chilaquiles • 20 comments • We were first introduced to chilaquiles at The Red Tree House. They served it for breakfast one morning, and to be honest, we were like WTF. Nachos for breakfast? Prior to starting this trip, we had agreed that we would try new things - so, we ate it. It's not that it wasn't good, it's just that we're ethnocentric and thought it was strange as a breakfast food. While discussing the oddity of the meal with one of the employees, we discovered that it is considered a hangover food. We thought Mexico City was the last time we would ever see chilaquiles and we were glad. Little did we know that they would serve it again at Casa Ollin. We knew what to expect this time, and were surprised that we actually enjoyed it (we were not hungover). This breakfast is served in Mexico and parts of Central America. It consists of taco chips, a tomato sauce (red or green), and usually chicken (sometimes an egg). While in Antigua, it was on the menu at our favorite cafe and we ordered it to fuel up for our volcano trek. I don't think this will become a staple in our diets, but if we ever have the chance to order them again, we won't think twice!
pacaya • 25 comments • Climbing a volcano and being within a few inches of streaming hot lava was a thrill. We arrived at Pacaya in the afternoon, not knowing what to expect. There was a violent eruption in 1965 and the lava has been flowing ever since. It has become quite the attraction and we were excited to take advantage of the opportunity. Some indicated that it was, at 8373 feet, a small volcano and therefore easy to climb. Others described the trek as difficult and dangerous. The shuttle pulled up to an area filled with children selling walking sticks. At 5 Quetzales, the walking sticks were a steal and proved to be incredibly useful. The beginning of the hike was scenic and green: Since we are both accustomed to the flatness of the prairies, pretty much anything is considered steep. That combined with the increase in altitude made it quite challenging for me. Alex had a much easier time and I felt like I was slowing him down so I hopped on a horse for a little bit: As the greenery started to disappear, the ascent became more treacherous. We walked through jagged volcanic rock and tried our best not to lose our footing. The higher we climbed, the foggier it got, and we felt as if we were going through clouds. Although the weather was warm in Antigua, it does get quite chilly the higher up you are on the volcano, so the hoodie and the zip-up in our backpack were a necessity. Suddenly, after about 30 minutes of cold winds and numb fingers, we felt a wall of thick, muggy, humid heat. Alex looked down and saw the lava flowing right under his foot. Seeing real live molten lava flowing just inches away from us was one of the most surreal experiences we've ever had. The wind was so strong that, at times, it would feel like it was going to burn you when it blew the heat your way. We were close enough to the lava that it could melt our shoes and no one seemed to be worried about safety. You would definitely not see this sort of thing happen in North America. We didn't even have to sign a waiver! It's a good thing no one fell in - that would have put a damper on the evening. Some guys in our group brought along hot dogs, buns, and mustard to make themselves a celebratory dinner for reaching the lava. Several of the dogs fell in before they were actually able to assemble one. Others were roasting marshmallows and were kind enough to share. We had to hop from one rock to another to get around to see the lava up close. Jumping, coupled with heavy winds and razor-edged surroundings made the conditions comically hazardous, but we made it! ... and just when we thought that the descent might be easier than getting up, the sun had set and we had to forge our way down through the darkness. Luckily, we had our headlamp and a flashlight, but I still fell and cut my hand on the sharp rocks. It was a rough day, but it was worth it for an experience that neither of us will forget any time soon. - Mina
antigua • 12 comments • It was approximately three hours by shuttle from Panajachel to Antigua. The shuttles are relatively easy to arrange as Panajachel is a town that seems to be made solely for tourism. There is a 'tourist agency' on every corner. Because it was the holidays, many hotels did not have a room for the amount of time we needed. We decided to stay at the Aurora hotel for one night. The room wasn't anything spectacular, but the courtyard was beautiful: Apparently, Antigua is the place to be for New Year's Eve. Due to this fact, and unfortunately for us, people book their rooms for December 31st months in advance. We literally walked into almost every decent hotel in Antigua and they were all booked. Most often, booking accommodations at the very last minute has worked in our favor, but in this instance it might have been prudent of us to makes plans in advance. Oh well!
