Yesterday we packed up all of our stuff and carried it about
six blocks through town to the Lutheran Center of Guatemala. Then we unpacked our gear and set up our
tents in the serene field behind the center.
This is the most peaceful place we have stayed so far; I can barely hear
the roosters and dogs. After the set-up Ginger
and I made a brief trip to the market to find marshmallows and avocados. The market was a maze of little booths
selling everything; meat, fruit, vegetables, animal feed, craft supplies, power
tools, school supplies, clothes, local crafts, and every other possible
product. There are no set prices in the
market. The vender throws out a high
starting price and then expects you to bargain the price down. I bought three huge avocados for about 50
cents and I probably paid more than a local would ever pay.
This afternoon about 20 World Racer’s piled onto a bus to
head to the Volcan de Pacaya. It is the
active volcano that supposedly caused the tremor we felt a few days ago. The road to the volcano was not a straight
shot; we kept curving around and around.
Finally we got to the entrance of the park and a dirt road. We rode the switchbacks back and forth up the
mountain until we got to the hike entrance.
Our guide told us the hike would be about an hour and a half and we
would climb about 1300 feet. The path
was made up of powdery sand from the volcanic rocks so it was very dusty. Along the side of the trail was thick
vegetation of scrub-like trees and bushes.
We were accompanied on the climb by little boys trying to sell walking
sticks for about $2. We also had to
share the path with horses that the locals were trying to get us to ride. The cost at the bottom of the trail for a
horse was about $7 but the price went down as we ascended. Jumping on a horse was tempting because the
trail was so steep and challenging. We
stopped several times along the trail to overlook the nearby volcanoes
including Volcan de Agua which serves as the backdrop for Antigua.
Abruptly, the vegetation stopped, the volcanoe rose up into
the sky ahead of us, and the lava field began.
The lava rocks are very sharp and some of the rocks are not secure in
place so we had to be very careful as we hiked across. White spots painted on the rocks pointed us
in the right direction, but we still walked through hot spots and over deep
crevices. The sound as we crunched
across the rocks was very eerie. It
sounded like we were stomping on charcoal or broken tiles. Some spots were hotter than others; I could
look down into glowing red rocks and it felt as though my shoes were going to
melt.
Then we reached the active glowing red lava. I was terrified but exhilarated by the
feeling of being dangerously close to the heat.
The breeze moved blasts of air that burned my skin. It felt like I was standing right next to a
huge bonfire. As the lava river moved,
chunks of rocks would crumble off and crash into the stream of melted
rock. Sounds of crashing, crunching, and
crackling rocks were heard along with an occasional yelp from a World Racer
that got too close.
The guide pointed us to a small hole that was really hot but
deep so we could stand right next to it.
That’s when I knew it was marshmallow time! A couple days earlier I had talked to some
tourists that said they watched someone fry a banana. Immediately I was struck with the idea to
roast marshmallows over the volcano so I came prepared with roasting sticks and
two bags of marshmallows. Holding the
stick down in the hole proved challenging; I actually singed some of the hair
off of my hand. But, the end result was
worth it. The marshmallows came out with
a perfectly toasted brown outside and completely gooey inside. I may even be bold enough to say that the
volcano marshmallows tasted better than marshmallows over a fire.
The sun started to set over the surrounding volcanoes and
mountains creating an incredible view. Volcan
de Pacaya grew darker as the lava pouring out of it glowed brighter. I could have stayed longer to marvel at the
sunset and the lava, but our guide wanted us to get going. The walk back down the lava field was tricky
because it was dark. Cracks in rocks
glowed red. Earlier we could feel the
heat now we could see it. Once we made
it to the trail it was dark so we pulled out of headlamps. The trail was so steep that Ginger and I
decided it would be easier to run down the trail instead of slowly lunging down
it. I bounded through the dark woods
thinking about the marshmallows I had just toasted over the volcano and the
lava that poured through the rocks we stood on.
Once again I could not believe this is my life. I am so thankful to God for providing me with
this experience and so grateful to the supporters who continue to provide for
me. I wish that each and every one of
you could be here with me, but since that is not possible it is my hope to
bring a piece of the experience through the blog.
The Hike Up
Emily and Candice
The Lava Field
Volcano Flavored Marshmallows
Lava Rivers
Volcan de Pacaya
