Pacaya

May 1 is Labor Day in Guatemala, and I decided to take advantage of the time off of work to squeeze in some last minute tourism. Lunch in belly and camera in cargo-pocket, I rendezvoused (sp?) with a group of young backpackers from various countries to climb.

We had a guide for safety , but he spoke no English and did not really provide any tourguide information. He was more of a shepherd, mandating us to hurry up. When he did speak, I served as the translator for 2 brits, 2 aussies, 2 americans and an Israeli. At the bottom of the mountain, a plethora of little boys swarmed the tourists selling walking sticks and asking for change, candy and writing utensils. I traded a pen and a half bottle of gatorade in exchange for idle chat and the chance to pet a horse named Canelo.

The hike up was brutal, 3 km straight up. The weather was extremely overcast and it rained for most of the hike, but that actually added to the foreign-planet ambiance. The ends were well worth the means. The rainclouds cleared for 15 minutes which allowed for some photo opportunities, and we spent some time climbing over volcanic rock and hardened ash (and it was hot! there was lava just a few feet below). We were able to come within a few yards of actively flowing lava. Another group of tourists brought hot dogs to roast. Have to admit, it was a great idea.

We descended the mountain in the dark and met our tourism van at the bottom. By the time we got back to Antigua, I had befriended the 2 Americans and the Israeli, and ended up going out for a drink with them and staying in a spare bed at their hostel.

This morning I had breakfast with some other backpackers, from Costa Rica and California respectively, who were great conversationalists. The whole thing makes me want to load up my frame pack and keep romping around the world. But not just yet.