volcan pacaya

Holy volcano! We booked a shuttle and a tour guide that takes us to Volcano Pacaya, which last erupted in May 2010. I did not know this fact before setting out, which is probably for the best. On our way out of Antigua, we saw Guatemala City laid out before us in panorama and a pig in the back of a pickup. Guess which one elicited more yelps of joy?

Oh, I almost forgot to mention THE ISRAELIS. After two full days of struggling with Spanish (the only places I do not struggle is when ordering food), Hebrew is so welcome! I do not have to think at all! I hear the Hebrew and it just climbs into my brain and I know what they are talking about without having to go through the translation process. The two guys and girl in the seat behind me are Israeli and I introduce myself and my mom. They are surprised that we can speak Hebrew and even more surprised that I am 30 because they thought I was 16 for the first half hour of the ride. One guy, Gal, has been traveling by himself and he is very friendly and I end up hiking with him for most of the day. I ask him to speak in Hebrew and it is so lovely to be able to answer almost automatically and use the prepositions and pronouns that I keep using by mistake with Guatemalans.

The climb up is hard going. We are walking up lava fields but the lava doesn't harden straight and flat like an asphalt road. Instead, it crumbles into sharp pieces that can cut skin and are incredibly hard on your shoes and unforgiving when you have to walk up piles and piles of it. The path was dirt mixed with lava rocks, and our feet kept sinking into the path and kicking up dust which was a pleasure to breathe in. Not to mention the remarks of the four horsemen who followed us up the entire mountain, pausing every time we stopped to catch our breath or take a sip of water to chirp, "Horse taxi?" or, "Lady yoowanta horse?" We climb over the initial mountain and then pass through a no-mans land of lava field in every direction. There are no signs of life other than us hikers. The horse guys have mercifully left us and the only sound is our feet crunching on the path.

The sun is setting in the distance and the clouds are sprinkled just so. It is so beautiful. We take a bazillion pictures.

At the top there is a small cave that we climb into. It is dark and warm and humid inside. Stepping just a few feet into the earth and it is at least 20 degrees warmer. Here you can see up close how the streams of lava cooled into rock. I took some awesome pictures.

And then at the top as the sun was going down, it got crazy windy and cold and everyone put on their sweatshirts and then just ducked back into the cave for warmth. We huddled there for a while, eating our food and marveling at the warmth (it was like a sauna), but then it was time for the descent. At first we walked alongside the setting sun, but then dusk turned into pitch black and our feet were kicking up lava dust and the headlamp was only so bright and our feet were sinking into the path and it was downhill and we were trying to go fast to just get to the end already.

Our shuttle driver picked us up along with two boys who sat in the way back trunk area and an adult man who may or may not have climbed onto the roof. We passed a candle-lit Navidad procession in the tiny town beneath the entrance to the volcano, and then we were driving down the windy road at twice the speed limit and I was finishing off my water bottles and trying to stay upright as we took the turns too fast and blinked headlights to pass trucks and then suddenly we were home. Legs feeling like jelly and covered in soot from head to toe. Quite eager to take a long, hot shower and excited that tomorrow has been designated "do nothing but lay in the sun at the lake" day.

Good night.