Over my trip I`ve had many adventures but there were always some that were going to stand out. Whether it be the people you go with, the danger associated with them or just the raw beauty of the place - some adventures are just better than others. Here`s my top 5 from the last eight months in Colombia and Guatemala.
1. The Crater of Volcan Santiaguito (Guatemala). As soon as I did it I knew I`d probably never see or experience anything quite like it again in my life*. It is the natural world at its most raw and a landscape like no other. Watching the sunrise from the crater of one of the most active volcanos in the world is an incomparable experience - you are standing on the crater of Santiaguito watching steam come out of it, with the intimidating Volcan Santa Maria and a chain of other volcanos behind and looking out onto the Pared of Guatemala and the lunar landscape opposite. And that´s not even the half of it. From the wait for the volcano to erupt to the crazy climb up the cone of the crater in 100km/hr winds there is no adventure quite as extreme. The crater itself has "burnt" its way over a km in the last 90 years or so leaving a lunar landscape and series of complexes behind it. If you want to know what being on the moon is like then you should go there...but be warned, it is probably the hardest 8 hr trek you will do when you come back from the crater. You need to be in top condition to do it - maybe 100 try it every year and only 20 or so get to the crater. I should probably add that all volcanologists, the bomberos and the municipalidad in Xela recommend that you don´t go within 2km of the crater as it is too dangerous. Twenty years ago 4 volcanologists went to the crater and did not return. You go at your own risk. If you survive, it`s one hell of a story and the people of Xela will hold you in awe or just call you crazy - it even got me an interview on the radio...
2. Las Amazonas (Colombia/Brazil) - the three day "survival" traverse through the jungle with return by Kayak is probably the most extreme "survival" I`ve done. Fishing, eating the trunks of some strange trees and drinking the milk from white rubber trees is probably about as basic as living gets. From the cacophony of noise in the jungle through to the alligators and jaguar footprints you can`t find quite so much diversity of flora and fauna anywhere else on the planet. It`s also hard work walking 30km in 2.5 days in the heat of the amazon. The kayak ride back is spectacular and I´ve never been quite so scared as rowing with my hands when the motor of the boat Valera and I were in broke down. Who knows what´s in that water...
3. La Cuidad Perdida (Colombia). I`ve never had quite so much fun on a long hike. The best group of people I´ve done a long hike with - a bizarre mix of Colombians, lawyers and teachers. Six days of pure comedy. Oh, and the Cuidad Perdida and countryside aren`t bad either. The ruins are spectacularly set high up with jungle and waterfalls all around. The days are spent walking and cooling off in the numerous streams and rivers along the way. And then there was the tree jump...10m jump into the river after climbing a tree in the middle of the jungle. Bacano.
4. La Laguna Brava (Guatemala). There is nothing quite like knowing you are a pioneer. When Marvin told Don Eduardo that there`s this place near his home town that is a combination of Lake Atitlan and Semuc Champey but there aren´t any tourists he immediately organised a trip out there to see if it was worth opening up to tourism. So a few weeks later, Don Eduardo, his guides and I went to check it out. And it lived up to expectations. The Laguna Brava is about 2 hrs by car followed by a three hour hike through rolling green hills from a town in the middle of nowhere called Nenton. It is so tranquil and beautiful that it is amazing that there is no tourism there. And it is all the better for it. The waters are of emerald greens, turqoises and different shades of blue surrounded by jungle. You can only navigate your way around the lake on "balsas" (basically tree trunks) as there are no paths yet. If you are in Guatemala and want to go there contact Kaqchiquel tours and Don Eduardo should be able to take you. In a country as well touristed as Guatemala there aren´t really any "best kept secrets" but this is one of the few.
5. El Parque Cocuy (Colombia). This should probably be higher but I got unlucky with the weather and my hiking group. For six days we endured heavy rain, snow, sleet and fog but for the hour a day that it was clear the landscapes were stunning. The laguna de la plaza is incredible as is the Pan de Azucar (5,100m). The general landscapes and bizarre vegetation make Cocuy a potential gem. I`m resolved to going back to see it at its best. You can never predict the weather in the mountains, that`s part of the joy of them.
Honourable mentions to to:
a) Volcan Tajamulco (Gua) - the highest point in central america. Surise with the chain of volcanos opposite, some erupting is incredible
b) Volcan Santa Maria (Gua) - Saniagtuito`s mother and the one that most people climb if they are in decent shape. Great views of Xela, other volcanos and a safe place from which to watch the eruptions of Santiagtuito
c)El desierto Tatacoa (Col) - a bit out of the way but a landscape like no other I´ve seen. It looks a bit like a miniature version of Monument Valley.
d) Nebaj to Todos Santos (Gua) - six days through the Cuchamatanes. Great views beautiful scenery in Guatemala´s most famous mountains.
So that`s it for my blog. I travel tomorrow to Bogota and from there get a plane to Mexico City ready for another flight back home on Monday evening. I hope it has been entertaining and informative and also given some ideas of places to go and things to do in Guatemala and Colombia. Now back to my normal, routine life in England. Why can`t some things just last forever?
* Ok, I actually went there twice. The second time was for my "farewell" from Xela. One Friday I was drinking with Mario to plan my farwell and he suggested that we go to La Muela and do a barbecue up there. La Muela is a little, extinct volcano of about 2,600m. In my slightly drunken stupor I suggested that we go to Santiaguito instead as after Santiaguito there is "no hay nada que ver con La Muela". Mario was so drunk he agreed. So a week later Mario, Juan, Bili and I went there. I was actually pretty worried that Mario and Juan wouldn`t come back - they are in no condition to be doing Santiaguito. I was quite happy when they said they didn`t want to climb the cone as it looked a bit difficult. However, Mario´s face was a treat when we got to the final climb. He wasn´t sure how we were going to get up there as everything looked like it was a climb straight up a cliff. I pointed straight up the cliff and told him, "you remember the bit when I told you that there is a part that if you fall you`re going to die, it´s certain. Well, this is it". We had to wait five minutes for him to finish with expletives.
As it happens, for my last day in Xela Mario, a few others and I were a little bit the worse for wear again and we made a pact with Don Eduardo that the next time I am in Xela (in 2011) we are going to climb the crater by night...there`s stupid and then there`s downright foolish. But as Mario says, "somos borrachos pero hombres de palabra".
