The Absurdity of it All

Written 14-12-08

two days ago i climbed a volcano in my flip flops.
and the lava didn´t even melt them!

this is dedicated to all the people who said i´d be crazy to try it. you were right.

Location: Antigua, Guatemala
Name: Volcan Pacaya
Status: Active
Terrain: Sharp

The Story:
i´ve been wanting to climb this volcano in flip flops for quite some time now. i´d heard about it in Belize, and since the only pair of shoes i have are my flip flops, it seemed like the natural, logical choice. i started out from the hostel with a good group of friends. my friend Victoria who i met in Tulum, three Aussies: Ross, Nick and Tim, Andrea from Sweden, Lauren and Sterling from California, and Paul from Holland.

it took an hour to drive from Antigua to Pacaya. we talked and laughed the whole way, swapping travel stories, completely forgetting we had to actually climb a mountain once we got there. or i did, at least. as i´m sure all of you know, i´m not really a hiker. more of a stroller, so Andrea, Victoria and I decided to take it slow. that´s the only way they got me to go, actually. volcano strolling.

we arrive at the bottom in a tiny village called San Francisco. as the vans pull up, we are immediately accosted by tiny children wielding walking sticks and trying to get us to buy them. it was the best three quetzales i have ever spent. i would also like to take a moment to recognize Ross, one of the Aussies, who is my flip flop partner in crime. Tim also started in flip flops, but bailed on our sacred mission ten minutes into the climb, and went back to the sanity that is running shoes.

so the group takes off up a steep incline. the terrain was rocky, and what i thought was dirt turned out to be very fine ash. we´re surrounded by trees, a quiet, calm air fills my lungs as i stumble around, panting and swearing. we hike in the woods for about half an hour, and finally make it to the top. but that was only half the battle...actually, that was the easy part. by this time i must also mention that my feet were black, the ashy dust mixing with sweat.

as we stand on the hill, catching our breath, we look out over a desolate wasteland of sharp, jagged black rocks as far as the eye can see. in between are small patches of glowing orange, tempting us to go further. we climb down a steep incline into the volcano, me slip-sliding the whole way. i make it to the rocks, which are painful to walk on for the people in running shoes. everyone kept looking back, giving me encouraging words of support, as they shake their heads and laugh at the obsurdity of it all. the guide was a little shocked...

"Chica...donde esta tus zapatas??!?"
"No te preocupes...mis pies estan muy fuerte."

he did not look pleased.

so after a long, difficult journey towards the lava, i finally arrive and meet up with the rest of the group. Andrea and I planned ahead and had brought marshmellows for the group. this got me back in the good graces of the guide, who immediately popped five or six onto a stick and hopped over to the lava for some roasting while he talked on his cell phone. we hung out there, took loads of pictures, and gradually people for the nerve to venture towards the heat.
and for all of you who don´t know, lava is HOT.
the heat waves burn your body, even if you´re standing a couple meters away.

i eventually hobbled over to roast a marshmellow, but i believe the shining moment for our group was when Lauren, in true genius form, tied a joint to her walking stick and walked over to light it. we sat around, basking in rays of glory, as we puff away in a crater of a volcano. definitely the best i´ve ever smoked, seeing how it was lit by lava.
that´s just really hard to beat.

as the sun threatens to set, we make our way back, me in the rear, taking my time. there were a couple accidents of people falling, and i was amazed that i came out unscratched, unscathed. i should have been bleeding from my feet by now. up the steep hill, we take one last glance of what we had accomplished, and we all exhale a big sigh of relief. as we head down the trail of ash we laugh and trip over rocks in the fading light. our heads are clear and our hearts are light. we just roasted marshmellows in the lava of an active volcano in the middle of Guatemala. and then the lesson we have learned hits us:

we can do ANYTHING. probably not the safest lesson to learn, but coming down, i felt so exhilarated, so invincible. i learned to sew, and i went into a volcano in my flip flops.
i can do ANYTHING. imagine the possibilities.

we hit the bottom of the trail and are accosted once again by children, this time trying to get their sticks back. my stick saved my life countless times...there is no way i am parting with it. i had to hold it over my head and run to the van so as not to get assaulted by the puppy eyes of the dirty Guatemalan children trying to get their sticks back.

back at the hostel i arrive to high fives and people staring at my dirty feet in an amazed disbelief. the party continues on from there...

tomorrow i´m headed to Lake Atitlan, probably San Pedro. if anyone is there, or knows of a good place to stay, let me know.

i´ll be wearing my flip flops.