Our guide met us at 7.30 for the gentle stroll up volcano maderas. Strolled through an organic farm, mingling with pugs, horses, and bizarrely a raccoon. As we continued skyward, the wildlife continued with howler monkeys, large and colourful butterflies, and (again bizarrely) a crab. We were not expecting to spot a crab whilst walking up a volcano through cloud forest, but the nor were we expecting to have to walk much of the way through a stream. The going was ...

Fast dash at 8am through a busy market to the chicken bus station. Even at this time the sun is blazing hot and I wish I hadn't packed quite so much. Jumped on a crowded bus to start out journey to an island made of two volcanos in the middle of a lake. Two buses, two taxis and a ferry later we arrived at a hostel by the lakeside. Found a nice place to eat and spent the rest of the day lying in a hammocks reading and preparing ourselves for the long hike up the v...