Climbing an Active Volcano!

Today was volcano day. We woke up early to catch a bus at 5:45 (which did not show up until around 6:25) to drive to the base of a volcano. Because there was no time for breakfast we bought some snacks yesterday, banana bread and several rambutans (licha in Spanish). These are the strangest fruit. They have a skin you peal off like an orange, the fruit tastes like a sweet grape, and their is a seed inside you cannot each like a peach. Picture below

Licha breakfast - very good!

After an hour bus ride, we arrived at the foot of the volcano. The kids were excited to clime the volcano up to the crater. This is an active volcano that erupted 3 and 5 years ago... and could erupt any time again. So we decided it would be a good idea to clime to the crater... why was this a good idea?

Kids are ready to go!

The 1.5 mile hike was very steep. So steep that it took about an hour to go the 1.5 miles. There were "taxi's" available (horses), but we chose to climb ourselves. The kids did great - leading the pack

Kids climbing the steep mountain

First viewpoint as we hiked up

Second viewpoint we could see three volcanos

Two of them are active.

Along the way up we received several nature lessons, including a tree whose leaves close when touched, a leaf that was so soft we could use it for Kleenex (or the other obvious use), and a stem to another plan which we could eat - tasted like limon - very sour!  

Kids tasting the "limon" plan

Next panoramic view

These were the taxis they kept offering us

The kids at the top of the crater

The dark stuff is the cooling lava

Family picture at the summit of the volcano

The best part of climbing an active volcano is that it is still very hot - so hot you can roast marshmallows on the cooling lava... so that is what we did! 

Emma Roasting Marshmallows

Josiah Roasting Marshmallows

Nicole Roasting Marshmallows

Tyler and Nicole in front of the lava mount at the crater

The lava bulge in the crater

Map of our hike

We returned home slightly after 1pm and took an easier afternoon. Homework was also on the list of to do's. But we made time to go to dinner with friends we met at our school

Brick oven pizza with friends

Today's post had lost of pictures, we had lots of fun this weekend. We are a third of the way done with our adventure in Guatemala. The time is going fast. Tomorrow we start week 3 of classes!