Eyjafjallajokul Pix

Say that three times quickly.

April 20, 2010 at 3:07PM

The best volcano pictures are here, on one page. I'm partial to #21, which looks like the gods have send a great stone down to crush the impious world, and #33, which is apocalyptic and then some: Lightning coming out of the ash cloud.

The sunsets are beautiful, and #8 is pretty. Waterfall! Rainbow! What a cliche, you think. Needs unicorn. But if you'd been there, standing in the mist, you'd never stop talking about it, or showing others the picture. You'd make it your computer screen wallpaper and wait for someone to ask where you got it. Oh this? That's me, at Eyjafjallajokul.You'd even know how to say it, because you practiced.

Anyway, take a look; they're remarkable shots. Of all the natural disasters, volcanos are the loveliest. From a distance, that is. (If you'd like to learn what a really big volcano can do when it's in the mood, read "Krakatoa: the Day the World Exploded." Among the many things you'll learn: it wasn't east of Java.)

about the writer

about the writer

jameslileks

More from No Section

See More
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer, everyone in the housing market has made the same plea to Washington: Send money — lots of it — that would keep renters in their homes and landlords afloat. (Melissa Golden/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT58
Melissa Golden/The New York Times

It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.