Even after late nights, I usually manage to make it out early the next day to get things accomplished - being on vacation is no exception. I rolled out of bed and forced myself to get into town. I loaded myself up with two cups of coffee and a map...off to see the city. The first stop was at the local market. Some locals were still setting up their stands while the other vendors who were already ready were offering us early-bird deals. I can't lie, we were succumbing to them and their alluring colors. I easily ran out of money within the first 45min and we haven't even hit the Artisan's market next door yet. We quickly headed back to the hotel and i grabbed the last of my USD cash (which is supposed to last me until the end of the trip) knowing that I would be stupid to spend it all. I also knew that I would be stupid to deny myself something I would continue to think about or regret if I didn't get it. So I put my last $50 in my bag. Round two at the local and artisan's market was a little more successful. I managed to restrain myself and not give anymore money away.
Deborah and I went for brunch because we knew we had a big trek in a few hours. All I knew about this hike up Volcano Pacaya is that it will be 2+ hours up, see the flowing lava up close, 3 hours down. There's nothing else i needed to know. We got back to the hotel to change into the proper attire. Not everybody on tour wanted to take this trek so it was only three of us (Deborah, Otto, and myself). Our van came to pick us up and there were already people inside - other tourists who were going to do the hike. The ride was long and crazy; the driver seemed careless and was speeding, weaving in and around the streets. In my tired state, I still managed to fall asleep in the van.
We got to the base of the volcano and were greeted by a tour leader. She was in charge of keeping us together on the way up, and on the
way down. The hike got the heart pumping for sure. It wasn't anything too crazy...if anything, it's like the grouse grind except on a volcano and much longer. Once we got closer and closer to the top, i peeled away from the rest of the group because I was extremely excited to get up there already. And there it was, flowing horizontally; the lava was absolutely glowing as the sun has already disappeared behind the clouds and decided to set. I had gotten to the top at perfect timing. Crowds of tourists were stumbling around like little ants trying to get the best view. It
was extremely windy and my hair was flying everywhere. I was taking photos when I saw Otto. He says to me, "if you think it looks cool from down here, you should see it from up there" as he points to a little volcano formed ridge that was above the lava. Excited, i headed over almost immediately. The magmatic rock we were walking on was light weight and shaky but i managed to find stable steps and get to the top of the ridge. It was crowded with tourists. Guatemala doesn't have the best safety standards so nothing was done about this. There were no railings, no taped off sections, it was a free for all. One of the local tour guide shows off to everyone as he lights a cigarette from the lava. Everyone oohs and aahs.
There was a girl who was sitting at the top of the ridge just looking around the crowd so I decided to ask he
r to take my photo. I got to the ledge of the ridge and was ready. "Shift a bit to your right so I can get a better shot of the red lava behind you", she advises me. I listened. I slowly shifted. I slowly began to fall. Everything happened in slow motion and it felt like I actually had time to think. I tried to get myself back into position by grabbing onto a rock i was near but it was just a loose volcano rock that came falling down with me. I heard screams around me but I didn't close my eyes. I remember thinking, "should I close me eyes?...Is this how I'm really going to die? I'm going to die in Guatemala on vacation??". My back slammed onto a protruding rock and I fell on my side...maybe two feet from the red flowing lava. I was saved; I landed on the black rock - the black lava that is still hot right next to burning red one. Screams continued and I heard a man's voice clearly, "get out of there before that lava sticks on you! It'll stick on your clothes and burn!". I tried to get up quickly but i was beat to the punch. An arm had grabbed me by the hoodie and pulled me out.
I carefully patted myself down to make sure there was nothing stuck on me and could potentially burn me. I took inventory. My left pant leg was a bit torn. My right shoe was ripped a bit. There were a couple minor holes on my hoodie's left arm. And my bag (which I had landed on) was now sporting a new rip. Inside my bag was a dented journal that caught and saved my ass, and my sunglasses that now only has one lens. "Aww, i broke my sunglasses!", I said. A guy who had seen it all happen replied, "you're lucky that's all you broke! you're really lucky!!!". His mouth was still pretty much wide open as he says this...his eyes still hasn't shut in pure shock. I managed to grab my camera from the girl who was supposed to take my photo. She says sorry to me, but she has nothing to be sorry about. Slowly, things start to sink in. I could have died, and this man who had pulled me out potentially saved me from being badly burned.
"Can I take a photo with you?", I asked him. We posed in front of the lava together for my camera and his. His name is Justin and he's from Colorado (an American saved my life - who would have thought). He was actually in the same van I was in going to the volcano, we're with the same tour guide. According to him, everything happened slow motion for him as well.
On the trek down, people would recognize me. One girl asks, "you were the girl that fell in the lava weren't you?...are you OK???". I was making headlines and there was no booze-show, panty-flashings, public fights, or car crashes involved. I was starting to feel soar almost instantly as we started the 3 hour walk down. I had minor scratches and bruises on my left leg. I may not have seen it all right away (because it was dark) but i sure felt it. My mind was in a haze trying to summarize what the hell just happened up there. I knew I was lucky and I needed to thank Justin in part of that.
(the view from the where i was standing when i fell in)
We got to the van and I quickly pulled out a piece of paper from the journal that broke my fall. I wrote my contact info on there and included a note welcoming a stay in Vancouver for whenever. When the van dropped us back off in Antigua, I passed that piece of paper to Justin. "I'm serious", I said to him..."whenever you're in Vancouver, you have a place to stay". Mi casa es su casa.
We all parted ways and everyone was on the hunt for food. I didn't know what I wanted to eat...I couldn't really think too much about eating. I looked in my bag to see the little money I had left and opted for chips. After almost dying, my meal for the night was a bag of local jalapeno chips. I wasn't complaining.
Deborah, Otto, and I got into the hotel just as Sid (the new tour leader) was on his way out. We told him and Mereki what just happened. They didn't believe me until I showed them my leg and my ripped bag.
Tonight is Mereki's last night with the group and because we got into the hotel late and were tired, we unfortunately couldn't do anything special to bid her farewell. I went to my room and put my things away and Mereki came up soon after for a chat. We talked for a while about our schedules from here on out. I was sad because I was going to miss her; she was my buddy on the tour. Nobody else seemed to like partying or adventuring around but us.
It was inevitable, but it was time to say goodnight and I knew it
was the last time I would see her.I stayed up a bit longer thinking...eating.
In the past, my New Years Day/Eve somehow manages to depict how the rest of my year would go. Maybe it is all in my head, but I find this to be true. Usually, it's the first 2-4 weeks that form the rest of the year. If this stays fact, I don't know what to expect for 2010...I don't know what to expect for the new decade!
What kind of headlines will I be making? What kind of trouble lurks around the corner? Who are the people I'm going to be saying hello and goodbye to? Who's going to save me?
Questions which all have no answers to at the moment - but I'm dying to find out (pun intended).
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