Santa Ana volcano hike
January 17-18
Early Friday morning we tackled the Santa Ana volcano hike. Pulling the kids out of bed at 6:30 a.m. wasn’t easy, but we wanted to beat the heat and as it turned out, the crowds too. After a quick breakfast, we joined our guide and a small group, including a birder from Ecuador with an impressive and heavy looking camera setup. Little did he know setting out that we wouldn’t see any birds today.
The hike was steep but manageable, especially after climbing Acatenango in Guatemala. In just 1.5 hours, we reached the summit, with sweeping 360° views. Looking into the crater, over time pressured layers of coloured rock to a pool of milky blue-green water.
We had a snack and snapped some photos before noticing the ant like trail of people coming up. The kids brought themselves frozen popsicles from a man who makes them by hand and hikes the heavy load up the mountain daily to sell for $1.00 The trail down was as busy as the Sea to Sky highway on a Sunday afternoon in winter, again with hikers of all levels—some in sandals and sneakers, some with full face of make up jewelry, others looking like they are off to church with little girls in pretty dresses and black patent sandals, others wearing veils over the head. I wonder if they actually set out intentionally for a hike or if they boarded the wrong bus? It was kinda weird, from a North American perspective. T’was as if they were on a pilgrimage, each making their way, in the beating heat. Happy we started early, we’re down in 35 mins and back to Bruce, still parked untouched where we left her. Santa Ana Volcano is n the photo below with the truck.
maria mizata
That afternoon, we drove down to the Pacific coast to Maria Mizata. In hopes of finding a quiet & relaxing beach—but the reality was less idyllic. There is no ‘untouched’ coastline, although it’s undeveloped, it is all owned, mostly with tall concrete block or brick walls that cut off any views.
People have opened restaurants along the road side, no more than a couple of meters (8ft) wide, suspended over the garbage below, complete with a roadside toilet that just drops away. Trees cling to life on the side of the rock, many small tin shanty homes dot the roadside.
Camping options are slim, we opted for a palm grove site with hard-packed dirt and facilities you don’t want to know about. The owner, a pleasant old man with a single tooth, asked for $9 and left us alone. He lives here using the same unclean facilities. We put out the foot washing bucket and again chickens and dogs came to drink. The black volcanic sand was scorching under foot, the surf was warm & the kids had fun playing in the waves. But the combination of heat and high humidity isn’t comfortable. Too hot to cook, we ate dinner at a beachside restaurant $42 USD, not cheap, but good food that didn’t give us any trouble…if you know what I mean 😉
Later when talking with an American guy we’d met, he was saying that the cost of living since the new president had increased significantly, which is why we’re seeing higher prices. He was saying that the locals are finding it difficult to make ends meet, which is worrying as these gentle people have very little to begin with. But on the flip side, the people are happy with the new President as he has swiftly ridden the country of crime and locked up those responsible. People now feel safe.
berlin volcano
January 19 & our 25th Anniversary
I don’t say “wedding anniversary” because we didn’t have a wedding. But on this day 25 years ago, I finished work early at the salon, Tim picked me up, and we drove straight to our appointment—held in front of the marriage commissioner’s under-construction living room, 15-minutes later we were married, just like that. I wasn’t too concerned as we were going to have a ‘wedding’ with family the following year, which never happened. Twenty-five years later, with so much accomplished, here we are on the trip of a lifetime, traveling with our two beautiful kids.
By late afternoon, we arrived at a recreation area owned by Veronica, who welcomed us to stay on her gated property for $14p/night. Clean flushing toilets with a seat and a poorly draining cold shower. With no other visitors, we had the place to ourselves for the next 2 days—perfect for recharging. Surrounded by lush jungle, with birdsong in the morning and cooler night temperatures, it was just what we needed. The kids managed a few hours of schoolwork, Tim had a long chat with a friend back home, and I enjoyed a call with Helen. We stayed two nights, planning our next steps before heading to the border of Honduras. Below are some of the many photos snapped while driving.
Coming up, Honduras…
