Holidays in Moltara

When I first got to Moltara I was happily greeted by a strange inventor who goes by Tangor. Walking through his workshop, I realized that this was not your normal Neopet. Tangor prides himself on his ability to create things that are unique to the world, including a watch that not only tells you the time but, as I soon found out, allows you to play over fifty-five games. He showed me his sculpture created entirely out of freshly created igneous rocks, eagerly offered to let me try out his "airplane" made from remnants of his failed inventions (which I promptly declined!), and even let me stay with him throughout my visit in Moltara. My first impressions of this overwhelmingly hot place was overall a warm welcome, all puns intended. The real fun came later, though!

On my second day visiting Moltara, I was awoken by the sounds of a loud clanking and the smell of burning metal. I quickly dressed and came to a scene of great confusion. It seemed that Tangor had turned his entire front part of the house into a massive pile of scrap metal! Everywhere I looked I saw another piece of broken... something. This did not distract me from my mission of exploring everything that Moltara had to offer, however. I said "Good Morning" to Tangor and asked him what was on the agenda for today. Apparently there is a tradition that has been passed down between all of the inhabitants of Moltara that isn't unlike something the Neopets above do every Winter. When I would normally be sledding with my family and friends down the steepest slopes, the Neopets of Moltara get together and go into the deepest caves to do something that they like to call Lava Surfing. It is something that has been happening for thousands of years and in recent past has even garnered the attention of King Hagan of Brightvale.

Not wanting to get ahead of myself, I asked Tangor if there is any precautions we should take before diving deep in the caves to swim atop boiling magma. He assured me that he had all the necessary equipment to keep us both safe and that the people who run the Lava Surfing hut would give us protective suits to keep us from getting hurt. Upon reaching the entrance to the caves, I realized that the decent is actually a lot further down then you think it would be. I knew at once that if I were to not make it back up, no one would know. Quickly getting past this bit of bad thought, I turned my attention towards the positive. I was going to be doing something that not a lot of people got to do, and that in itself was very astonishing to me. Besides, Lava Surfing couldn't have been any worse than getting blasted by the Snowager, and everyone loves to do that twice a day!

As the elevator came to a screeching rest I was presented with a sight of bright beauty. The blushing lava seemed to flow for miles and miles, and to the naked eye there was no end to it. I was aghast with what to think of such a sensational sight and had to pull myself together as Tangor was quickly getting away from me. We reached the Lava Surfing shop in no time at all and got our gear together. The surfboards that we used were much larger than the surfboard you would use for water. I wasn't quite sure the material they were made of, but when I asked, all they seemed to say was that it would not melt, no matter what. Fine with that answer, I went on my way to the "beach", which was really a place where the lava had cooled and formed a platform for the surfers to begin their adventure.

Not quite sure where to start, I told Tangor that he must go first. It was the only way! He delightfully agreed and placed his board onto the lava, and then himself on top of the board. After that there wasn't much he had to do but let the lava take him where it would. I did the same, and as the wind whipped through my fur I immediately realized I had nothing to worry about. Lava surfing was perhaps the most freeing experience I have ever encountered.

After a few hours, Tangor and I came to the decision that it was time to go catch a bite back up in Moltara City. Molten Morsels was the "in" place to eat when you visit Moltara and I couldn't pass up a chance to eat somewhere that was "in"! Now let me tell you, Molten Morsels is not that strange if you're from Moltara, but to an outsider it's a pretty special place. Brungo the chef greets each customer as they sit at the diner-style seating as he graciously offers a drink to each person (it's on the house!) and a menu. I always have a hard time deciding what to eat, but decided that the Rock Waffle was probably my best bet. Tangor had his favorite meal: Fire Rice with a side of the Fried Ginger. I can't say much for what he ate, but my waffles were something to die for! They were both delicious and organic, seeing as how they were made from the local supply of rocks.

The next day I packed my bags and headed back to my home in Neopia Central sad to leave such a great place. I thanked Tangor on his gracious welcoming to me and offered him a stay at my home whenever he felt the need to come up. I have to say that my visit to Moltara was one that I won't soon forget. It was filled with excitement and full of adventures I wouldn't mind experiencing sometime soon in the future. It makes for one incredible winter vacation and I implore all of you to take a trip there and make your own memories!