El Volcan de Pacaya

On Thursday last, I joined some of my fellow Spanish school students for a trip up the Pacaya volcano. I wasn't too excited about the excursion initially - it was raining like nobody's business, plus I hadn't really made friends with anyone who was planning on going - but the weather was bound to be worse the next time the trip was offered, so German Guy, the other student living with abuelita, talked me into it.

We spent an hour and a half in a rented van on the way to the volcano, the final half hour of which was up flooding roads through sad little villages on the side of Pacaya. I was regretting my decision and imagining my nice, dry room and the nice, warm dinner I'd be missing. I did not feel any better once we arrived at the base of the trail - not only was it still raining cats and dogs, but our van was swarmed by a pack of small, dirty children selling walking sticks and ponchos they had reclaimed from past climbers. I seriously considered asking to wait in the car, but in the end my pride got the best of me.

DEFINITELY a worthwhile experience. It stopped raining as soon as we hit the path, making the dirt and stone path more passable, albeit only slightly. My walking stick (cinco quetzales) was definitely a great investment, since my old, worn Puma cleats aren't really made for trekking. We clambered up the side of the volcano, slipping in a mix of mud and horse shit, as the day got clearer and a bit cooler and the sun slowly headed towards the horizon. I was afraid my heart was going to jump out of my chest - my expectations were more along the lines of 'leisurely stroll' than 'strenuous hike' - but then we made it to the top. The vista was amazing, a huge crater surrounded by lush green forest, filled with lava rock, with steam rising from cracks through which active lava could be seen flowing.

And then we went IN. Yep, in the crater. Clambering over piles of lava rock, I was kind of afraid my shoes would melt, but it was a spectacular - and toasty - experience. Above are only a few of the great pictures from the hike, but they should give you some idea of what Pacaya is like - beautiful and ancient and filled with a few too many tourists for my liking, but still a great way to spend the afternoon.