There have been a couple of other posts about our month in Antigua, Guatemala. Here I would like to highlight our visit to an active volcano, Pacaya. When we went there was no flowing lava only gas and heat. There had been lava only about a year before, so we could see the black hardening lava and step into areas where we could feel the geothermal heat radiating from the magma still hot under the hardening top layer. You could also see clearly the way it flowed from the crater to the pool of lava. If this isn't the best way to cover volcanoes, geothermal heat, and even igneous rocks, I don't know the best way!
This seemed like our one opportunity. First off, we were near it and it was active. Secondly, this one was only a 2 kilometer hike after a 4 kilometer car ride up. I, and others with health problems, could do the hike either by hiring a horse or by hiring a private guide for the day so that we could take as many breaks as necessary to make the hike. Very little of it was treacherous, most of it was just a walk at an incline. Still, if you are out of shape or have health issues, I recommend a private guide at the very least, if not the horse. Obviously, this is more expensive, but for us it was the difference between being able to have the kids experience the volcano or not. Here are some highlights:
The best part of melting marshmallows in hot spots in the hardening lava area and making smores:
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