The Guatemala posts continue - RED HOT LAVA!

Besides being pregnant, this trip to Guatemala is the most interesting thing in our lives right now and we're going to get the most mileage possible out of it. Our next adventure in Guatemala was a hike to the top of the volcano Pacaya. Which brings me back to being pregnant. HOLY SCHNIKES it was a tough hike. Between the nausea, colds and need for sleep pretty much all the time, I haven't really been the most exercise-oriented-expectant mother. So the hike up a mountain that resembles Mordor left me often breathless and leaning heavily on my "palo necessario" (50 cents American money by the way) as the 6 year old who sold it to Jeff called my walking stick.

It was all worth it.

After hiking on volcanic sand for what seemed like forever, the landscape took a decidedly more menacing turn as we got closer to the lava sources and the rock became more solid, steep and sharp.

The rock started getting warm under our feet (it was cold up there on the top of the volcano!) and we could feel warm air coming from somewhere. Then we rounded the corner and our guide pointed out this river of slow moving lava. We got so close the heat from the lava nearly burned our skin. It was amazing.

Lava, people, lava!!! Do you remember when you were little and you played "hot lava" where you couldn't touch the ground and had to leap from couch to chair to table? I could feel some five-year old part of my self feeling deeply satisfied at finally seeing, experiencing and yes, poking the real thing.