Antigua and Volcan Pacaya

So, yes, I did actually get Paul to take an inland trip...abeit a short one...and after a long bus ride to Guatemala City...The shuttle bus (van) dropped us off here in Antigua...this was our first view of Antigua...We wandered a few blocks here and a few blocks there...having an address but not really being able to make heads or tails of the maps and the streets....So I hailed a three wheeled cab also called a Tuk Tuk...gave him the card the cruisers we met had given us and he wandered the many one way streets to our Hostel... As you can see...Paul was ready for a rest so I went out and booked a trip for the next morning to go to the active volcano Pacaya...first of course I had to go buy a pair of shoes suitable for the hike...
I had to walk about 5 blocks or so...didn't get lost...but these were the only ones I could find that would fit...the nice part they were only $18 u.s..The next morning the van picked me up outside the Hostel at 6:00am. I was the second person picked up...the first was a young lady from Canada...so I sat down next to her and began a conversation! I will point out here that I did not pay a bit of attention to where the van was going!A total of 6 more people were picked up...all much younger than I...and off the van went to the Volcano...and then up...and up....and UP we hiked. At first through the woods...jungle...whatever....The views of course were tremendous...Volcano Acatenango (affectionately called Volcan Aqua as it is "nute"...at least that is what Raul says...I just don't know exactly what that means or how to spell it) is the largest and the closest in this picture. The hike up to the top of that one would have been over 7 hours. The views incredible I hear...all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The most active one in the picture is Volcan Fuego.This is the view of Guatemala City...fondly called Guat City around here.....This is the very active Pacaya as we came out of the woods...jungle and got a good look at it...This is the lava flow from Pacaya volcan...the town is still inhabited....Volcan Fuego venting.....Another view of volcan Fuego...Then it was time to climb Pacaya...yes, that is only part of the path we hiked...Unbelievable the shapes that the lava makes as it flows and pushes out and cools...Then our guide calls us to the lava flow......We all scampered over... it was HOT clear up here! We watched it flow... and flow closer until it got sooooo HOT...our guide told us to "vamos"!!!

In fact I thought I had melted my shoes for a little while!! Amazing lava flows............

You can tell where the lava is flowing by the steam running down the side.....

See I really made it!!! Of course I was VERY tired!......We moved down a little and took a water break....then walked all the way back down!!! The van then took us back to Antigua...but to the location below...Yeah...right...I knew where this was to where the Hostel was as much as you do!!! I was told two blocks one way three block over another...So...to make a much longer story shorter...I got lost!!! It took over 1/2 hour of walking around town for me to finally walk into an official office type place and show them the pictures of the streets around the Hostel...you see nobody knew the location of the Hostel just by the name and I hadn't taken a card showing the name and address anyway. I only had the travel agency name and nobody knew where THAT was...so thank heaven I take LOTS and LOTS of pictures...even of stuff that may not be of interest to anybody else!!