This is kind of a double post because the internet cafe was packed last night. We are now in Santa Cruz on Atitlan, but yesterday's trip to Pacaya was AWESOME!!!

We woke up about 5:30AM and waited for our shuttle to pick us up for the hour long drive to the volcano. Our guide book was a little off on prices, which was a bummer. The bus was 50Q and the entrance fee was another 50Q. Still not bad though. We were the only two on the street waiting for a bus, and when one showed up saying he was headed to Pacaya we jumped in, ready to go. He asked for our tickets, which I had put in a special place so as not to forget them. The problem was that the place was so special I forgot where it was! So I had to frantically dump out my wallet and search through it over and over until I eventually found it in my passport. Turns out we were on the wrong bus so the driver floored it in reverse and dumped us back at the hostel. A minute later, another bus pulled up, and this time we didn't get kicked off. We made it to Pacaya and started the hike up after walking through a crowd of kids selling "steeks" and men shouting "taxi!" next to their horses. The guys with the horses follow you all the way up because half way through the fat people can't stand the walk anymore. Seriously, I feel bad for those horses. Nobody under three hundred pounds ever used them.

I had already been reluctant to do the hike because there wasn't any lava to see, but as we marched up the mountain the fog was so thick we couldn't see more than thirty feet in front of us. We passed a sign explaining all the incredible things we were supposed to see from there, but in that direction we only saw thick white fog. I was getting bummed and thought the whole trip was going to be a waste.

But by the time we reached the summit (being followed all the way by a dog so skinny it could have passed for a horse of the apocolypse; it got all of our granola bars) the fog had begun to clear. At first, we would get little glimpses of a view up the mountain, but after half an hour the wind really picked up and the fog blew away, revealing some of the most incredible views we've ever seen. We even got to roast marshmallows at the top on hot air vents in the ground! Messy but totally worth it. Brittany got it all over her face and the ash that blew around stuck to it. She had big black patches around her mouth and nose, so I was quick to point out the she looked like a hobo :) The wind at the top was intense and no matter how careful you were you would slip and slide on the volcanic rock. Turns out hardened lava is sharp, so when you fall and reach out with your hand...OUCH!

On the way down, we had perfectly clear blue skies, and I swear I took two hundred pictures. God bless the man who invented digital cameras! It was funny to stand in the same places we had been earlier, where only a wall of white could be seen, and now have a view of three volcanoes! We had wondered what you were supposed to do if you had to use the bathroom while on the trail, but how relieved (pun intended haha) we were to see that the government provided one for you (see picture)!

We got back to the hostel and set back out to enjoy our last night in Antigua. We might head back there again at the end of the trip if we have enough time; Brittany really liked it. There was a killer bakery two blocks from our hostel that sold fresh baked breads and sandwiches for fifty or sixty cents each. We went there...frequently :) After one last stroll around the park and dinner at the most luxurios McDonald's ever built (don't judge us!) we headed back to our dorm. Of course we got lost along the way and spent about an hour walking in circles. I knew I was terrible with directions but this was a new low. I think we were within one block of our hostel at least three times before we finally found it! We're sharing a dorm with five or six asians. They actually speak different languages and so have to talk to each other in English, which is a lot of fun to listen to. Wish my Chinese/Korean/Japanese was as good as their English!

Today we had to get up bright and early again for the bus ride to Panajachel (Pana). It was a bumpy two hour ride, and I spent it reading on the Kindle (the most amazing thing ever invented) and occasionally looking at the fields, mountains, and volcanoes outside the window. We've been told over and over that the lanchas (small boats) to Santa Cruz should be 10Q, but there are huge signs everywhere saying the cost is 15Q, which is what we had to pay. I'm not sure if we're getting screwed or not, but at the end of the day it's a difference of 80 cents. Not really worth a second thought. We shared our lancha with a Rasta guy wearing a foot-tall hat to cover his dreads. You know those hats they wore in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band? It looked like that but was black leather. Creepy, but fun to watch.

Now we're hanging out at our new hostel, La Iguana Perdida on Lake Atitlan ($17US for private room with bath). The upside is the decent price and outrageously awesome views. The downside is that it's almost too nice. If we came here wanting to stay in a hotel or resort this would fit the bill. It's big and the people are really friendly but you can't cook in their kitchen and there aren't many options to get food elsewhere. That especially sucks because we bought a whole bunch of food at the market last night to make Ramen noodles and PB&J (you know, classy stuff). Now it's all just sitting in my backpack. This place is cool but feels really diconnected from the locals, so we think we're only going to stay here a day or two before moving on to another part of the lake.

We're headed to Chichicastenango tomorrow, supposedly one of the best markets in Latin America. Hopefully we'll find some nice things to bring back to the States. We were going to bring coffee back as souveniers for the family but that just sounds boring, doesn't it?

Chicken BBQ and cross dressing party tonight. This should be interesting...

(No pics right now; hostel internet won't allow it. Hopefully have them up in a day or two!)