Trip to Santa Maria and Santiaguito Volcano's.. Finally!!

Miles behind on the blog, might get a month and a halfs blogging done in the next few days???
        Arguably the most incredible, awe inspiring and beautiful scenes I ever had the pleasure of witnessing, an astounding adventure....... climbing the mother volcano (Santa Maria) of the live Santiaguito Volcano....

   The Seven volcano's visible from the top of Sant Maria

   Perfect weather and the enthusiasm to climb another volcano inspired this last minute decision to climb Santa Maria Volcano, having rounded up a few business owners, Daniel from the pool and Mike from Buddha,  Jordan brought 2 girls (here for the Honduras trip), Chelsea and Nel, and Marie and Caroline, plus Petra and Emilia, loaded everyone into the back of the truck, bound for Xela (Quetsaltenango), arrived late in the afternoon, unexpectedly unable to find a large grassy area to camp, in this area every spare square foot is devoted to vegetable growing!!! After a lot of humming and haaarring, Caroline falling off her horse, the group gets split in 2.. Daniel, Mike, Marie and Carloine, head up in search of a perfect camp spot!!! Still packing the rest of us fortunately remain behind when Caroline returns unable to make it to said camping spot... it's a gravelly parking area for us, among the cattle, trukeys, chickens, dogs and ducks.. us being, Jordan, Chelsea and Nel, Caroline, Petra and Emilia.... equipped with a couple of dodgy headlamps, loads of willing and the notion that the trail to the top of the volcano is simple and straightforward, Jordan, Chelsea, Nel and I leave a freezing campsite/barn a spot later than expected 02.30, for the 4 hour climb to the summit of the volcano... An hour or so later up the trail 4 of us sharing 2 head torches and a weak flashlight, we emerge onto a grassy area, presumably this is where Daniel, Mike and Marie are, "presumably" because we can't see them, there's a split in the path, so much for simple!! we take the left fork assuming we head around the left flank of the volcano, mirador (lookout) first then on up, if its too tough going the girls can wait at the mirador we reason.. the trail flattens out even starts to drop a bit, slightly concerning as we should be climbing, but our suspect directions described a difficult first hour, then the climb gets easier, before becoming difficult again for the final ascent??? when the trail becomes loose, more steep and covered in inches of leaves, we decide we've probably taken the wrong route!! we return to the grassy area, still pitch black except for the hollow light of our torches, Chelsea with no light has almost slipped off the trail a few times, puffing and panting her and Nel call and end to our lost ramblings, head back down the trail to the comforts of camp/farmyard.. determined to reach the mirador, where we can at least see Volcan Santiaguito spewing ash into the air, Jordan and I doggedly continue!!! Turns out good decision by the girls, our elusive quest for the mirador leads us up, up, up, switchback after switchback, every time the path leavens out or does'nt make a bend, we're optimistic that the mirador lies ahead, it doesn't.. we continue scrambling up, an hour or so more, its time to give up on the mirador, the paths so steep, no end in sight, we're still going straight up, we reason we have to be summit bound, I step up the pace, if we are going to the top we need to be there for sunrise? Breathing the high, thin air, snorting, snotting and panting, the sky turns purple, a flash of mauve, another beautiful day is dawning and we're not at the top!! Plodding on, we see chipped into the rock 50 mts!! what to the summit?? Straight up!! who knows?? Unbelievably the gradient increases, mirador or summit? we certainly can't see the top!! further onwards and upwards we puff.. the trees become more scarce, branchless, gnarled old cypress trunks, the top must be close, the sun slowly rises higher changing the fuchsia to pink, purple to blue, there is an end... the trees give way to rocks, the path becomes looser, another switchback around a grey boulder, the climb is over..briefly everything disappears from view, an icy wind swirls about us, we've reached the summit... Absolutely breathtaking (not that we had very much breath!!), the silence enfolds us, Awesome, Awesome..... to the North the far-reaching Gautemala Highlands, to the East aligned in an unbelievable row the peaks of Seven Volcano's, south the Pacific escarpment disappears thousands of feet below us to the ocean and into the horizon, east more highlands Tajamulco Volcano and Mexico... and we haven't laid eyes on Santiaguito yet!!

     the sun coming up 100 mts before the summit

Back from Volcan Santa Maria and Santiaguito

A week behind on the blog..... been a busy week..
   Last week Camping alongside a crater lake near Pacaya, climbing Pacaya the following day, dipping sticks in molten rock and back to the lake.... photos to come.. here are a few.............

  Then I can upload the marvelous pictures of Volcan Santa Maria and Santiaguito..

Back of the truck photo's, from the El Semillero trip....

Did'nt realise they were having so much fun in the back of the truck.... the vodka helped I'm sure!!!!!

The police where you want them...!!!

Safely escorted by the Police on our trip to El Semillero....

     Leaving for The Lowlands, The Pacific, Honduras, El Salvador in the very near future... places available.......

Camping Adventure to El Semillero on Guatemala's Pacific coast

We left bright an early 8.30 Thursday morning from La Piscina, San Pedro. 12 happy campers escorted by Asistitour (Guatemala's tourist Police) we head out of town behind San Pedro Volcano on the infamous "Bandito road", 15 kms of uncompleted twisting turning camino, it has the potential to be the most beautiful road in Guatemala if and when it is completed!!? Until then the incomplete 5 kms of potholed, rainwashed, rocky, rutted road remains the territory of opportunistic and very real banditos, the police take them serious enough to accompany us armed not only with machine guns but with an extra 4 members of the police force too.... suffice to say, we encountered nothing, took the "camino anciano" (the old route) for Chicacao only events on this road, were a group of cyclists coming from the opposite direction and a large "derumbe" land/mud slide which we slipped our way through, the unpredictable back track to the coast!!

on the "bandito road" complete with escort

the "Pacific viewpoint"

San Pedro Volcano above the Santiago Bay

   3 hours later we emerge out of the tropical jungle unmolested and having experienced a unique and beautiful part of Highland Guatemala, the Pacific slope dropping away majestically before us, Macadamia, Coffee, Rubber plantations and the ever friendly Chapins (Guatemalteco's) waving us on by, hard to believe the ever present danger of the "mara's" amongst these remote and pleasant people. 

food, fuel and a break at a "gasolinera" on the CA2

   On the CA2 ( Centro America 2 the "coast road"), now on the asphalt and in the coastal heat we split from our escort, in 3/4's of an hour we are in Tiquisate, bustling, busy, humid, stop at Dispensar Familiar to stock up for the coming couple of days.... more booze than food!!! great chunks of ice to keep the screwdrivers cold..... piled high, everyone in good spirits I reverse into a scooter, crack his mudguard and have to go through the laborious process of evaluating the damage and subsequently paying for it!!! Insurance not being compulsory in Guatemala........A minor delay on our route bound for the "playa". Arrive in El Semillero, order huge plates of sea food, the most incredible breaded prawns, set up camp, get the beer station operational!!!!

 having arrived, the erecting of the tents

beer station operational.....important 2 man job??

even more important... 3 men, a machete and a large block of ice.. cold beer!!

all quiet the next morning, everyone still asleep

  Day 2 Friday morning, a leisurely awakening to the sound of crashing surf, the smell of fresh coffee, scrambled eggs, screwdrivers for some.... another hot day idles by, salt, sun, sand, bocci, buying fish fresh from the incoming "lancha's" for dinner and a trip up the estuary in a fishing boat late afternoon..."tranquilidad"!!!

chatting, lazing, getting to know one another

r  e  l  a  x  i  n  g !  !  !    .........

bocci on the beach

J.J. tending the fire

  Saturday, sadly the day we have to return.... we are all alarmed out of our tents not by the gradually increasing heat of sunrise but by the racing winds of an imminent tropical storm, bleary eyes brace themselves, last nights beach campers wander in before they are blown away, dismantle the tents, hurriedly make coffee.. no breakfast due to the impending sandstorm!! Will we make it back today?.... we do (make it back..) and in true style, from an unsteady beginning, upon changing the rear tyre, removing the rear wheel a dreaded pool of oil appears... the half shafts were not correctly tightened!!! having not lost a significant quantity of oil and the tyre change complete we proceed home in absolute blistering time, escorted by 4 different police patrols, non stop directo a San Pedro..... almost in time for Bocci at the pool (when it began at 14.00??)...

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Lake Atitlan's famous Indian Nose

A short half day trip up to the Indians Nose, aptly named as the profile of the mountains resemble that of a sleeping Indian......

    We  started from San Pedro via San Juan, Pablo and Marcos, taking with us Matt, Geologist and Guide, who regaled us all with the very interesting history of the Lake, mountains and surrounding volcanoes. 10 of us went up, 5 people from Santa Cruz, the rest passing through San Pedro... A fine time had by all... and not too strenuous as we took the back way up via Santa Clara, beautiful scenery up the switchbacks and only a half an hour walk to the summit of the Nose.

up the switchbacks, lake and cloudy vocano's in the background

"geologising" in Matts classroom

 the origional volcano was this high!!!

looking down on San Juan and San Pedro

all seated ready for the return trip down....

San Pedro La Laguna to El Mirador and back

A 12 day trip, with 5 Hungarians, my wife Petra and our nearly 2 year old daughter Emilia, we covered a large part of Guatemala......
     We collected the Hungarians at the airport fresh from Europe, tired from their flight, herded them into the back of the truck and bustled them into a roaring smog filled afternoon in Guatemala City !!! you can not  imagine...... It was a Sunday and the roads relatively quiet, perfect time to do some roadworks?? 2 hours breathing in the fumes of enormous chicken buses, latin American hooting, their jet lag kicking in we break free of the City.
             Beinbenidos a Guatemala.........
     The first night with a howling wind blowing over the rolling brown escarpment, we camp in a cattle grazing field behind a Texaco petrol tation, 40 kms before the Rio Dulce Junction...... after a beautifully clear, star light night we have coffee, breakfast, demolish the tents, repack the truck and strike enthusiastically out, destination Tikal, we should make it before nightfall.... Early Monday morning traffic a breeze, we're flying making good time... the Rio Dulce - Puerto Barrios Junction, a massive road blockage......

the friendly frontier of the "manifestasion"

 ....... a " National Teachers strike" and they've blockaded the road in protest, infuriatingly only 20 or so cars in front of us, they must have only closed it 10 or 15 minutes ago, we join the "cola" (queue) all bail out, entertain ourselves, breakfast, reports vary from an all day protest to a half day one, to ahh.. not long at all, as usual even though the traffic is not moving optimistic vehicles are still driving by, the 2 lane road now has 2 files of traffic, the second straddling the centre of the road and which we are now in, I too tried to get as close to the front as my fellow Chapins......

story time in the shade.. and a quick check of the wheel nuts

...... in the shade of a trans America 14 wheeler we become embroiled in the mid morning heat and mayhen that is a "Gautemalan manifestasion".......

taking refuge from the blinding sun, searing heat and bustling protest..

...... we finally broke through at half past 12 with the police vainfully trying to redirect the traffic, unscrambling the 4 lanes of traffic that are blocking the progress of the oncoming vehicles, chaos, madness, more chaos and sweltering heat... imagine only having left a cold Europe less than a day and a half ago!!!

 

 the bridge over Rio Dulce

   we're in Rio Dulce within the hour, we take a rejuvinating swim in the river under the bridge, wash away the dust, sweat and grime........
   

a swim under the bridge

........ back on the road north bound, we'll not make Tikal tonight..... We camp, the Hungarians "dorm" in Poptun at the famous Finca Ixobel, a pleasant relaxing evening......
   Early morning a short drive to Santa Elena from Poptun, money, more supplies and a late breakfast in the camp-ground at an eerily quiet Tikal, we spend the late morning and rest of the day walking around the glorious ruins, the magnificence of the ancient temples not diminished in aeons......

first glimpse of temple #1

a very quiet Tikal only the Hungarians and us in the Main Plaza

 the Temple of Inscriptions looms out of the jungle


...once again we camp, in the grounds of Tikal, while the group tests their hammocks in the hammock dorm behind the hotel, an early start, supplies for the Mirador trek, and the morning on Santa Elena, the group takes a ferry across to San Andreas, we meet them mid afternoon in a very windswept San Andreas, bad news is the mule operators in Carmelito have'nt made it to town to buy supplies for the 4 day trek, further shopping in San Andreas before plunging off the asphalt and attacking the 60 km "all weather track", the first fallen tree across the road met with 2 machetes, a wood saw and a lot of Hungarian enthusiasm..........

clearing the road to Carmelito

......... by the time we had seen half a dozen or so more fallen trees, the dusty, rocky, potholed road, raining every time we crested a hill, their spirits dampened by the 3 hour drive we finally arrive in Carmelito, wondering why the road and approach to the tiny town is so smooth and wide?... we glide over the airstrip, park outside the "muleateers", stretch hammocks out for the night, apportion rations for the coming days, dinner then bed, an early rise with the mules.....

 parked just off the airstrip in Carmelito

 

the "Temple Trek" begins, loading up the mules 

water laden mules depart first 

setting off into the jungle

.... the 4 (usually 5) day trek into the jungle begins.. we opt out, we... myself Petra and Emilia, the 5th Hungarian a guide who organised the group and friend of ours will take them off to Mirador, not fair on Emilia to cart her into the wilds in search of tumbling temples when she's spent long hot 3 days in the car (rather patiently for her!!) just to get here, we accompany the group and mules for half the day and turn back, Emilia makes new friends and we stay in this docile pretty little town for a couple of days.....

Carmelito the town at the "End of the Road"

a distant mule the only sign of activity

.... we depart Carmelito, give surprised locals rides back the 60 kms into town, late afternoon we are in paradise on the shore of Lake Peten Itza, wallowing in her warm clear water, set up camp in arguably the most beautiful spot we've camped yet, the tent strung out on a palm leaved dock 20 meters from shore.....

  tent on a dock..what a glorious spot to camp

sunrise from the "Glorious camp-spot"

....... after a sleep beautiful enough to match the surroundings, breakfast and a meat foray in the nearest town ( San Andreas) for the BBQ, followed by a drive around Lake Peten Itza, past El Remate, towards the Belizian border bound for Yaxcha... we get there rather late, too late to see the ruins let alone put up camp, so a mad dash back to "Abuelo's", we know it, its lit and close to the rendezvous point with the rambling Hungro's.... Happy and content with their 4 day wanderings we meet on time and commence the next leg of the journey, south to Semuc Champey......

 the palm roofed ferry at Sayaxche

getting on the ungainly ferry ( you would'nt want to do this in a sports car!!!)

approaching the "Cuchamatanes" the Maya Mountains

an idyllic Maya settlement at the foot of the mountains

 trapped between 2 graders as they widen the road to Lanquin

sucking the pulp off the Cocoa seeds, before being dried, roasted and eventually becoming chocolate

the rickety old bridge to Semuc Champey

  Magical Semuc Champey

"Azure serenity"

the adventurers

contemplating traversing a massive land slide

all on the back, giving the rear wheels weight and traction

 

 the eerie delights of Chichicastenango

considering themselves lucky they did'nt spend 2 weeks in the back of this truck