If your idea of an ideal Friday evening includes you taking a stroll on Google 360, then you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Or if you like to explore dark and unsafe areas, you would love the new Google Street View of the insides of Ambrym island and the village of Endu. What are those and what’s in there, you ask? Inside the Ambrym island is an active volcano names one of the biggest boiling lava lakes in the world.
How did they manage it?
With people, of course. The company had sent a couple of researchers to capture footages of the boiling lava. Speaking of which, “Standing at the edge and feeling the heat lick your skin is phenomenal. I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in.” says Chris Horsly, one of the explorers. His partner in the expedition was George Mackley.
In another statement, Chief Moses, who visited the locals in Endu said,
“We believe that the volcanoes Marum and Benbow are devils. If you go up to a volcano you have to be very careful because the two volcanoes could get angry at any time. We believe that Benbo is the husband and Marum is the wife.”
“Sometimes when they don’t agree there’s an eruption which means the spirit is angry so we sacrifice a pig or [fowl] to the volcano.”
What you can do
Thanks to these daring explorers, you can explore the volcano from the comfort of your couch while popping popcorn. You can move around the volcano’s crater. What’s more, you can take a hike through the island’s jungle, dip your feet in the beaches, and even check out the explorers’ camp sites. It works just the way Google Street View works on your neighbourhood, except that you’re in a volcanic island bubbling inches away from you.