Volcan Pacaya

Yesterday afternoon I went on a grand adventure, hiking up one of the three active volcanoes in Guatemala. At the bottom of the hill little boys were selling bags of marshmallows to be roasted over glowing red lava. The top of the volcano was a terrain of lava frozen into lumps, mounds and ripples. It was the most amazing thig to see lava glowing up through cracks in the rock, the most intense orange color. It is one of the only volacanoes in the world where you can actually get that close to the lava. I couldn´t help harboring the horrific fantasy of the rock falling away under my foot, and my plunging into the glowing inferno beneath. The wind blew hot, and I could definitely tell I was standing on the back of a sleeping, fire breathing monster. The last time a real eruption happened was 2000, but new lava is added to the landscape all the time. Our guide showed us the differences in color, the most red being the most recent deposits. It was a fascinating trip, but I will say I was happy to get my feet back onto solid ground!