Panajachel, to Antigua, Guatemala

VOLCANOES

I love volcanoes. For some reason I just love they way they look. When we arrived in Panajachel, a lovely little town on lake Atitlan, we found no fewer than three huge volcanoes scattered around the lake - all of them over 3,000m. We booked two nights at the Santa Elena guesthouse for about US$10 a night and had dinner by the lake. In the past this little town was renowned as a hippy hangout but it seems to have changed a little since the 60s. We took a boat across to a small town on the other side of the lake, San Pedro, and got lost in the maze of streets in the afternoon heat. I had been tempted to try and climb the San Pedro volcano but I couldn't agree a decent price with a guide. In the end we were happy to just walk around and catch the boat back to Panajachel as the sun went down.

The bus that deposited us in Pana - chickens not visible

 San Pedro Volcano from Lake Atitlan

Today we're in Antigua but in a few short hours we catch a shuttle across the border to Honduras - it leaves at 4am. Today has been one of those days to remember because I finally got to climb a volcano, an active one at that. Pacaya is right next to Guatemala City and at 2700m it isn't the tallest volcano in the area but it is the only active one. We had been warned about bandit attacks over the past few years but the tour company here in Antigua assured us that we would have two tour guides and three armed guards during our climb which helped to calm any fears. The climb was a lot harder than I expected. The last 40 mins was straight up through loose volcanic rock. At times we were taking one step forward and sliding two steps back. But onwards and upwards we climbed until we finally reached the windy summit just before sunset but we didn't stay long. I couldn't feel my ears and the steam made it difficult to breathe and see much. A quick look into the crater though revealed a strange red glow - lava?. On the walk down we slid most of the way down the scree slope then emptied our shoes of all the rocks before continuing. The sun sank and was quickly replaced by a brilliant full moon to light the path. The lights of Guatemala city glimmered in the distance, beckoning me to return back down to earth. The feeling returned to my ears.