Volcán Pacaya

On Saturday, June 20, we went with another couple (The Alberts) to drive out and hike Pacaya Volcano---an active volcano of 8,371 ft. We left just after 6:30 am and after about an hour's drive (and a large detour) we arrived where the road split to go to the town of San Vicente Pacaya (to the left) or Pacaya Volcano National Park (to the right). We paid for our tickets to enter the park and picked up our guide, "Felix," and continued driving until we reached the village of San Francisco. This is where the trail begins. As we got out of our car several children came over to us asking us to buy a walking stick from them. Neil and I bought our walking sticks from the little girl on the right for 5 quetzales (or about 75 cents).

As Felix led us toward the trail we walked past a large group of horses and their guides. They smiled (the men, not the horses!) at us and "encouraged" us to get a horse and ride instead of walk. We just smiled back and declined their offers. This is the sign at the beginning of the trail.


This is our little hiking group with our 4 horsemen following us---just waiting for us to tire out and need to ride one of their horses. They were very persistant. They would smile and say, "Here is your taxi." The trail was getting very steep and rocky and those horses were starting to look pretty good.

Felix was a very good guide. He would stop and show us different plants and tell us about them. These are some of the orchids and bromiliads that we saw growing on the trees. He pointed out a tree that his parents used to use for soap when he was a little boy, because they didn't have any money to buy soap.

This is our guide, Felix, on the left. On the right is my horse, Canelo---yes, I decided to take it easy on my poor knees (after about 1/3 of the way up the trail). Emilio (my "piloto") led the horse so I didn't have to worry about guiding it at all. The horses knew the trail well and Emilio and I had a very nice chat (in Spanish) while we went up---and down---the trail. He told me all about his family and how he grew up in this area---and how they sometimes had to evacuate their homes because of the big volcanic eruptions of Pacaya.

I didn't realize Neil was taking so many photos of me on Canelo! It looks like I never hang on while I am riding! Sometimes it was pretty bumpy. Emilio told me that he usually walked his horse up and down this trail twice daily. It is about a 2 1/2 hour hike just to reach the base of the volcano. (By the way, the saddle horn and the back of the saddle were made of carved wood instead of leather. I thought that was interesting.)


This is the lava rock that we walked over once we reached the base of the cone of the volcano. The color of the lava shows if it is old or new. If it is a light color (as on the left) it is from an older eruption. If it is a very dark color, (as on the right) then it is only weeks or months old---from a more recent eruption.

Boy, these hiking sticks really came in handy in hiking over these trails on the lava rocks. There really wouldn't have been any place for me to put my hand down to steady myself! This area is still near the base of the volcanic cone. It is a very "hot" spot with heat vents coming up through the rocks.
This is looking down into a spot where you can see red lava. Some people drop their walking sticks down into it, and that is what is burning. This hole on the right was just a very interesting formation made by an earlier lava flow.


Pacaya Volcano is in the background, but not quite the top of the cone. It is still off to the left. It was quite a cloudy day and the clouds kept the cone hidden. We all decided not to hike to the top since we wouldn't have a view from there. It was a great hike and the views of the valleys and towns below us were wonderful---as long as the clouds let us see them. We had hoped to be able to see the other surrounding volcanos, but the clouds kept them out of sight.

The Guatemalan Way!

Have you ever wondered how the ancient Egyptians moved all of those huge stone blocks to build the pyramids? We believe these Guatemalan workers have mastered the same technique.
Neil and I watched from our balcony as these men would put a metal pipe under the front of the piece of machinery (adding to the other pipes under it). Then they would all push the piece of machinery forward as hard as they could---while one worker pulled the pipe from the back and ran up to the front to put it under again. They did this for a few minutes and then they all had to take a rest. Not modern technology, but it certainly worked for them!


After seeing the previous operation, you won't have any problems believing this next one. Right across the street from us is a very tall apartment building. We looked out one afternoon and saw this man coming down the front of the building, sitting on a plank of wood---no safety line or harness. He would lower himself using only his left hand on the rope, while he painted with his right hand. When he stopped he would just hold the rope with his left hand. It made us feel really nervous for the guy! When he finished at ground level, he got off, and let a man on the top of the building pull it back up to the top. But the crazy wooden plank kept getting caught under the balconies of each floor and knocking plaster off! At one point the man on top even caught his hand in the rope he was pulling. In the end it all worked out---and that's entertainment!

Guatemala Week #2

Here we are just finishing with our second week in the country. We feel like we are getting acquainted with the area we live in. Neil runs each morning and really knows his way around. We went with some of the senior missionary couples to the central market and bought fruit and vegetables that will probably last us for 2 weeks. But, my, they are delicious. See if you can name all of the ones in our photo.


While at the central market Neil bought some flowers for us to put in vases in our living room. There are several sidewalk flower vendors near our apartment building. We bought the hydrangea (in the center photo) at a vivienda (nursery) a few blocks away. There are many hydrangeas planted around the landscape of the Guatemala temple.


Guatemala is a very humid and green country so there are many different kinds of plants and flowers. Neil really likes to take photos of the flowers, so here are some that caught his eye.


This past Wednesday (June 10th) was Neil's birthday and we did some sightseeing. We did some walking to find the location of the church where we would be going today. We also went to the National Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. It is an amazing museum with many wonderful collections of stellas (stone carvings) pottery and other relics.

On Friday night we invited the missionary couples (and single sisters) to come over for some cake and ice cream. It was also Sis. Bingham's birthday (she recently arrived and is from St. George) so we all had a good time eating and visiting together. In the left photo (L to R) is Sis. Albert, Sis. Tilly, Sis Bawden, and Sis. Bingham. The couple at the right is Elder and Sis. Tilly--they are on a mission with church security. The bottom right photo is of Sis. Albert and Elder Albert---who is building a dental clinic (from donated funds) attached to an orphanage. The clinic will be used for helping with dental work of prospective missionaries and also with the orphanage.


Here is a groupd photo in our living room of all of the senior missionaries. The photo top right is of Elder Bawden. He and his wife work with the Area Presidency in Humanitarian Services.
In the lower right photo is Elder Taylor. He is the Area Doctor and he and his wife coordinate the medical services for all of the missionaries.


A long, long time ago we started a family tradition of making a "birthday banner" for each member of our family on their birthdays. We write a silly poem or limerick on it so everyone can have a good laugh. Yes, kids, I did a birthday banner for Dad for his birthday! We might be in Guatemala but the family tradition must go on! (Now let's see if you can read it!!?)


Last Friday we found a good car to buy (through a church member) and we are now the proud owners of a 1998 4-door silver Honda Civic. It will give us a little more independence and ability to get out of the City once-in-awhile. And we won't have to pay for taxis anymore.


This is the chapel of the Santa Fe Branch where we will be going to church. Please don't mind the razor wire on the fence. It really is safe on the inside!
Everything here seems to be encircled with razor wire! It was the same when we lived in the Philippines and also when we were in Costa Rica. So we feel right at home. But it is a nice branch and we are looking forward to being of service here.


We are enjoying the skype calls that we have been able to have with our children and friends. It is wonderful how technology can help keep us close together even when we are living so far away. We will not be receiving mail while we are here, but we would encourage email communication. Let's see what sort of adventures we can send your way next time!

The Guatemala Adventure Begins!

We arrived in Guatemala on Monday (1 June) in the early morning and were very glad to get our 10 pieces of luggage and boxes safely through customs and off to our new location. This is our new home---"Victoria Suites" apartments in Guatemala City, Guatemala. It is a 5-story building with mostly LDS Senior Missionary couples living in it. Our apartment is on the 4th floor. You can see it above the tree, with the plants hanging over the balcony.

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This is the entrance to our apartment building. It seems to be a pretty safe place---with 2 guards out on the sidewalk, a male receptionist, and an inside metal gate by the receptionist! We have already found our way to a major supermarket (bought out by Wal-Mart) and bought some basic supplies for our new home. What is Guatemala like?---it is green, humid, with lots of flowers, overloaded buses, paint peeling (because of the humidity), and the sounds and culture of Spanish everywhere!


We feel very fortunate to have such a big and comfortable place to live in that is already furnished for us. The picture on the left is our living room---top right is our family room--and lower right is our dining area. The rooms are all very large and we have big picture windows with balconies that give us a great view of----other tall apartment buildings!


Our apartment has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a laundry area, a spacious kitchen (with loads of storage space!) and we keep the windows and sliding glass doors open so that the cool breezes blow in. It is great!

These are our bedrooms---one is a workroom, one is for sleeping, and one is for visitors. [We really do have a lot of space, so please feel free to come and visit us while we are here. But be sure to bring some newborn kits with you. There is a great need for humanitarian service here and newborn kits will be well-used!] Tomorrow Neil goes to visit the University of San Carlos where he will be teaching and then we both have an appointment with the U.S. Embassy. So begins another adventure!