In the end I'm glad I stayed because it gave me the chance to climb Volcan Pacaya again. The first time round I climbed it in the morning but I later discovered to my horror that Jane had climbed it in the evening. In order to faithfully recreate Jane's journey I would have to climb it again.
Going back gave me a chance to see solid rock where last month I saw flowing lava. Geography teachers worldwide would wet themselves. The lava this time around was a good 20 minute hike further up the volcano on steep, slippery terrain, a mixture between sand and sharp rocks eager to attack your ankles. Thanks to my days of playing frisbee on the beach I found the easiest way up was to run.
The lava snuck up on us this time, we were scrambling over fresh, hollow sounding rock when the guard said softly and with no sense of urgency that we should perhaps not be where we were and instead follow him. A good call as a few metres on we could see that we had been standing on the thin roof of a cave about two metres wide from which flowed a fast moving stream of 2000C liquid magma (dr evil would love this!). At the same time the sun was setting creating an incredible glow as the clouds we were in rushed by.
Having been toasted marshmallow style by the lava we started our descent. The easiest way to do this was to attempt to ski down using feet as skis and my trusty stick as a "jaysus" device to stop a fusion of ass and sharp rock. We made it back in good time using flashlights and a bus. Never was a Burger King cheeseburger and fries more deserved.
This morning I was up to get a shuttle to Guatemala city at 9. First things first though, I needed coffee, bread and to post my latest postcard to Rosie, Queen of Clonskeagh. I was hanging out with Helen (from San pedro / NZ, just back from the rainy caribbean coast and very hungover), Jessica (from Antigua / Oregon and off to semuc champey) and Sophia (from Sofia, off to San pedro again) on this beautiful morning. By 9.15 there was still no shuttle, no big deal in Guatemala to have a delay. I popped my head into the girls at the travel agents to check on it. My appearance was greeted with calm panic followed by some frantic phone calls. I left them to it, I could see I was in good hands.
My trust was well placed as ten minutes later my shuttle, i.e. a volvo estate with three Americans already in the back, duly turned up. After doing a few laps of the city's one way streets trying to find a way out (half of the streets were being dug up and the rest closed due to the presidents imminent arrival) we were on our way.
I was dropped at the tica bus terminal two hours early so I checked my bag and went for a wander. I saw a last chance to experience Guatemalan culture across the motorway and thought what a great way to spend a few hours. I put on my sprinting shoes and ran through the speeding cars to get across to the megamall complete with McDs, BK and joy of joys Taco Bell. I feasted on taco fries and, appropriately, a volcano taco (cultural, no?). I enjoyed a few hours of wandering around shops such as Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, y'know traditional guatemalan fare, before the volcano taco duly lived up to it's name and for the second time that day my sprinting shoes proved themselves to be a lifesaver.
As the grand Tica bus pulled into the Guatemalan side of the border a murder of cambio men came charging towards us waving huge wads of quetzals and dolares. Putting on my best Roy-Keane-talking-about-the-FAI face I pushed through them to get to the border control. As I stood in (the wrong) line I amused myself by observing the tactics of the cambio men. The would stand outside waving their wads as if having the biggest wad was crucial to gaining credibility and business. Some would tap on the glass, others, when they caught your eye, would wave their wads and wink, kindred spirits with old men who hang around primary school gates with bags of fresh candy.
Back on the bus we drove the short distance to the el Salvador side of the border. This time it was all a bit modern with the border guy walking through the bus scanning our passports with a fancy piece of beepy machinery. No stamp in the passport?what's the point incoming here?!
There was time to hop off the bus for a super greasy popoussa and a coke as the guards checked the bags. I swear they only looked at the bags that belonged to locals. I say this because my bag was near the front and they just climbed over it to get to the cheaper looking ones. Either way after about a quarter of the bags they got bored so it was "Vamos" and we were off.
So I'm now sitting on the bus on the way to San Salvador where i'm staying with victoria and her boyfriend, my first couchsurfing experience. Tomorrow I'm off to playa el sumthin to try a bit of surfing and to see what el Salvador is about. It's gotta be good, right? After all it's got "al" in it's name.....
No comments:
Post a Comment