Encima del mundo

El fin de semana pasada, no puedo creer ha estado tanto tiempo, pero el fin de semana pasada subì al volcàn Tajumulco, el volcán más alto de todo de Centroamérica, posee más de 4000meters. ¡Que increíble! Aquí estan alugunas fotos:

Camionetas o chicken buses in gringo.
They are colorful, lively, blessed by our lord,
and los conductors son locos...all this for fifty
cents an hour.


















We at the beginning...




Up there, way up there, is where we go....




















Wild turkey, it did a dance!
On the way we saw...

Feet and flora at the top...

So, the deal is this...here where my feets are is our base camp. These feets are ones that have walked 7km uphill in very high alititudes. Era dificil, pero, las vistas eran...something else entirely. Despues de hicimos campamento, we climbed to the smaller of the peaks for the sunset....

























I find it really hard to get an acurate portrayal of the sun setting on this camera, so I will spare you seeing the twenty attempts I made....it was gorgeous though.












Dinner was had, bed was made, and we slept....I also have no pictures to convey how very cold it was, below zero, celsius, but still worth it. The next morning we woke up early, 4am, and walked the 1km mas to the top, for the sunrise.


Here are the ten peaks under which Xela sits, and from which part of its name is derived


and here is the shadow of santa maria

So, Tajumulco was so good. I saw a since abandoned guerilla camp, but not very animals because said guerillas ate most of them during the guerra civíl. The volcano is also in need of many more trees, because the then military run government destroyed loads of them trying to eradicate the guerillas. I am becoming a student of guatemalan polictics here as well, thanks to my maestros.

The group I went with are called Quetzaltrekkers, where all the guides are volunteers and all the money goes to the kids. They just started a sister branch in Bolivia, so those of you who find yrself here or there, look into it. I am looking forward to a five day trek with them from Nebaj to Todos Santos, to see some seldom seen Guatemala and speak some beloved and bountiful spanish.

Still love Guatemala, learning loads, seeing loads, doing loads. Still love you all too, even more so. I think I may try to swing a couple of more weeks than originally planned here, but I will see you all so soon.