in different directions because we didn’t know

where to find help.”