Volcano Hike San Pedro

A bit unhuman we go up at around 4am last Saturday and met our Mayan hiking guide Pedro at 5am at the school. Together with my German Travel Companions, Tania, Marki & Felix I have climbed volcano of San Pedro last Saturday. 

We climbed up for about 3.5 hours, gaining about 1500 meters of altitude, while the other did not feel the altitude much I could really feel the lack of oxygen and was hiking up steadily but a little slower than the others. Unfortunately as we have reached the top of some 3000 meters over sea level it was already covered in a cloud. We kind of expected that but were hoping not to experience it that Saturday morning. However most of the days before we could see the same wheater phenomena from down when we were looking up. We spent about half an hour on top and for a short while could even see the top of Santa Maria, where Felix and I climbed up to a couple of weeks ago, peaking out of the clouds in the west. 

As we were decending we got...

...fantastic views of the lake...

...and the villages that surround it.

The top third of the way, assuming thanks to the almost daily cloud, was leading us through beautiful, colorful rainforest.

That was also where we found this animal feet alike looking things...

...which we soon discovered to be the center of a really beautiful flower that was hanging high up in trees we had no idea what type they were.

Further down we took a longer pause and enjoyed the few. While we slowly but surely got on the nerves of our guide by descending that slow...

At the next mirador (view point) I explained Pedro that we would not necessarly need him for the rest of the descend and paid him a handsom tip for his work. (Probably still not enough to get his teeth fixed, of which he had only one left in his entire mouth that he showed proudly with every big smile he gave us). And off he went...

...while we were descending at our own speed through the high altitude coffee plantations. Yes, that is what coffee looks like long before Starbucks f.... it up with vanilla, or cinamon or what ever kind of uncoffee tastes. Chewing the red bit that houses the beans leaves a sweet taste, similar to jerries in your mouth.

On the way back to the village we passed one of the two stinking trash pits of San Pedro...

...where some young footballers dreams found a final resting point.

 

Crossing path with young men carrying firewood up to the street.

San Pedro de Atitlan