Born To Explore Season 1 Episode 9 Living With Volcanoes

Born To Explore is an exhilarating travel and adventure show that takes viewers to some of the most remote and fascinating places on Earth. Host Richard Wiese is a seasoned explorer and traveler who is passionate about discovering new cultures, exploring wild landscapes, and meeting the people who call them home. In season 1 episode 9, titled Living With Volcanoes, Richard travels to some of the most volcanic regions of the world to explore the impact that these volatile mountains have on the communities that live in their shadow.

The episode kicks off with Richard in Iceland, where he visits the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which erupted in 2010 and caused widespread disruption to air travel across Europe. Despite the risk of eruption, the locals have adapted to living with the volcano and have even turned it into a tourist attraction, with visitors coming from around the world to hike its slopes and witness the spectacle of its eruption. Richard meets with a local guide who takes him on a tour of the volcano's crater and explains how it has shaped the landscape and culture of the region.

Next, Richard heads to the Indonesian island of Java, which is home to some of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world. He meets with a team of volcanologists who are monitoring the activity of the Merapi volcano, which has erupted several times in the past decade, causing death and destruction in nearby villages. Richard accompanies the scientists on a hike up the mountain to install new monitoring equipment and learns about the complex network of sensors and cameras that are used to track the volcano's behavior.

The episode then takes viewers to Guatemala, where Richard meets with the people who live on the slopes of the Pacaya volcano. This active volcano is a major source of tourism for the region, with visitors coming to hike its slopes and witness the lava flows from a safe distance. However, the eruption of the Fuego volcano in 2018 showed the potentially deadly consequences of living near an active volcano, and Richard hears from locals who have lost loved ones and homes to the volcanic activity.

The episode concludes with Richard in Hawaii, where he meets with residents who live in the shadow of the Kilauea volcano. This towering mountain has been erupting continuously since 1983, and its lava flows have destroyed dozens of homes and businesses over the years. Richard meets with a family who have lived with the constant threat of eruption for decades and learns how they have adapted to the rhythms of the volcano, even building their home on stilts to protect it from the lava flows.

Overall, Living With Volcanoes is a fascinating and eye-opening look at the way that people around the world have learned to coexist with these powerful natural forces. Through his travels, Richard Wiese provides viewers with a unique perspective on the complex and ever-changing relationship between humans and volcanoes.