We woke up early so that we could snag some breakfast at the hostel. I was expecting the somewhat traditional hostel breakfast of some white toast, a couple of jars of jam, peanut butter and if we are lucky, Nutella. At least that is what I’ve seen when I’ve stayed at hostels in the past. However, we were all pleasantly surprised when we noticed a waiter serving another group of people staying at the hostel. We had to wait a few minutes while the server prepared our meals, but we were given two pupusas, a piece of quesadilla, a Salvadoran cheese-bread specialty, and a cup of cinnamon coffee. Yum! The best way to start the day.

Edgardo arrived early, and we weren’t quite ready, so he waited for us outside the hostel. We tried to hurry, but we ended up walking out right on time at 8:30. As soon as we exited the hostel, I saw Edgardo standing next to the car, and was sooo excited! It’s been at least 5 years, if not longer since I’ve seen him. We gave each other a giant hug, and I introduced him to Dana and Hayden. Hooray for friends!

Our first stop would be the Tazumal Ruins, a little ways outside of Santa Ana. My friend Marcela, who I met while I was living in El Salvador, was coming to meet us at Tazumal with her husband and their 7 month old baby, Adrian. I couldn’t wait to see them, and to meet Adrian for the first time!

We hit the road and are moving at a good pace, but eventually we hit some traffic…of course, lol. I text Marcela and let her know we might be a bit later than expected, and she also said they ran into traffic. Oh good! Maybe we’ll arrive at the same time after all! :). Before we know it, we’re entering the street for the ruins, and I’m getting excited, as we’re able to see the ruins right from the street. I’ve been here before, but I can’t help but feel the excitement of exploring ancient Mayan ruins every time I go. Nerd! Hehe. The entrance fee is $5 and off we go to see our first Salvadoran ruins.

I explained to Dana and Hayden that these ruins look a lot different because when they were discovered, there wasn’t a great way to protect them or to restore them, so they were covered in cement. It gives the pyramid a smooth look on the outside, very different from most Mayan ruins. However, it’s almost a glance as to what they may have looked like in their prime. We’re so accustomed to seeing unadorned, rocky pyramids, when in reality, they would’ve been magnificently ornate with colors, smooth surfaces, and sculptures.

We walk around a bit, bummed by the barrier rope they’ve put up, unable to get up close and personal with the ruins. I don’t remember climbing the big pyramid before, but there was a section I climbed once in the past, which was now completely blocked off. Dang! Honestly, it’s probably best for the preservation of the ruins, but it’s always fun to get to hike the steps and walk in the footsteps of the ancient Mayan elite. We take our pictures and goof around for a bit, waiting for Marcela and her family to arrive.

As we’re ready to leave the ruins, Marcela calls me, saying they’ve arrived! OMG! So excited to give her a big hug! Their car pulls up, and she’s in the backseat, taking care of the baby, so it’s a couple of minutes before she actually gets out of the car, but when she does, we give each other the biggest hug we can muster! And I again introduce Dana and Hayden, and Marcela takes Adrian out of his car seat. What a freaking cutie! I’ve seen so many pictures on facebook, but dang, is he just the cutest little thing.

We decide to grab a coffee and visit for a bit before deciding what’s next on this list. Our original plan was to visit San Andrés and Joya de Cerén, ending up at the hotel in San Salvador. But, after talking with Marcela and Balmore, her husband, we decided it’d be better to go to “La Ruta de Los Flores,” or the Flower Route. This route passes through several cute colonial towns that offer a lot of typical Salvadoran food and picturesque central parks and churches. With a confirmed plan, we pack up our things and begin our journey to Ataco, the first of the towns.

Ataco is as adorable as ever with its colonial buildings, cobblestone streets, and murals of wide-eyed cats and people, an exaggerated art style the town is known for. The Central Park is small with a lot of trees, and all around the park are restaurants and food vendors. I want Dana and Hayden to try all kinds of typical food, so we begin our hunt. We found “riguas,” a sweet corn and cheese treat, more sweet than savory, which Dana ended up loving! We also found Salvadoran empanadas, which are made with a plantain dough and filled with beans or cream, and then fried and covered in sugar. Delicious! Dana and I tried a local coffee of the day as well, and after a quick look in the church and a walk around a couple of streets, we were on our way to the next town, Apaneca.

Apaneca is smaller, and we were going to just get out and talk a handful of pictures and move along to the next. But, as we were walking, we noticed a sign for rolled ice cream! We were after this in Copan, but the store was closed, so of course we had to go check it out. It was down a beautiful street with a gorgeous view of a hill in the background. We make it to the ice cream cart, and we start asking about flavors. Hayden asked for chocolate-krispy, I asked for mango, and Dana wanted avocado, but he only had a tiny bit left. So, he offered to make it for us so we could try it. How nice! And all of a sudden I realize he’s wearing a Boston Red Sox hat! Awesome! He said he almost didn’t wear it that day, because sometimes the “B” can be confused for the number “18” which is a gang symbol. That makes me sad, but I’m glad he did feel safe enough to wear the hat, and it made it that more special that we were eating the rolled ice cream at his place. Marcela asked for a mango one as well, and Balmore got a mangoneada, a frozen mango popsicle placed in a cup filled with lime juice, spices similar to Tajín, and maybe “chamoy,” or a tart berry syrup. So delicious! And worth trying if you find yourself in Central America. 🙂

We chatted with the ice cream man for a bit, and then walked over to the church to take some pictures and to sight see a tad more before headed towards the next town. 

Next up on our list was Juayuá, which is known for the food festivals they have every weekend. Cannot wait to see what they have to offer! We park the car and walk just a short way until we can see and smell the food festival. We walk down one length of it, checking out all the meals and what they come with. The majority of the food stalls are serving HUGE plates of food: chicken, beef, or mixed with rice and beans, veggies, salad, tortilla, avocado, etc. Everything smells incredible, and we all agree to do a once over before deciding where to grab our lunch. On our way down the second line of food stalls, we see a street dog with an entire to-go container in his mouth. HAHAHA. It was epic! And Hayden got it on film lol. I’ve never seen anything like that. We all had a good laugh, and continued on our merry way. 

We decided to eat at the place with the tacos, and Dana and I ordered a Suprema…gotta try out all the local beers! Hehe The food was delicious and we enjoyed the ambiance of the food festival with the music, the smells, and all the people watching. As we were eating, we were talking about our next stop. We were interested in going to the waterfalls that were nearby, but we ultimately decided not to go. It would require getting a mototaxi or maybe a 4by4 vehicle and then a bit of a walk, and we weren’t prepared nor did we want to get into the water. So instead, we decided to go find some “Colones,” the old Salvadoran currency, as we saw some at a vendor stall as we entered town. Hayden and I both like to collect currencies from different countries, so we walk over to the guy and check out his stash. He wanted $5 for the 1 colón note. We thought that was a bit high, but they also don’t make them anymore, so they’re gonna be more money, either way. Hayden wasn’t satisfied, so we haggled a bit, and I asked, what if we bought 2 notes, and he dropped the price to $8, and we walked away. As we were walking away, the man dropped it again to $7 for two notes. Hayden and I thanked him and continued walking away. As we were leaving, we chatted and decided we’d regret it if we didn’t go back, so we got our $7 together, and went back and bought our colones. Mission Complete! Haha

After this grand moment, we got back in the cars and headed towards Nahuizalco, where Marcela is from. This will be our last stop of the day before going back to San Salvador. When we get to Nahuizaco, Marcela brings us around to the church, and then to a small artesanias store. She wants to gift something to each of us… What a sweetheart! Hehe. She’s so adorable, and thoughtful, and kind. We all tried to say no, but she insisted, saying this is her town, and she wants to treat us to a little something to remember Nahuizalco. She is planning on coming to the US soon, and I can’t wait to take her around and be her guide, and go on all the fun adventures! 🙂

We walk around the park, admiring the Valentine’s Day decorations, and I am keeping my eye out for pupusas made out of yuca, which you can only find in this town. Marcela took the initative and found me 3 pupusas de yuca. Again, she’s so sweet! I make Dana and Hayden try them, and they both agree that the yuca pupusas are their favorites! Sweet! I’m so glad I made them try them, and so grateful for Marcela for finding them! Thanks, girl!

We’ve finally come to the point that we have to say goodbye. I really don’t want to leave, as this whole day has been a dream. I felt like I was transported back to when I lived here, and I just ate up every minute of it! After lots of big hugs, we finally did say our goodbyes and see you soons. 

On the drive to San Salvador, I chatted with Edgardo, reminiscing about the good times in Fundahmer, and remembering certain delegations and community members, including don Pedro, who passed away a couple of years ago. We both remember him during the employee meetings, nearly or completely falling asleep, and then being asked if he had anything to add, and abruptly waking up and responding with an involved, but yet generic response. We laughed a lot and Edgardo made a comment about how beautiful it is to be remembered by others when you pass on, leaving your mark behind. Don Pedro, you certainly did this! 🙂 RIP, dear friend.

Needless to say, returning to El Salvador after all this time has been just phenomenal, and I need to come back again soon. These couple of days are not enough, but I am so grateful for every minute I have here.

We woke up early this morning in order to get to the ruins right when they opened, all of us tired after having a rest day and staying up later than usual. Oh well, time for some coffee and leftover baleadas, heheh. We totally took those home with us!

We got ready quickly, preparing for an early arrival at the archeology site to beat the crowds. We had a plan for how much to pay for a Tuk Tuk, which our airbnb host told us: 15L/person, or 45L total. We decided that if the driver asked for and pushed for 60, we’d be okay with that. We start to walk towards the town square, and a Tuk Tuk beeps at us, and we ask him his price to the ruins, and he immediately says 15. Perfect! It was so nice not to have to haggle! Wow! We love this place! Lol. We jump in and away we go! We bop around the cobblestone streets, and before we know it, we’re arriving at the ruins. YAY! So excited! This is my first ruins visit since I joined up with Dana and Hayden and a new site for me! I always wanted to visit Copán while I was living in El Salvador, as it was “only” a 6 hour ride from San Salvador, and now it’s finally happening! 🤗

We pay our entry fee, and take a quick walk through the free museum, and scurry down the stairs and towards the path to the ruins. As we’re walking we hear that crazy screaming child sound, and we knew we’d be lucky enough to see some more Macaws! And we spot them high in the tree, and we notice that there is a mandmade nest there. Cool! So we continue walking, and we see signs about how they are rehabilitating the Macaws, who are born on Macaw Mountain, and moved to the park where they adapt to the local Macaw population, and once they’ve fully adapted, they are released into the wild. We also read a plaque that Macaws are monogamous…awwww hehe. 🥰

We walk through the park entrance, and we see and hear a ton of these birds. Sooo cool! Apparently it’s feeding time, and there are multiple perches filled with fruit and at least 3 birds on each perch! Wow! We got up close and personal with them, and we felt so lucky to be in their presence! 

As we continue down the path, we start to get our first glimpses of some for the ruins! The first notable pyramid we see looks like its been refurbished, and boy is she beautiful. We have a great time walking around with nobody there, the only exception being the workers who are raking up the fallen leaves. I am again in my element, and so excited to see the stelae with such detailed carvings, and even some red color left! Wow! I don’t think I’ve seen any maya ruins still stained with colors. We quickly hurry to the biggest pyramid and get shots with nobody else in them, and check out the ball court. So cool!

I love gazing at the hieroglyphs, and one particular pyramid has the longest Mayan inscription found to date. Around 1,800 glyphs! Most are difficult to see with the naked eye, if not impossible, but a few were notable! Sweet! The entire site is comprised of the ceremonial center, the acropolis, and a couple of residential areas for the nobles and the elites. Something interesting is that the elites and nobles buried their loved ones next to where they lived and not in a communal cemetery. I was also super intrigued to see the ancient stone structures of the residential areas, as it’s the first I’ve seen seen at any archeological site. Awesome! 🤩

It took us around 3 hours to walk the entire area and get our fill of the site. By the end, we were all ready for a smoothie, and we called our old pal, Wilson, the Tuk Tuk driver. He was so kind to us, giving us all the tips, and he didn’t try to charge us the “tourist tax,” so we agreed to pay him double for our ride back to town. Pay it forward! 🙂

We find “the best smoothie” spot in town, San Rafael Cafe. We show up and realize it’s quite fancy and is probably more expensive. We get the menu, and we start to get carried away, dreaming about what to order, and thinking if we don’t have enough cash, we can pay with a card. But that’s just the hunger and heat talking for us, lol. We cool our jets and decide to JUST order smoothies, and we’ll try to find food elsewhere. I got a dragon fruit or a “pitaya.” So yummy! And while we were enjoying that, we looked up a restaurant that came up yesterday. It is on the central square and overlooks the park. Awesome! The food looked good online, so we meander over there.

Once at the restaurant, Dana and I decided to have a passion fruit juice, but as it turns out, there was no electricity, so they couldn’t run the blender. Bummer! Guess we’ll have to settle for a beer! Haha, booo hooo. Just kidding. It was great. We also order “gorditas,” which are similar to pupusas in that they are stuffed corn tortillas, but these were filled with chicken, beans, cheese, avocado, and onions, almost like a sanwhich. And they were fried, so the outside was quite crunchy. Score for another local dish! I’ve had gorditas in Mexico, and they’re basically sandwiches, so this was a fun new variation to try.

Hayden had a hankering for heladdooo! And he found a cool place called Maya Helado Rolls, so we go there….only to find they’re closed! Oh no! They have pictures outside, and its literally sheets of ice cream rolled up. It looks so cool! But why are they closed? It dons on us that there isn’t any power… We had stopped by a souvenir shop to find Dana a patch, and they didn’t have power either. Ahhhh, ok, so it must be a town-wide situation. That’s when we start to notice the generators on the sidewalks, lol. So we figure the ice cream shop closed due to that? Either way, we walk away, disappointed, and head back to chill at the apartment. Wait. Will the apartment have power? Ugghh. Haha

Nope! Ahh, oh well, lol. We checked the laundry we started earlier, and it appears that the power cut out at the beginning of the cycle. Dang! The sheet of laundry soap has started to dissolve but not completely. And the clothes are wet. Do we hand wash them or do we just hang them up to dry? It was just a load from the previous day, so they weren’t really that dirty. Thankfully we did the majority of the laundry yesterday.

With no power, we have no AC, and no WiFi. So, no getting work done, and with the afternoon heat and full bellies, we decide to play a game of cards to entertain ourselves, and we agree the loser will drink a nasty local banana juice soda lol. We all tried this drink, as it is a local Honduran soda, but we all detested it. The stakes are high for this card game! Hehe. We have a great time, and around 4pm, we decide to start packing and to shower before we lose daylight.

Right around 5:15, the power comes back on! Yay! Now we can make some coffee and get some work done. Yes! We spent the rest of the evening working away, still trying to figure out what’s next after El Salvador. Where will we end up? The options that came up were Nicaragua, México City, Colombia, and Belgium!

The next morning, I woke up earlier than my alarm, did some work on my volcano blog post, and just enjoyed some time in bed. I heard Dana and Hayden, so when my alarm actually went off, I left my bedroom and saw Dana already making coffee! Score! We woke up with plenty of time to pack our things and ease into another shuttle day, this time to El Salvador! Wooohoo! Allegedly, it would be around 5 hours, but given our recent experiences, that’s just never the case.

Once we had a delicious breakfast of a banana and some breakfast oat cookies, we tidied the space and got our bags together. We left the airbnb with extra time to stop by a small store to spend the rest of the cash we had. Our choices? Very important and necessary items: water and Oreos! 

We head to the meeting spot, and we’re half an hour early. We were told to show up 10 minutes before, and the last shuttle picked us up right around then, so we didn’t want to chance it. Well, 10:00 came and went and nothing. 10:15 and nothing. Around 10:20, Dana sent the shuttle company a message, and we were told that the shuttle was coming, but it was delayed because some people coming into Copán didn’t have any money with them to pay the entry fee for Honduras. Seriously? Well, what can you do? Haha

The shuttle comes around close to 11, so we’re already an hour behind. We’ll see how long it takes us to actually get to El Salvador. 😅 I asked our driver if we were picking up any other people, and he said just one more person. We all thought it would be this guy, Fredo, who we met on our shuttle into Copán. He was going to San Salvador, where we wanted to go initially, but the website said the shuttle was full. So we checked the shuttle to Santa Ana, a city in western El Salvador: wide open. But Santa Ana is on the way to San Salvador, so we assume this shuttle stops in Santa Ana first before continuing on towards the capital, lol. The shuttle must pick up passengers in Santa Ana, otherwise, why weren’t we able to book through to San Salvador? 🤔 So, our guess was correct, and we picked up Fredo at his hotel. Interesting, but we loved knowing it would only be the 4 of us, as our previous shuttles had been filled to the brim. We also expected to breeze through the borders being a smaller group. We never did ask if our driver would be picking more people, hehe. It’ll remain a mystery!

The Honduran-Guatemala border was only about 15 minutes away from Copán, and we get there just in time. Right after we got in line, there was a huge group of people who filled in behind us. It took roughly 30-45 minutes to exit Honduras and enter Guatemala, all in the same building we did on the way in. Easy Peasy!

Back on the road again, and it would be just under 2 hours before reaching the Guatemalan-Salvadoran border. This shuttle ride made me feel carsick…not as bad as the first one to Lake Atitlan, but it wasn’t great either, lol. Luckily, I was able to sleep a bit, and when I woke up, we were fairly close to the border. Yay!

The Guatemalan side of the border was straight forward, we just walked up to a window and the guy checked and stamped our passport. Awesome, back in the shuttle and onwards to one of my favorite places….El Salvador! 

The shuttle stops right on the border and an immigration officer asks to see our passports. Ok, cool. We expect to continue further and go into a building to get stamped, or scanned, or something. But we don’t! Thats all she needed, just to see the exit stamp from Guatemala, I guess. We made it! We’re in El Salvador! Woooohooooo! My first time in 5 years! I’m embarrassed I haven’t made it back sooner, but I’m here now, even if its only for a short time.

From the border we drove about 1.5 hours to our hostel in Santa Ana. I realize I’ve never actually stayed in Santa Ana before, maybe nearby, but I never really visited the city. Cool! 

So we check into the hostel, drop our bags, and head out for food. We got a recommendation for a pupuseria, but it didn’t open until 5. We had 2 hours to kill, so we decided to go to the main square and see the cathedral. Whomp Womp. It has so much scaffolding, it looks like a metal facade. 🤣 Too bad! I was really looking forward to seeing it, since I never had. Oh well, I’ll just need to come back, hehe. 

We walk around a few streets, just meandering and hoping to find an artisan market so Dana can find a patch, and so we can find some smoothies to tide us over until dinner. No luck on either end, so we look up a second place that one of the hostel workers gave us. Before we got there, we found a cute cafe, so we just went here instead. 

We got the menu, and I saw a couple of things I’d completely forgotten about: budín and arrayan! So naturally, I ordered both of these, but it turns out they didn’t have arrayan….a local fruit, which I ordered as a smoothie. So I got maracuya, or passion fruit. Not a terrible runner up, hehe. 

We sat here for almost an hour, battling hanger and sheer exhaustion. We NEEDED the pupusa place to open up, lol. The budín saved us a bit, but right at 5, we decided to walk over and get ourselves some much needed and desired pupusas. I simply could not wait! I haven’t had a real pupusa in 5 years! 

We ordered a variety of pupusas, some rice and some corn, and went to town. Dana and I had a Pilsner, of course. Hehe. Next up will be a Suprema, and then hopefully Cadejo :).

On our walk back to the hostel, we were a much merrier bunch, calling out the dog poop on the sidewalk, and the death holes, which were just gaping holes in the sidewalk, waiting to sprain or break an ankle lol. We stopped by a small artisan shop, and Dana found a patch! Sweet! So back to the hostel we go, to do some work on our next steps and to catch up on the day’s writing and pictures. Until next time! Chau!

Woke up at 3am for the 4am shuttle to Copán…ugghhhh…it’ll be worth it! Haha. We got picked up 10 minutes early… a promising start to our shortest shuttle ride yet…or so we thought. Haha.

We waste almost an hour running around Antigua, collecting more passengers. Dang! We thought we might get away with a lighter load. Nope! Completely full! We had 2 spots left, that were to be filled by a couple in Guatemala City, that we’d pick up on the way.

We finally leave Antigua, and not long after, we hit THE WORST traffic. Ambulances are going by, and we all realize we’ll be sitting here for a while. Uh-oh! As we inch along the road, we never see the accident we presume is the reason for the traffic. Then it hits us; this was probably just regular Guatemala City traffic. Horrible! Like a giant parking lot that slowly moves forward, half a car length at a time. The roads are narrow and just can’t handle the crazy amount of cars. It took us 3 hours to get to the gas station in Guatemala City, where we picked up the 2 new people. Omg. We should’ve been arriving in 2 hours time, but we haven’t even left the city yet! Haha. So much for this being our shortest ride!

Meanwhile, during the worst traffic, about an hour into the drive, the driver realizes he forgot to load the surf board of one of the people on board. He pulled over to double check, and it wasn’t there. Turns out he left it on the street where we picked up the woman. As a collective group, using a guy’s phone with Guatemalan cell service and a couple that translated for the woman, we managed to call the hotel and have them go out and look for the surfboard. They found it! Next step was to try and contact the boyfriend, who owns the surfboard, who so inconveniently didn’t have a cell phone and was also planning to leave on a chicken bus for the Honduran border later that day. He was doing it this way because he is Peruvian, and his passport expired 10 years ago, and he never renewed it. So, his plan is to sneak across the border somehow. What?!!! Lol, hot mess express if I’ve ever witnessed one, lol. Good luck, dude!

We collectively decided not to stop for food, as we all are desperate to get to Copán. Not to mention, this van was the least comfortable yet. I was on a double seat with a space to my left, and the seat was not wide enough for 2 adult butts… so, my left butt cheek was pretty much hanging off the entire ride, haha…which ended up being 9.5 hours. Have you ever experienced one butt cheeck falling asleep? 10/10 do NOT recommend, haha.

On top of a tingly butt, I was unable to use the “oh shit” bar in front of my seat. Early on during the ride, it came in handy several times, going around tight curves. If it weren’t for the seatbelt holding me in place and that handle for balance, I would’ve easily fallen into the aisle next to my seat. Bad news though, by this point, the woman seated in front of me had her hair down, and for the last half of the ride, I couldn’t use it without grabbing some of her hair. Haha. Grrrreat. The good news? Those snickers we bought yesterday really came in handy!

And now, I think, after three 10-hour shuttles in a 4 day time span, I am a certified pro!

We finally made it to the Guatemalan-Honduran border, and it was quite a breeze! It took a long time, but it was a smooth transition. A new country for me! Wooohooo! I technically drove through Honduras on the way to Nicaragua way back, but that just doesn’t count. After the border, it was a short 10-minute drive into town, Copán Ruinas. Our driver made a joke and said just an hour more to go, and for a minute, we all were concerned, lol. But we had already been tracking the GPS, and we knew it wasn’t that far. Thank all the gods, lol.

Once we arrived to Copán, we got off the shuttle and began making our way towards the airbnb. Easier said than done, as it became quite the journey of nearly wrong turns that were actually correct; we essentially walked around the one dirt path we needed to go up, and instead, hike up 3 different long steep hills, haha. Our last attempt brought us to a GIANT steep hill, and we climb halfway up before we stop and rethink our life decisions. 🤣 We reviewed the video that the airbnb host sent Dana, showing us how to get to the apartment from a landmark hotel, which is perched on this huge hill, out of eyesight at this point. We try to find buildings that look familiar to us on the street we’re on, but to no avail. Hayden hikes it to the top of the steepest part and yells back to us that this is the correct road. Ugggghhhh….it’ll be worth it! Lol. And it was! This apartment has an adorable open and modern concept, with two bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. And there is a washing machine! Yassssss! So we’re doing all the laundry, lol. 

We settle into the apartment and shortly head out to the grocery store and bank. The first bank we go to has a screen that is nearly illegible, and we try to take out 3,000 Lempira, but we can’t see how many zeros are there, so Dana tries to take it out, and the machine says it doesn’t have enough money in it, lol. It must’ve been 30,000 Lempira, hahaha. So the security guard tells us there is another bank across the park. We head there, but to enter, this security told us we needed face masks, even though we just saw someone walk out without one. Lol Okay……so we continue towards the supermarket and happen to stumble across another bank. We walk right in and have no problem reading the screen, and we successfully got our money. Hayden and I were desperate to find a good-looking Lempira bill for our collections. We were going to battle to the death for the bill in the best condition. Turns out the grocery store gave us 4 lovely single Lempira notes, so we didn’t have to duke it out. If we come across some 20 notes, though, we may have to battle it out, hehe. 

Back home at the airbnb, Hayden begins cooking what is going to be a bomb-ass veggie bowl dinner. It was soooo good! And Dana and I were getting “work” done, catching up on posts and journaling. We also did some laundry, and we solved our El Salvador route! Yipeeeee! More to come. 

We agreed to take a rest day tomorrow, so we didn’t set any alarms, but I still managed to be up early, lol. I continued editing and going through pictures, waiting for Dana and Hayden to get up. Once we were all awake, Hayden made us some breakfast: oatmeal with bananas, strawberries, and honey. So yummy! And all of a sudden, while finishing our breakfast, we heard the loudest, strangest cries. Hayden and I both thought it was a small child, but Dana got up and looked out the sliding doors. They were macaws! Wow! They were so beautiful, and we attempted to get photos, but the sunlight was not on our side. We stood for a minute, soaking up the view and enjoying our sheer luck. This was only the second time I had ever seen these birds in the wild. The other time was on a beach in Costa Rica. 

We spent the day working on various projects. Hayden researching next steps after El Salvador, Dana working on TikTok’s, and emails, and I was working on journaling and getting back into my blog. I think I’d like to upkeep it and continue to write travel stories and tips, etc. It was a fun resvist. 

At around 4pm, we got ready and headed out on a small self-guided chocolate and beer tour. First stop was Chocolate and Tea. Clearly a touristy spot, and not so cheap, but equally as cute and inviting. We each got a drink, Dana and I chose the spicy hot chocolate, and Hayden got a lemongrass tea. While we waited for the drinks to come out, we sampled tons of chocolate bars they had out; mint chocolate, chile with salt, honey, vanilla, cardamom, too many to even remember. They also had hot sauces, and boy, were they spicy! I wanted to take one home, but they were bigger than 3oz, and I don’t plan on checking my bag. *Sigh.*

We found a table and sat to await our chosen beverages, and when we got our hot chocolate, the waitress delivered a small bowl of chilli powder, and another with panela, or pure sugarcane. I guess we get to mix it all ourselves! Sweet! Of course, we tried a sip or two with nothing added, and it was quite bitter, although not as bitter as I know pure chocolate to be. We added in our doses of chilli and sugar, and once we found perfection, we sat back and enjoyed. 

Not too long after, a gentleman walked in, a “gringo” who we had seen the day before on our way to the supermarket. He began telling us about his story and how he owns a cacao farm in Costa Rica, and is here learning more about cacao production. He held up a fabulous conversation, and I nerded out a bit on the history and anthropology of Mesoamerica. We discussed the genius of the Maya and how so much has been lost to history and to the people who wrote it. He gave me a few book recommendations, and I’m eager to find copies and give them a read. I felt in my element, talking about how incredible and advanced the Maya were with another individual who shares the same appreciation and reverence for that culture.

We nearly finished our conversation and were getting ready to leave when we realized we never introduced ourselves, haha. This gentleman’s name is Antonio, and we swapped instagrams, and maybe one day we’ll catch up with him again in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

After our chocolate experience, we headed to Sol de Copán, an expat-owned Bavarian Brewery, in a remote Honduran town! Who would’ve thought?! We walked down the stairs into the basement location, and there were two beers available, a white ale and an amber ale. Dana and I each got one, and we tasted them all around. We all preferred the amber ale. We sat around talking about travels and potential next steps for Dana and Hayden. It was so fun to discuss the possiblities and to hear their thoughts on doing a youtube channel or a travel blog or even starting a business. There are so many options, but none of which are speaking to them just yet. It’s hard work! Witnessing all the effort and time that goes into making the TikTok’s, writing the emails, planning where to go next…It’s a lot! Sure, it’s easy for us on the outside to see their traveling lifestyle as an ideal thing, or a 2 year vacation, but its also work. Hard work. I’ve been loving seeing the insider edition of it all :). 

After we felt nice an buzzed off one beer, we needed to find a place to eat. We had done some previous research, but nothing stood out to us, so we asked the bartender at the brewery. He told us his favorite was a burger joint. Meh. While that is probably delicious, we were on the hunt for something more local. I found in my research 2 things that appeared to be a local Honduran specialty: baleadas and anafres. Dana messaged our airbnb host, and he gave us a recommendation of Llama de Bosque. This had come up in our search, so I was immediately interested. We head over there and take a peak inside, and there aren’t many people at all. Hmmm….and across the street is a packed house. Hayden mentions this, and I think we’re all on the same page; usually, the busier a place is, the better it is, right? 

Well, we go into the Llama del Bosque and look at the menu. They definitely have baleadas and anafres. I’m in. Lol. Sold! Hayden still has a nagging feeling about the other place, so we go check it out. We immediately realize it’s all American food, burgers, fish and chips, etc. We also realize the clientele are all gringos. Hahah ok…this changes things. We all agree we came out for local food, so back to the first place. We go in sit down, and are immediately attended to. Dana and I order one of each type of baleada, sencillo, with just beans and quesillo, and one with eggs added. We also order anafres, which is a bean and quesillo dip. Omg it was sooooo good. It tasted like the insides of a pupusas, which it essentially was. We all loved it! The baleadas came and were HUGE! The woman who brought them over also laughed with us…how cold we eat all of this? They were larger than the plate they were served on, haha. Oh well, it’s time to dig in! The baleada is a flour tortilla, stretched almost like pizza dough, so it’s one giant piece, and it’s almost fluffy, bordering on the consistency of pita bread, but still very much a flour tortilla. Inside, they add beans, cheese, eggs, and then they fold it over into a half-moon shape. Dang, were they good! Dana and I also ordered a Salvavida, the local beer, and bam! I was in heaven. I was truly feeling in the vibe of Central America and in my element. The people here in Copán Ruinas have been so kind and inviting, and it was really reminding me of El Salvador. Maybe that’s not a conincidence since they’re neighbors. 🙂

After we stuffed ourselves, it was time to head home. We wandered the streets and enjoyed some of the festive lights and decorations the different restaurants and businesses had. Tomorrow will be an early day for the Copán archeological site! My favorite! Hehe. See you there! 🤗

Wow. Wow. Wow. That was a lonnnngggg time in a shuttle, about 10.5 hours on the dot. We didn’t eat much, didn’t have coffee, and we only had two stops, but surprisingly, we did just fine! It was undeniably arduous due to the sheer length of the ride, but overall it was better than the shuttle to Pana. We were on a bigger van which had to drive a bit more slowly, so we weren’t being whipped around the corners like before. And I didn’t feel carsick! Success! Or was it thanks to the anti-nausea pills I bought? Hehe. I also ended up with a seat to myself; the van had double seats on one side and singles on the other. I was set up as best as I could be for a day spent on a bus. I downloaded music and a couple of shows from Netflix on my phone, and between that and my intermittent napping, the time passed just as fast as a 10 hour shuttle ride could.

Our last stop was at a mall in Cobán, and we ate sandwiches from Pollo Campero! Yummmmy! I told Dana and Hayden it was a must try. If you don’t know, it’s a local fried chicken chain, often times compared to KFC, but KFC has nothing on Pollo Campero. It’s a big chain in El Salvador, too, and I’m so glad we got a chance to enjoy it.

Another 90 minutes and we finally pull into the gas station in Lanquín, where this shuttle dropped us off, and people from the Greengos Hostel told us to go over to a military like caravan truck, complete with a canvas stretched over the sides and roof, with padded benches in the inside, and even a rope swing style rope…I’m guessing to help you climb in and out of the truck haha. It took us about an hour in that thing, bouncing around, down a bumpy dirt road…it was fun. Sort of, hahah. My head was pounding from not drinking water all day, and the jerking motions from the truck going down the dirt road weren’t helping at all. But we made it! And as usual, it was worth it! We walk down a steep set of stairs and through a hallway and into a really beautiful building. Very eco-friendly vibes, open air, tons of seating, from traditional hammocks to chair hammocks, to a platform with pillows, to a wooden swinging chair, normal tables and chairs, and multiple seating levels. So cool! Our room is on the second floor of an a-frame tree house style cabin. It’s so cute! No bathroom in our tree house, but there is a separate bathroom down the walkway outside. Yay for that hostel life, lol.

After such a long day of doing nothing on a bus, but still feeling beyond exhausted, we simply unpacked our things and got ready for bed. There was a crazy loud party going on back in the main area of the hostel, so we weren’t sure how well we’d sleep. Once it had finally died down, falling asleep and listening to the river and jungle sounds just outside our cabin were quite amazing! I could get used to this! Haha. I love being surrounded by nature and gently being sung to sleep by birds, frogs, a babbling stream, and a gentle breeze blowing the through the tree branches. *Paradise*

The next morning, we gently woke up and opened our eyes to the sounds of the jungle and the river. Like seriously, what could be better than this? It was chilly enough to be snuggled under the blankets, and I could’ve stayed there all day, all cozy and calm, enjoying the serenity of nature. But, we have things to do and places to explore!

We got ready and left the hotel early so we could hit the entrance to Semuc Champey by 8AM, right as they open. If I’ve learned anything from the traveling power couple, it’s: always go early! Hehe. Getting our tickets was a bit of a struggle due to a couple ahead of us taking forever and asking questions in broken English/Spanish. But, with a little bit of patience, it was our turn and we paid our entrance fee and got on our way. We tackled the main lookout first, which was much harder than we anticipated lol. I thought we were done with the big hikes!? Lol. It was pretty much straight up for half an hour. Ugh. But It was worth it! Always is! And what a view! We took turns taking pictures of every possible angle and we even pulled out the selfie stick to get a group glamour shot, hehe. We paused for a few moments, took a few deep breaths in, and absorbed the beauty of the breathtaking landscape.

Once we felt we had fully taken in the scenery and got all the photos we wanted, we made our way back down the steep path, and back to the main trail. We ran into another traveler from our hostel, Casey, and we explored some of the pools together, admiring the vibrant colors. We worked up quite a sweat hiking to the look out spot and walking around the main trail, so we decided to take a dip almost immediately. We just couldn’t wait! The turquoise waters were calling to us! And there was barely anyone swimming yet; a reminder that leaving early is always the right call! We jumped in and refreshed ourselves in the cool blue waters, treading water to loosen up our stiff bodies from the long ride the previous day.

We hopped out of the water and continued further down the trail, and we hit a sign that explained how Semuc Champey was formed. There is a big river that falls into the earth, below what we can see, and what we call Semuc Champey. This is called the “sumidero” and because of it, a natural bridge was formed, where the turquoise pools are. These pools are then filled with natural springs coming down from the mountains. Sooo cool! And below the natural bridge, where the rushing water flows, is where all the caves are. Apparently there are cave tours, and I believe I read something about when you go, you’re given a candle and that’s it. Lol. Dana also heard it can be pretty dangerous and people get hurt. Now, the extent of the that, I have no idea. But either way, it’s not in our itinerary for the day.

After we took one last dip in the beautiful pools, we decided to walk back to the hostel to jump in the hot tub, but much to our dismay, the water was cold. Haha. Oh well, guess the pool it is! Hehe. We enjoyed the rinse off, contemplating whether or not the pool chemicals were a sufficient substitute for a shower. Swimming around all day gave us quite the appetite, so we dried off and went up to the restaurant area. I had a delicious falafel burger and a Gallo beer. Classic. I’m starting to consider what my life would look like if I just set up shop here for a while, haha.

Once lunch was done, we decided to hang out and enjoy the hostel, working on photo edits, writing, and planning the next steps. It’s such a lovely ambiance. 🙂 I got to spend quite a long time in one of my favorite places; a colorful hammock.

Almost forget to mention the best little pup, “Patita,” or “little paw.” She was hit by a car and rescued by the hostel, but her one back leg was pretty banged up and it healed completely in the wrong direction. Yet she doesn’t let her injury stop her, and she hikes to the mirador everyday and plays and runs as if her leg worked the same as before. She was such a little love, I wish I could’ve adopted her, but then again, she lives a pretty fantastic life at Greengos. Cheers to you, Patita!

The next morning we’re up and at ‘em, ready for another day. It’s dark and early and we have another long ass shuttle all the way back to Antigua. It was a smaller van than our last one, and I scored a seat by the window, but it came with the price of the wheel hump, haha. I thought for sure this would be a miserable ride, but it turned out to be the best one yet! I was uncomfortable at times, but we stopped frequently, and each time at a McDonalds, which were exceptionally clean, had toilet paper in the bathroom, and of course, cheap food, lol. What else could a girl want? Haha. I had a breakfast sandwich that was an egg McMuffin, but with refried beans! And I got a side of McGriddle bread, haha. Can’t lie…it was delicious!

We make it back to Antigua in a record breaking 8.5 hours! We still have time to walk around and take in a few last looks of the city before packing our bags and waking up at 4am for our shuttle to Copán. We head back to the airbnb, all aching for a hot shower and to do some laundry. Well, things started off badly when we tried the door code and it didn’t work. Eventually we got in with a second code, and now we see the kitchen floor is caked with dry mud. Huh? Maybe the plumber left behind a mess….when we previously stayed there was a water issue, and it was presumably fixed. Ok, no problem. We check the water, and not only is there not hot water, there is no water at all! Uh-oh. Thats a huge problem…as we need to shower and we specifically picked that airbnb for the laundry. After going back and forth with the owners, we ended up asking for a refund and found a hotel room a block away.

The hotel room was so big and roomy! And it came with some amenities! Score! And it had a rooftop area with a view of my favorite volcanoes! 😀 So we quickly dropped out things, peed, and left straight away to get the most delicious pizza we had the pleasure of trying a couple days before. It’s soooooo goood! After we had our fill, we walked to the central square one last time, saying goodbye to Antigua, and looking for how to spend the last quezatles Dana and Hayden had. They were well spent on several snickers bars. Haha

Back at the hotel, we go up to the roof to watch Fuego from the city. It was surreal, standing on the nearly pitch black roof, staring up at the looming shadows of Fuego and Acatenango. We even spotted the headlamps on the Fuego Ridge, trekking back to base camp! Fuego didn’t seem as active, but we got a few nice red glows…and just as we were ready to go, but still holding out for one last eruption, she gave us what we asked for! A very big and long eruption, and we knew the people at base camp and were shaking with excitement. I bet that one would’ve been a “cabin shaker” for sure! What a fabulous and fitting ending to our time in Guatemala. Until next time!

This morning, I made plans to meet up with my friends Ana and Carlos from WWC (Warren Wilson College). I have met them a few times in Antigua, and it’s always so good to see familiar faces :). I left the airbnb and walked over to where we were meeting for breakfast, and Ana, Carlos, his wife, Irma, and 3 year old son, David, met us. Little David was so cute! It was so awesome to see Ana and Carlos, and we talked a about how crazy it was that its been 10 years since we were at Wilson together. Where does the time go?! It seems like it was just a coupe of years ago. Hehe

Soon it was nearly 11:00 and I had to get going back to the airbnb to pack up for our first shuttle ride….to Lake Atitlan! This would now officially mark the beginning of unknown territory for me! Yippee! The shuttle ride was not was I was expecting, and the road to Panajachel was winding and so were my insides,* giving a new definition to hairpin turns….I was feeling nauseous the entire time. Ugh. I never get carsick or suffer from motion sickness, but this time I succumbed to the worst of it lol. We even had to cross a river at one point. It wasn’t very deep, but we were later told that during a heavy rainy season, it can be impassable. I was hoping to document some of the adventures of this ride and the scenery, but all I could do was close my eyes and hope for it to end soon.

*credit for that line goes to Dana! Hehe, thank you!

We make it to Pana, and I’m so grateful to get out of the shuttle and onto sturdy land haha. Our little hotel is super cute, and rather secluded away from the city center. We drop our bags and take a trip to the supermarket and buy some groceries. Then we just came back, cooked dinner, and relaxed. Dana and I sat outside with a cup of coffee, writing and journaling about the last couple of days. It was pretty chill, and a surreal experience, to be sitting in the middle of Guatemala, together, knowing we would be traveling together for the next several weeks! 🙂

The next day we woke up around 6, had some breakfast, and headed to the local ferry landing to catch a “lancha” to San Pedro, where we would meet Matt the geologist, who would take us on a hiking tour up “Indian Nose,” and give us a lesson in the area’s geology. What a great tour! Matt had a dog, Spike, who traveled with us, and led the way up through the private properties of corn fields. The whole mountain is owned by various individuals and there is a petty game of charging people for access, and creating pathways through only one property, causing a lot of confusion for anyone trying to figure out how to get up there. We were so grateful to have Matt for that, and he as such an animated guy!

Once at the top of the Indian Nose, he gave us a geology class. He taught us some basics about the earths tectonics, how volcanoes are formed, and how Lake Atitlan was formed. I learned that rather than it being a crater lake, which are only found on the top of volcanoes and filled with rain water, places like Atitlan, Illopango, or even Coatepeque, or Crater Lake in Oregon, are actually calderas. Calderas form when a giant pool of magma is beneath the surface, and it bubbles up and erupts from multiple points, creating instability, and the land sinks to the bottom of the magma chamber, basically sinking in on itself. I loved this tour so much, as I really learned a lot, and it gave me a new appreciation for the vistas around the lake, as I could now identify certain geological features. 

On the way back down, we learned about how all the little towns have a beef against one in particular, San Pablo. They let their grey water run down the hills, into the gutters, and eventually into the lake itself. It was pretty funny listening to Matt talk about these rivals, as it appeared he has taken on the same sentiments as his fellow lake neighbors. 

Matt dropped us off in San Juan, and we walked around and enjoyed some lovely street art, and we popped in for lunch at Almas de Colores, a restaurant that hires people with special needs. They also train special needs people in a variety of jobs, including sewing, crafting artisan goods, and cooking. It was nice to support a local business, especially one that is offering employment and development opportunities to people who may have a tough time otherwise. 

After we had our fill of walking about, we decided we’d check out San Marcos, known to be the hippie town. So, we meander down to the docks, and we can see how windy it has gotten, and observe all the white caps on the lake, and the crashing waves on the shore. This is gonna be a bumpy ride. We can’t quite make up our mind if we want to hop on last minute or not, and we quickly ask the price, and it was more than we thought, so we haggled it down a bit, but was still 5Q more than we wanted. But we were on the boat, and we were going. Well, Hayden didn’t step on the boat, as he wanted the true price. Street Justice Hayden! So off Dana and I go, on a ride I’ll never forget. 

We start going full speed through the waves, and we come crashing down hard, shaking us to the bone. There is a group of 3 women who are just screaming and howling and asking the boat to slow down. The guy sitting behind Dana and I said in Spanish that they can’t slow down or the boat will capsize. Great. Hahah. And so the ride continues, water splashing into the boat, soaking our pants, and Dana got hit by a giant splash in the face lol. We just locked eyes and laughed about our predicament and held on as tight as we could to the seats in front of us. I was enjoying the ride, as much as one could when injury was almost certain, lol. Meanwhile, the other ladies continued screaming and being the perfect example of a bad tourist, demanding the boat slow down without understanding why we had to continue and stressing the other passengers out. In the end, it was all very comical, and I’m glad I could laugh about rather than freak out like the other ladies :).

We make it to the San Marcos docks, and we wait for Hayden to join us. Several boats come and go before we see Hayden, but he made it, and we were reunited and safe and sound. We head up the path, and it’s like hippie overdrive; health food stores, hippie jewelry, a “spiritual cafe,” etc. It took away from the local ambiance, and we discussed how it seemed to go against the hippie culture. Many locals can no longer afford to live there because the hippie folks have moved in for cheaper than they pay back home, but paying exorbitantly more than the local norm, forcing locals to move away. It seems to be the same in Antigua, as Ana was explaining at breakfast, and I’m sure in countless other places in the world. It’s a shame that tourism can have a negative effect on the local areas. 

After just a short time in San Marcos, we grab a chocobanano and head back to Pana. The boat ride was much better, but when we got back, we tried to pay 50Q for 3 of us; after we were told it would be 15Q per person, for a total of 45Q. This guy wanted us each to pay 25Q. We fought him and explained that we were told it was only 15, but he pressed on, even threatening to call the police. We stuck to our guns, and he just waved us off, and Hayden yelled back, “stop trying to rip people off.” Haha, epic. I think it’s moments like this that make tourists weary and try to avoid being ripped off in the first place, even if it’s a question of a couple of dollars. It’s more about the principal than the money. If we were always given the fair/local price, maybe we wouln’t question it as much? After all, nobody likes being ripped off. Lol

We make it back to the airbnb to pack up and get ready for our super long shuttle to Semuc Champey. But, not before Hayden and I went out to see the sunset at the lake. It wasn’t as wonderful as we’d hoped, as the sun was behind the mountains, and it was difficult to get the right angle for a photo because of how the light was filtering into the lake area. But we enjoyed exploring just a bit more and were glad we took the time to see the sunset. The photos never do it justice anyways, hehe.

Today is the day! I woke up early to have a coffee date with Dana, and we snuggled on the couch under my new Guatemalan rainbow blanket. We talked about how excited I was, as I couldn’t shut up about the adventure awaiting us haha. That has already become the theme of the trip….I repeatedly announce, “I’m so excited!” To which Dana and Hayden respond sarcastically, “Oh really?” Hehe. I just can’t contain myself, what can I say?

Once we had double checked our packing and had our last last pees, we set out on the 13 minute walk to OX. I love walking these streets in the early hours of the morning; the town is peaceful and sleepy, just a few early birds strolling about. We could see Acatenango in the distance, looming over us, a beautiful, fierce, fiery reminder of the power of mother nature. And to think, soon we would be at the top, looking down to where we were walking now. We’ve barely begun and I am so filled with serenity and awe. 

We arrive early, and some of our fellow hikers are already there, waiting for the doors to open. We start to learn some names, and where people are from, and before we know it, the door opens, and we are greeted by one of our guides, Alan. We grab a backpack, put our necessities in, which include warm layers, some borrowed from OX, 4.5 liters of water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, and toilet paper. We also had to pack some community items, such as Tupperware filled with pasta, tortillas, cream cheese, banana bread, wine bottles, and marshmallows! Once our hiking packs were sufficiently loaded, we left our other traveling backpacks in a storage locker, where they’d stay for the duration of our hike. It took a while to get all 30 of us ready, but soon we were loaded on buses and headed to a nice sit down breakfast before driving about 45 minutes to the trail head. 

The van ride was filled with nervous excitement as we barreled down the hilly and winding roads towards Acatenango. We made friends with two women, a mother and a daughter from Massachusetts, and a woman from New Zealand. We decided we’d all room together in one of the base camp cabins that fit 6 people. I guess Hayden is the odd man out this time around, sorry! Hehe

Once we arrived, it took another long bit to get all 30 people organized. Our first order of business was to rent hiking poles, which in my opinion, are an absolute must for this hike! Meanwhile, some were using the bathroom one last time before hitting the trail, and others were getting situated with porters to take their packs up. After what seemed to be an eternity, we finally began moving towards the trail. We’re officially on our way to the top of Acatenango! 

The first part of the trail, through the private farmland, is one of the hardest sections of the hike. It’s wicked steep, and consists of loose and sometimes deep, rocky soil. It’s tough to get an upward momentum, and because of the incline, my calves immediately get tight and sore, and I run out of breath rapidly. It feels like it’ll never end. Sounds fabulous, right? Hahaha. 

Since I’ve been here last, 2017 being the most recent, there have been many additions to the trail. First up is a really cute cafe and rest area. You can buy coffee, beer, smoothies, food, and even a souvenir mug. We stayed here for 20 minutes or so resting, eating our first snack, and taking in the gorgeous scenery. Before we knew it, we were back on the trail, and this time, through a very narrow stretch, with barbed wire on one side marking the boundary of the farmland. Another group was coming down, and it was a VERY tight fit haha. But we made it, and when it was crowded, and we were forced to stop to let people shimmy down beside us, it was a great excuse to stop and catch your breath. 

Our next big stop was by my favorite tree, and this is now an entrance to the actual trail. We had to stop, fill out a paper, and pay 50Q ($6) for entry. They had a nice sign welcoming us to Acatenango. I’m glad the trail is growing in popularity, and that hopefully the locals are earning more, but I think I prefer the bare minimum trail better. My first time hiking, there were no shops, no entrance fees, no latrines, and no base camp cabins, anywhere along the trail. It was pure nature and everything we needed we carried with us. Although, I have to admit, I did enjoy having a lighter pack since we weren’t carrying tent or sleeping equipment hehe. 

After a decent break, we continued our ascent through the cloud forest, which was noticeably more humid, there were birds and flowers, and the trail itself was packed soil, making it much easier to get traction than in the farmland. However, the path was almost entirely steep switchbacks. So we traded one challenge for another haha. This marks the beginning of my favorite parts of the hike. There’s not much I enjoy about the farmlands, if I’m being honest hehe. 

Our next big stop was for lunch! A much needed respite after climbing most of the way, and a chance to adapt to lower oxygen in the air. By this point in the hike, some of us were feeling the effects of the altitude, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath. I always get to this point and have to stop more frequently than earlier in the trail. At this point, we’re at the alpine zone, where we see more pine trees than anything, and it’s much cooler. So, while we’re all trying to catch our breath, and cool off from hiking, our wet clothes start to make us cold, so we try to stay in the sun to warm up and dry off. Challenging in its own way, as is every part of the trail, but I’d argue it’s the easiest part of the hike since it appears to be the flattest hehe. 

Our base camp wasn’t far from our lunch spot, and we got there sooner than I expected. This base camp is the furthest south on the volcano I have ever stayed. The first time we camped out all the way on the summit. And that is where I fell apart the most, tearing up, thinking I’d never make it to the top. This is part of the reason why this volcano and hike are so important to me. I overcame what I didn’t believe I could, giving me the confidence and courage to know that I am capable of accomplishing whatever I set my mind to. 

The new base camp was complete with several cabins with big windows facing Fuego, so you could watch the show within the comfort of a warm(ish) cabin. There was also a beautiful little deck that we could sit on and have a picture-perfect clear view of the volcano. After arriving, I still felt like I had some go in me, so I decided to join the Fuego group…FINALLY! I put my big pack down, took out the community food, and packed the day pack to bring up to the Fuego Ridge. We waited for a long time before we set out, and it ended up being a fairly large portion of the group! Awesome! I was beyond excited as I’d always wanted to tackle this part, but never did. 

The hike to Fuego started off great: downhill and easy. But you know what that means, the return trip would be dreadful lol. And we crossed one area that for sure scared me, the “death bridge,” as I’ve just named it. It was just a couple of thick wooden logs that reminded me of linkin logs, with small 2by4 steps for traction, right alongside a giant rock cliff. It was high up, and looking down only added to the anxiety of crossing it. We were told to hold our hiking poles in our left hand, and have 3 points of contact for the length of the makeshift bridge. I could barely grip my poles with one hand, and had a hard time reaching a steady point to balance myself. Luckily, our guide, Romeo, was waiting at the bottom, and had me pass my poles to him, and he took my hand to help me down. He did the same on our return trip, and without his helping hand, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten up by myself lol. 

After this death-defying moment, we continued down hill in some thick, deep soil, skiing down essentially. All fun and games until you think about climbing back up. We finally make it to the cross section between the two volcanoes and take a rest. Had a pee break, and I ended up peeing on myself lol. I think by this 5 legs were shot, and I could no longer execute a proper squat and pee. Oh well, it’ll dry eventually, right? 😅 I had a snack, hoping it would give me the energy to climb up the side of the ridge. As we started, the top was nowhere in sight, and I realized quickly that this would be one of the hardest parts of the entire hike. With already tired legs, wet pants hehe, and a burning desire to see Fuego, I began my climb up the winding path with loose, rocky, deep soil. One step forward, two steps backward. Ugh. And I even have a lighter pack lol. Let the games begin! 

I hiked and climbed, stopped, caught my breath, and added warm layers more times than I could count. This was the first time during the whole day that I started to feel frustrated and hopeless. I had come so far, and I KNEW I had to make it to the top, but I began thinking I wouldn’t make it in time for sunset. I was feeling discouraged and sad, neither great motivators to continue up a difficult path. But, having conquered Acatenango several times, deep down, I knew I had the strength to do it. I pushed onwards, knowing my mind is stronger than my body. 

I finally get to a point where I can see the top of the ridge, and I’m starting to feel the wild excitement the volcano gives me. I start to hike faster, but am quickly reminded that I’m at altitude, and my body can’t keep up with 40% less oxygen, nor the pace my brain wants to take. So I patiently take it a few steps at a time, each step, a hair closer to glory! 

MADE IT! OMG! The view of Fuego from the ridge is better than I could have imagined! I’m immediately overtaken by wonder and inspiration. Agua looking gorgeous in the setting sunlight to my left, and the volcanoes of Lago Atitlan to my right, and ahead of me, on a narrow ridge, FUEGO in all her might and power. She is simply magnificent! I am now running on pure adrenaline and walk quickly up the small hill to the flat part of the ridge where the rest of the group is sitting on a steep hill, watching the sunset over the clouds. I find a spot and drop my bag, and go a bit further to snag some of the most epic photos. I cannot believe I’m here! Just about as close as one can go safely to Fuego. The volcanic eruptions were so loud up here! You begin to hear them from just before the lunch spot, and its a continuous teaser, hearing these giant “BOOMs,” knowing Fuego is putting on a show. But nothing beats being right under her as she explodes clouds of ash and lava rock. It was a terrifying, humbling, and awe-inspiring experience, and one I’ll never forget and will be grateful for forever.

Fuego erupted non-stop for the entire night, almost like clockwork, every 15 minutes or so. We got the best show I’ve ever seen up there, tons of lava rocks flying out of the crater and tumbling down the slopes, almost in slow motion. There was one particularly big eruption and the falling rocks seemed to get awfully close to us! Another group was with us up there, and their guide told them to go back, while ours said it was okay still. He told us though, if you see me running, you run too. Lol I didn’t need to be told that haha. If I see him making a run for it, I’ll be right behind him lol. I did put my backpack on, just in case we had to make a quick run for it, as if we could actually outrun a volcano. 

It was so frigid up there, my fingers were starting to go numb, but I had to get my videos and photos. I’ve loved every Acatenango hike I’ve done, and I will do it again and again and again. But! This moment on Fuego was extra special for me. I’ve wanted to do it since my first trip but never felt prepared enough to attempt it. The sense of accomplishment of completing the “Double Whammy” is something I’ll never forget. 

One of our guides brought up a bottle of rum, and gave us all a celebratory swig. YASS! Warmed me up from the inside out! For all of about 30 seconds lol. And I ate my very squished, very mashed, celebratory cinnamon roll. Victory was mine! A dream come true! As the sun was setting, we all scored incredible photos and videos of brilliantly red lava rocks shooting up from the crater and falling down the sides, looking like red sparkles in the nighttime hues of pink, purple, and orange. 

After about an hour or so, and once the sun had fully set, we began our long, arduous journey back to base camp. In the pitch black. We had headlamps, but even with that light, it was a treacherous path. I nearly fell several times, and I think I did have a full tumble or two lol. My fingers were so numb, I was actually concerned for frostbite, even though I knew it wasn’t that bad, but, I kept moving them when I wasn’t holding a death grip on my poles, to make sure the circulation was still there lol. I knew I’d warm up from the core and then it would eventually reach my fingers, but, even with my gloves on, it was painfully cold. About halfway down my fingers were warming up, and now they felt filled with pins and needles, like when you put your cold fingers under hot water. 

Going down was tough, but relatively fast. When we reached the break spot between the two volcanoes, I tried to mentally prepare myself for what awaited me. I had some water, had a pee, and took off a warm layer. Time to get down to business. The ascent back to camp. It sucked. Hard. At this point, we can hear Fuego continuing to erupt, some of the biggest “booms” and plumes of ash and embers, but now we don’t have a clear view. I wanted to get back to camp as quickly as possible to enjoy the fiery show, but my body had to take its own pace. 

It seemed like forever, but eventually I made it back and was congratulated with a high five from our lead guide, Romeo. I never felt like I earned a high five as much as I did at that moment. And to top it off, as I walked further into camp, Dana and Hayden were waiting for me on the platform, welcoming me back and congratulating me on achieving my big Fuego goal. I was living my best life for sure. Nothing could tear me down from the exhilarating and magical moment. 

Dana, Hayden, and I chatted for a while and shared our experiences, as they had been out and watching Fuego the entire time I was gone. They saw a big eruption and for a moment were worried about those of us up on the ridge. Their photos were stunning! So many epic shots of big eruptions, and even a cool photo of the group of Fuego hikers returning to camp, small bobbing lights all in a line, coming down the trail. 

The Fuego hikers got their dinner, a HUGE portion of pasta and veggies, and we sat around the fire trying to thaw out and recover all the energy we spent on the hike. We were all dead tired, but continued to shout “WOW,” anytime Fuego erupted, attempting to pull out our phones for yet another picture or video. 

Soon we decided to “sleep..” But Fuego had other plans for us. Once we were snuggled in our cabins, we all sat up against the back wall, gazing out the window to watch continuous and epic eruptions. It seemed we could never get enough of them! Hehe

At one point, there was a “cabin shaker,” with the boom of th eruption, the cabin rattled and we got one of the biggest eruptions of the night. SWEET! After this particular eruption, we all agreed, it couldn’t get any better, and with that final eruption, we could sleep peacefully. Or so we thought. Each time a big boom went off, about every 15 minutes or so, we all sat straight up in our sleeping bags and peered out the big windows, exclaiming, “WOW,” and then laying back down and snuggling up again, thinking that would be the last time. But the, “BOOM!” And again, like clockwork, we all sat up and stared at the incredible sight and laid down once more, without saying anything else to one another. A collective experience that we were living and breathing at the same time. How cool is that? 😊

The most any of us slept was 10 minutes here or there, between eruptions. Around 3:45am, the guides knocked on our windows, letting us know it was time to hike to the summit. Another extremely arduous hike that would be done in pitch black. Our whole cabin opted not to go, as we had done enough, and wanted to hang out around the fire and grab a few more nighttime eruption photos. And we were rewarded! Fuego kept it going while the sun was rising, and she put on a parting show for us. 

The next morning, or really, a couple of hours later, we were keeping warm around the fire and enjoying more eruptions. The group of people who hiked to the summit for sunrise began walking back into camp. They all looked dejected, tired, and cold. Only one person said it was a good experience, and now, looking back, I’m pretty sure that was a sarcastic comment. Most of the people said it wasn’t worth it at all! Haha, so the rest of us who stayed felt very good about our decision. And to think, from my perspective, on my first trip, I had to carry more equipment in my pack, all the way to the top! I know how much it sucks, and with the base camp being further down the mountain, the hike up to the summit was even longer. I kind of wish I did it, but I’d rather hike to Fuego than summit Acatenango any day. 

And now for a quick breakfast, and a journey back down. I tried cream cheese and guacamole for the first time, based on a recommendation by a fellow hiker, Brittany. So good! We packed up our gear, had a cup of coffee, and were soon on our way back down. Its always hard to say goodbye to Fuego, but I am grateful for yet another wonderful experience…and easily the best eruption show I’ve seen in all the times I’ve hiked it. 

Going down I kept up with Alex, from SoCal. It was fun talking to him and to hear about all of his adventures and travels. He even has a mountain tattoo on his inner arm, right where I want to get my tattoo of the Fuego/Acatenango profile. More on this later…

At one of our rest points, our guide bought a beer from the tiny tienda, and Dana and I realized we still hadn’t drank our celebration beers! So we agreed to drink them when we got to the big tree and park entrance. 

When we get back there, we see another group filling out the paperwork and paying the entry fee. They still look pretty fresh….I wonder if they know what awaits them bahahaha. Dana and I share a Gallo beer, which has remained remarkably crisp and cool in the bottom of my pack. It never tasted so good! 

Soon enough we were on our way down, headed towards the dreaded farmland section. Again, there were two groups trying to pass each other, with barbed wire on one side. Luckily, I had a guy behind me grabbing my pack as I was wobbling towards the barbed wire, and Alex in front of me, creating a sturdy barrier so I couldn’t fall too far. I love the sense of community and connection that comes from spending that much time with people. And not to mention, uninterrupted by a cell phone or the internet. Pure human to human connection. We don’t get to experience that often these days. Be grateful for it when you have it! 🙂

We make it to the final rest stop, the big area with all the food and drink options. We stayed here a good while, as people were buying food. I guess we worked up quite the appetite ascending and descending a 13,040 foot volcano! And the Fuego ridge was 3,600 meters, or 11,811 feet! Dana cracked open our second beer, and we shared a much deserved refreshment. 

Before we knew it, we were off again, for the last jaunt before officially completing the hike. More farmland, more tiny paths with two groups passing, more barbed wire, and a motivation unlike any other to finally get to the end. Hayden wanted the free t-shirt you get for picking up a bags worth of trash, so Dana and I helped collect trash on our way down. And this was the reason for my one and only fall. Lol Had to grab the wrapper on the ground haha. It was worth it in the end, as we got a tank top for collecting the trash, and Hayden gave it to me! He doesn’t really wear tank tops, and Dana doesn’t wear white, so I’m now the proud owner of a wicked soft, oversized muscle tank lol. Not complaining, though :).

Once we were back at OX and getting our packs off the roof of the van, I noticed a tattoo shop there. So when we were done unpacking our stuff, we realized we had 2 hours to kill before heading to our next airbnb. The plan was gonna be to hang out at the beautiful Starbucks in town (ugh I know, but it really was gorgeous!). But I decided I wanted to go to the tattoo shop and just inquire about my tattoo idea. I’m so glad I did! Francisco sat down with me, and we basically designed the tattoo that I want. And he was trying to set up a time to do it, and the times weren’t great, so I told him I’d get back to him. 

Turns out he’s hard to find, and there are no reviews that we saw. So I’m ultimately not willing to get my first tattoo at a place that I can’t verify is clean at the very least, or good. Lol. But I do have the image of it, so if I can find a reputable tattoo shop, I’d like to get it done here in Guatemala, or somewhere in Central America, but realistically, I’ll probably have to wait until I’m back home. 

We checked into the airbnb, and because the towels were still drying, we grabbed some pizza for lunch right across the street. The pizza was SOOOO good. We super enjoyed it, and felt like we could’ve eaten even more! We ordered 2 large pizzas and French fries haha. We definitely needed to replenish some calories lost on the volcano. 

And now, after lunch, and eager for a hot shower and to do some laundry. Well…..there was something wrong with the water, and the water pressure was next to nothing, and there was no hot water that we could figure out lol. The drip drop pressure was a challenge to scrub off all the volcano dust from my feet in particular, and my hair haha. But I did a pretty great job, although my feet were still a bit dusty haha. 

After having a full belly, and having a cleansing shower, I was ready for bed lol. We did some recharging of devices, and snuggled in bed to go through pictures and videos, and eventually put a load of laundry in after we had all showered. Dana picked the heavy soil setting, which took about an hour. We were gonna throw it in the dryer, and head to bed. Well, upon lifting the lid of the washer, she realized the soap never dissolved. Haha whooops! Maybe there wasn’t enough water in the washer to do it properly. So, she put it on the quick setting, hoping a second wash would do the trick. It made all sorts of weird noises and we just hoped our clothes would be cleaner than they were on the volcano. After waiting what seemed to be eons, the washer stopped and Dana checked it again. Good to go! The clothes didn’t stink, so in the dryer they went and off to bed we went. Gotta love the unexpected haha. Happy travels, everyone!

First day of the big adventure! Flights went well, but I paid extra for window seats, and on the flight to Guatemala, the one I REALLY wanted the window for, I didn’t have one lol. Just an extra panel of airplane siding. Bummer! But no biggie, Dana sent me an awesome video of their descent into the city with the surrounding volcanoes, so I just held my phone up to the wall and managed to enjoy the scenery in a creative way haha. I got to Guatemala around 1pm, went through immigrations and customs, and with excited anticipation, walked outside to the cafe and spotted Dana and Hayden sitting at a small table. I tried to sneak up on them, but Dana saw me hehe. I made it! I gave them big hugs and we were all smiles and cheers, absolutely tickled with the idea that we were meeting somewhere so far from home, and with so many adventures ahead of us. Here we go! 🤗

Our shuttle driver, Rudy, came early, and we took off through the traffic filled streets of Guatemala City. We had a comic conversation the whole way, filled with laughs and fun insights: Hayden and Dana don’t like papaya! What?! Haha. Winding through the mountain roads towards Antigua brought me back to my previous adventures. I LOVE IT HERE. I feel so inexplicably connected to this area of the world. 🙂

Being back on the cobblestone streets lined with brilliantly colored colonial buildings brings me such joy and zest for life, and seeing the colorful artesanias makes me smile to no end. I am so thrilled to be here yet again, and to be sharing a place I hold so near and dear to my soul with two of my favorite people on this planet. It’s a really special moment, and I will treasure it forever. 

We walked to the Cerro de la Cruz, and they are doing some construction, so we didn’t quite get the same photo op as I’ve had in the past, but the hike was a nice warm-up to the monstrous hike that we have planned for Acatenango. Which I am supremely psyched about! We got to sit on a roof-top bar for dinner and watch Fuego tease us with little puffs of ash clouds, releasing her tension. Seriously cannot wait to do this hike again! 

When we got back to the airbnb, we did some “work,” and planned a bit more after Copán, and Dana showed me how they do their budget, with a per diem goal amount, and an excel formula that tracks their daily spending and shows up as green or red, depending on whether they’re under or over budget. Such a cool system! And because they do it daily, it ends up being a really detailed record of where they were and what they did each day of their travels.

I also have an idea of a tattoo; the fuego-Acatenango profile, with some pink(?) “smoke” coming from Fuego. And possibly a sunset cloud behind. Would be really cool to get that here, but it’d be a spur of the moment thing. I might ask around tomorrow and see what pricing and timing would look like. 😎

The next day, we woke up early and snagged a few photos with fewer tourists at the infamous Santa Catalina Arch. It used to be a secret bridge between the church and the convent, for the nuns to use to get back and forth. We then stopped by a Starbucks…..groan, but we used the bathroom, and boy were we glad we went inside! It was so beautiful! Worth the pitstop for sure :). Then we met at the Central Park for a walking tour, and we set off to see a few things. It wasn’t a very impressive tour, and the guide asked for tips in a tacky way afterwards. We all agreed it was gross, and didn’t tip him the amount he “requested” lol. So annoying, but so it goes. The most interesting thing we learned was that the stones used for the streets of Antigua all came from the Agua Volcano, which watches over the town.

We then took off to have a delicious lunch to help fuel our bodies for the big hike tomorrow! It was so yummy! I had estofado, which was a mix of shredded pork, beef, and chicken, complete with rice, beans, and tortillas. We then had to satisfy our sweet tooth with some unique ice cream flavors at Doña Gavi’s. She even had ice cream flavors with alcohol! Hehe. We opted for the cheaper variety; the fruit flavors, and Dana got guanaba, Hayden got mora (blackberry) and I got zapote, a local pink and creamy fruit. Hard to describe if you don’t know what they are hehe. They also had jocote, nance, and mamey, which seems like another variety of zapote. 

We are back at the airbnb, just relaxing, and are waiting to head out to the pre-hike meeting at OX, the business we are doing the hike with. CAN’T WAIT! Hehe. This will be hike #4 for me, and I’m really hoping to add on the Fuego section, AND I want to run the crater again. Call me crazy, but I LOVE this volcano!

The pre-trip meeting was amazing! The OX office is in a completely different location, and they no longer have a hostel. They had an epic poster of what the hike consists of, including elevation gains, and difficulty ratings for each section. I was stoked to be listening to all of this information again. There were some differences, though…..They built cabins at the base camp, so we no longer needed to carry tents or sleeping equipment! Score!

After the meeting, we took a trip to “La Bodegona” to gather hiking supplies, mostly high calorie snacks, and we ran into several other soon-to-be hikers. I always loved the pre-hike snack run….its a great excuse to buy all the sugary and carb loaded snacks you typically try to stay away from. I got a special cinnamon roll for the special climb to the Fuego ridge, something I never did on the previous 3 hikes. I never felt fit enough to accomplish that. But this time, before the trip, I committed to a few stair climber workouts, trying my best to simulate a steep, vertical hike. The hardest thing to prepare for would be the lack of oxygen. The poster board at OX said it was 40% less at the summit. Yikes!

Once we got our goodies, we walked back home and I cooked a quick pasta and veggie dish….Have to carb up! Haha We ate all that we could, and still had some left over that we had to toss. We happily packed and divided up our snacks, and attempted to get some sleep before the big day. I fell asleep dreaming about my favorite hike the world, and wondering what kind of show Fuego had in store for us. Not exactly counting sheep, but it worked, and soon I was asleep, my body preparing itself for what’s to come.

A dream is coming true! A bucket list item will be crossed off by the end of February! I am traveling for just under a month with one of my best friends, Dana, and her husband, Hayden! They are an amazing power duo who quit their jobs nearly two years ago and are taking on the full-time travel lifestyle.  At the time I’m writing this, they officially checked off country 75! Wow! Congratulations! 

I am so blessed to have a job where I can manipulate my schedule in a way that allows me to take so much time off, and what better use of that time than to travel?! I’ve always wanted to be a “backpacker,” or at least get the experience of living out of a backpack for an extended period of time, just hopping around to different places. And now I get to do exactly that, in one of my favorite places in the world: Central America! 

I lived in El Salvador for nearly two years from 2014-2016, and I loved every minute of it. That country will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always go back. So, naturally, when my friends shared their travel itinerary to Central America, I knew I wanted to meet up with them. I’d been telling them for years I’d join them on their travels, but it hadn’t manifested until now! They’ve been traveling off and on since they met, about 12 years ago, in a pub in Ireland of all places! And now, finally, after years of big talk, we are making this epic meetup a reality!

The next several blog posts will be a diary of my travels with Dana and Hayden as we traverse through Central America, exploring Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and a TBD fourth country. Gotta leave a little suspense and surprise :). If you’d like to see more pictures, visit my Facebook, where I’ll be posting albums of our adventures!

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