The Great Traveler

Having been to Costa Rica and seen Arenal, I came in to Volcano Pacaya thinking it would be much of the same thing. Sitting in a pool, watching volcanic ash being spewed off the top of a large mountain while being a comfortable distance away, perhaps in the range of 1-2 miles. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine what I was about to see at Volcano Pacaya.

The journey began from Antigua with 1.5 hour bus ride up the side of the volcano to an elevation of around 8,000 feet. As we approached the entrance of the park, a tour guide got on, and offered sticks to people for $5/piece. $5 US dollars? Its just a branch that was ripped off a tree. I opted against it, partially because few other people bought it and partially because I didn’t know that it was going to come in so handy.

When we got off the bus, local Guatemalan children surrounded us selling the exact same sticks for $.60/piece. Some of the people who bought them for $5 were irate, and understandably so. I would have felt the same way. It was one of the few instances in Guatemala where I felt someone was trying to rip off another individual. The tour guide explained the the $5 sticks were the ‘official’ sticks of the Volcano tour company. I suppose they ripped them off the ‘official’ tree of the tour company as well, while the five year old children were bandits selling knock-offs. I think I understood his reasoning. His sticks were Burberry, while the kids’ sticks were Furberry. You were paying extra for the brand…

From the entrance, we climbed another 1.6 miles uphill through rocks and trees and dirt pathways. It was an exhausting climb that took us another few hours, until we reached a point where there was volcanic ash. We then climbed the ash and made our way closer to the top of the Volcano, until it finally appeared to us. Here we were, 50 feet from the top of the Volcano, with lava flowing out at an unbelievable rate right in front of our eyes. I couldn’t believe it. As we walked closer to the volcano’s peak, the old volcanic ash had holes that allow immense amounts of heat in from below. We would alternate from being hot to cold to hot again within a matter of seconds.

Lava, as opposed to what I previously believed, is more of a solid substance than a liquid. Its like the hot earth is spewing out with constant chunks. The constant flow was a deep orange/red color that was breathtaking against the black, old volcanic ash. As day turned to dusk rather quickly, the bright colors of the lava lit up the night. The clouds raced past us at what could have easily been 100 miles/hour. As we approached the top, and night set in, the elevation caused us to feel extreme cold.

Now, only about 10 feet away from the lava on Pacaya, I was flabbergasted. I wanted to reach the summit, to look down upon the great hole that was spewing out chunks from the earth’s mantle. The wind up there was very powerful and would force the heat of the lava on to your skin to a point that was so painful, I thought I might have suffered some mild burns. The only way to protect yourself from this was to cover your skin, and I was wearing shorts, baring my legs for the wrath of the volcanic heat. Big mistake. The hoodie I used to protect my face stopped the heat dead in its tracks. Its the only time in my life that I used additionally clothing to stop myself from getting too hot. Its a strange feeling and a hard phenomenon to explain. Anyone who visits should make sure they are covered from head to toe.

Volcano Pacaya is undoubtedly one of the top 10 things I’ve ever seen in my life. To touch, to feel, to see an active volcano within a few feet of you is absolutely breathtaking. Its a journey I believe everyone should make at least once if possible.