Day 7
Today was a good day
Well, today was our last full day in Guatemala. This trip has taught me so much about the Lord, about myself, and about the compassion of others. Today was not short on any front.
Picture this: Your friend Andres tells you the group is going on a hike to a volcano, but don’t worry, it’s basically just a walk and not strenuous at all. I was very confident in his description, and in my own abilities as I would consider myself an ametuer hiker. I drank a coffee and ate a cookie Chapina style before the hike, which was not the most nutritious breakfast but definitely better than what I usually eat in the morning. We start out on the hike, and our guide tells us (in spanish) that the hike is 8 kilometers and we will be climbing 2500 kilometers. I barely know what a kilometer is, so I am still very excited. The first mile was straight up the mountain. Like I’m talking straight up. I keep telling myself, it will flatten out eventually. You’re fine. (spoiler alert: it got worse). Then, the incline got worse. I think to myself, I am actually going to die. I start praying “Holy Spirit, give me strength” all the way up the dang mountain because I feel like I am literally about to pass out and die. We were probably 15 minutes to the top when I realize, holy freaking crap, I ate nothing, I used to have really bad acid reflux, and its about to make a comeback on top of this volcano. So, in the middle of molten rocks, I throw up everything in my stomach (just a cookie and coffee. RIP chapina Maggie). I assure the group that I’m fine, (i would also like to note that Mary Elisabeth and Andres are so kind and cared for me during this entire ordeal) that I get sick all the time, but I am so weak now and can barely look at my pb&j sandwhich without it growing eyes and taunting me. We continue hiking, Andres carrying my backpack for me, until we get to the hotbed where we can roast marshmallows from the heat of the lava below. I personally love marshmallows, but I couldn’t even stand up at this point without feeling nauseous, so I just watched everyone roast marshmallows- in a freaking Volcano. But it’s ok because I made great memories… i think.
Then I learn that we are not, in fact, at the top of the mountain, and that we still have to climb to the top of a very steep point. In this moment, everyone looked at me like “holy crap she’s going to die right here there’s no way she’ll make it the rest of the way”. And that’s when it happened. It may have been the Holy Spirit, or my pride, when I stood to my feet and said, “Let’s go”. So we went. We climbed the rest of that fricken volcano, and when we reached the top I felt triumphant. So triumphant, my nausea and exhaustion were gone.
The way down the volcano was simple: you had to half jump, half slide, and mostly fall until you reached the trail. Adrenaline pumping, I ran down the side of the volcano, videoing myself and others, laughing as they fell, as I fell. It was a great freaking time. Something came over me in that moment, probably the same feeling Messi has after he wins a game and is so exhausted but happy that he runs all around the field a couple of times. With the speed of idk what, I took off down the side of the mountain and then realized that I had to stop or I would run into a bunch of people and street dogs. So, what did I do? I jumped and rolled. What any human would do in that moment. After landing, I slid head first down the rest of the slope, only to discover my favorite leggings were ripped, my shoes were covered in volcanic rock, and most of my right leg was cut. BUT I’D DO IT AGAIN! Holy crap I’d do it again. That was the most fun I’ve had in a longggggg time.
So, now I can say with confidence that I have thrown up, and fell down the side of a volcano.
After the Volcano, we went back to the house to shower and nurse my wounds, and then headed to this really cool place in Antigua called Hobitenango. It was so cool! Everything was beautiful and the sky cleared up so we were able to see all of the volcanoes while we were walking around. We ate our first real meal of the day there, played mini golf, took pictures on this GIANT hand overlooking the beauty of Guatemala, and got to rest.
We also drove to and from the park in the back of a pickup truck which was really fun, and reminded me of premium piedmont living.
After Hobitenango, we went to the coolest brewery I have ever seen. It was on a massive piece of property with tons of space. Kids were playing soccer, adults could sit at a table basically in a tree or on the ground, and there was cool live music. All while Volcan de fuego y Volcan de A. sat in the distance, watching us.
It was the perfect end to a perfect day. We did things that before visiting I had no idea existed. I would also like to say that the best part about the entire day was the company. Mary Elisabeth, Andres, and Makenna were the bests hosts for Jordan and I. I would quite literally die for these people.