Acatenango – Day 2: Sunrise over the Fire
ACATENANGO
Day 2: Sunrise over the Fire
October 18, 2022
Despite the rumbling of an active volcano right in from of our campsite, I’d say it was one of the best nights’ sleep ever – only it was cut way too short at the insanely cruel hour of 4 AM. Albeit a shorter day, we’d be hiking all the way up to the summit in order to watch the sunrise.
I was already about to start my list of complaints and lamentations, but the second I got out of my tent, all frozen and shaking, I found myself unable to utter a single word. I had never woken up to an erupting volcano before. It took me a while to realise this wasn’t just a dream – that the red outline of the volcano against the black of night dotted with thousands of bright, shiny stars wasn’t just a figment of my imagination.
The hike up to the summit wasn’t any easier than it was the previous day. Too tired and exhausted to grumble, we just climbed on. At one point, we had to cross over this really steep slope, the crumbling soil and sand slipping underneath our feet. One wrong step and it seemed like it would spell inevitable doom, with the mountainside being the only thing that would catch our fall. I, for one, thought it was too early to be dealing with such hardships. One of the British girls, instead, had a full-fledged panic attack, hyperventilating and sobbing in between yells to get her down from the damn volcano. I could fully sympathise, although my body seemed to have been too tired to muster the energy required for such an outburst.
But, somehow, we managed. We got to the top. We high-fived and thanked Rommel for pushing us onwards and helping us get to that point. Despite how hard it was, as always, it was way worth it in the end. When the summit came into view, it was exactly like how I’d imagine the surface of an exotic planet to be. Black dunes around a central crater with a purple sky in the background – a contrast I had never seen before. I was left speechless. Once over the dune, I only found myself even more mesmerised, with a thousand shades of orange and the glowing sun in the midst of a violet sky hovering over the blue-grey clouds against the black volcano and its grey fumes. It was like a visual representation of peace and fury in just one view.
Standing right there, almost frozen solid by the cold, I wondered if I’d ever get to see something like this ever again. I didn’t want to be greedy – this is probably something most people won’t ever get to see, after all – but I just couldn’t bear the idea of never seeing such a thing ever again. I wanted more. I wanted that moment to last forever.
The Power of Travelling
First it was the difficult part. Then the magical one. Now? Now it was time for the fun part. After warming our hands inside a vent that led to the volcano’s crater, we’d be starting our way downhill.
A thin layer of ice had me thinking this might be the hardest part, assuming I’d eventually slide down the entire volcano. But a few minutes into our hike, it was suddenly a sandy slope that would crumble down the second you stepped on it – giving you enough momentum to take the next step, regain your footing, and go on to run the entire way down. It was one of the best feelings of my life. Running down the volcano at what seemed like light-speed. So much adrenaline! Took us an hour and a half to get to the summit from the campsite – some fifteen minutes to get back down! With the erupting Fuego in the background, mind you.
After one last meal at the campsite, we started our way down. Here I got the opportunity to chat with Caroline and Ambroise as their kids rushed down the volcano. Throughout the trek, I had caught myself looking at them with pure envy. You see, I never went on a single trip with my family. It’s not that we couldn’t afford it per se, it’s just that my parents never really prioritised it. And so, my first trip was at the age of 19 when I went to Barcelona after a whole summer working to save up for it. A brief European city holiday – yet it had completely upended my life and taught me the importance of travelling and getting to explore different countries and experience new cultures.
The fact that they were doing this with their young kids was impressive to say the least. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much good that does to kids. Having started to travel quite late in life, I opened my mind to different cultures later on – despite having always been liberal and open to learning new things. But this? This would help them see the world with such a different perspective than they otherwise would. Ambroise told me that at every random village that they’d stop at, the kids would always end up playing with the locals. Talk about experiencing culture! Also, how could anyone doing this ever grow up to be racist, classist, or any other kind of ‘-ist’?
Did I mention I adore this family? Pity Caroline didn’t take the hint when I begged her to adopt me and she just replied with, “Two kids is enough.” She admitted that whilst it gets tiring being on the road for so long – especially with two kids. They fight like normal siblings do, but she said they’ve grown to be the bestest of friends over the past few months. Although they can be a handful, she’s conscious of the fact that she’ll never again have such an opportunity to spend this much time with them before they grow up and leave the nest.
Adios Acatenango!
Finally on our way down, I got to show off my downhill skills as I sped down the entire volcano in what’s probably considered record time. Although, I gotta admit – Arthur and Eloise still took first place. I know I’m the one writing this and that I have all the power, but I’m not gonna start lying now, am I? They were too impressive not to give them credit. At the end, I felt like I should’ve paid them to guide the way, as they did quite a terrific job leading the way the entire trek.
Finally reunited at La Soledad, it was time to bid each other farewell. The French family would go on with their adventures in their RV, the Brits would go to Atitlán, and the rest of us headed back to Antigua, where we all went our separate ways but would remain forever bound by such a special, unforgettable experience!