Mayon has awoken once again as it began rumbling last month sending lava and plumes of ash into the air. At night the volcano’s famous cone glows with hot lava.

Now, more than 47,000 people living within a 5 mile (8 kilometer) danger zone around the volcano have fled to evacuation centers with the help of Philippine soldiers and the solders are still trying to evacuate several hundred of the closest residents who have refused to leave their homes. While Philippine vulcanologist may lower the alert level around the 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) volcano, Mayon still remains a viable threat.

The mere threat of eruption can displace local villagers for months at a time. Mayon, which is about 200 miles (330 kilometers) southeast of Manila, has erupted 48 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed when lava flows buried the town of Cagsawa. It last erupted for two months in 2006, although no one was directly killed, a powerful typhoon burying entire towns with volcanic debris from Mayon’s slopes and killing over 1,000 people three months after the eruption.

The Philippine people living in the shadow of this most dynamic and active volcano can only wait and see if Mount Mayon returns to sleeping or continues with another violent episode.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to HAVO than you may have first thought.

Hawaii is a beautiful vacation destination. It makes for either a quiet and mild vacation consisting of countless hours lying on a beach or wildly active vacation sure to please event the most avid thrill seekers. What thrill seeking vacation would be complete without exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). The national park occupies a vast array of terrain ranging from tropical beaches to the sub arctic Mauna Loa summit.

The huge park has two active volcanoes. Kilauea Caldera is the youngest and most active volcano on earth. The landscaping is amazing complete with hardened lava and dozens of craters. The park has 140 miles of hiking trails and is open to the public for camping. The park is over 333,000 acres of land so plan to stay a while if you truly want to explore the park. If you don’t have a lot of time, you should plan to at least drive through the park. It is worth the hour or so that it will take you to see everything. The volcano erupts regularly, so in most cases you will get to see some sort of lava flow. However, don’t expect to see eruptions spewing into the sky like in the movies. The flow is fluid and constant, not nearly as dramatic as Hollywood depicts.

The terrain changes so frequently due to the ever changing lava flow that it makes it difficult to follow maps, however the most up to date versions will be available at the visitor’s center. The map can be used for driving as well as hiking. The park has a hotline that tells you what is happening with the volcanoes that day and where to best view the lava flow.

Unlike the rest of Hawaii the weather can change very quickly in the park. The temperatures can be about 15 degrees cooler here than in Kona, so plan to dress appropriately. The park can have blistering heat from the sun’s reflection off of the lava flow. It can be hot and steamy one minute and change to a chilly downpour of rain with little or no warning.

If planning to visit the volcanoes you should be prepared and dress appropriately. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring sunscreen and lots of water. The heat can cause dehydration quickly so be prepared with lots of fluids because this little nuisance is preventable. Always follow the signs and stay on the trails. Fatalities do happen here at HAVO. The most common are due to people wandering off and getting lost in the park and people getting too close to newly formed lava paths. These lava flows can collapse causing injuries, or even worse death.

If and when the lava reaches the ocean, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid permeate the air. These gases are toxic. Every one should be careful, especially pregnant women, young children and people with upper respiratory problems. The smell of sulfur is strong in the air.

Whether it’s magnificent hiking trails you seek, or simply marking visiting a volcano off of your to do list, HAVO is sure to please.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about HAVO into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about HAVO, and that’s time well spent.