20th Anniversary Dream Trip Contest

Great Travel Moment

The first time that I visited Catania, Itlay, I was struck by how dirty the city was; there was soot on all the buildings and cars. Why did the Catanians not keep their city clean? I did not realize how ignorant this observation was until, on another stopover, I had the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing Mother Nature's power. Just beyond the Cicilian city, Mt. Etna erupted. The volcano ejected molten lava hundreds of meters into the sky, and the plume rose thousands of meters above the crater. Small eartquakes shook the area and forest fires caused significant damage. In Catania, the ash was invisible yet omnipresent. Ash got into my eyes, ears, and mouth, and stuck to my scalp. I know now that if I was a Catanian, I would not take the time to clean off my property either, when at any moment, another down-pouring could occur.