We got a lie in this time, with our journey to Antigua starting at 5.45am. It was an 8 hour ride from Río Dulce to the former capital which sits 1,470m above sea level, surrounded by volcanos and Coca-Cola lampposts…

I could instantly feel the colonial vibe as soon as we stepped off the bus. It really reminded me of Tétouan, that felt like a Spanish city in the middle of Morocco. Antigua felt like it could comfortably sit in any European country. We had a quick orientation walk around the city, through the ‘Parque Central’, around the uniform streets and to the massive market. Even in a city like Antigua, the beauty of Guatemala could still be seen. If you looked up, you could see the city was nestled in what felt like a valley of volcanos. 

I took myself for tacos that evening and afterwards joined a salsa class. There aren’t any drains in Antigua: the streets are cobbled and slant inwards and down to make sure the rain can run off. It sounds like a cute idea, right? It is… Until you’re hot footing it back to the hostel after said salsa class whilst it pisses down with rain and crossing the road and feels like wading through a baltic river. 

The next morning, the vast majority of the group headed off in the early hours to make the trek up Acatenango. I knew full-damn-well that my knees and I were not cut out for that shit, so I made a compromise and opted for a far less strenuous climb up Pacaya.

My hike wasn’t until the afternoon so Elicia and I walked around Antigua some more, trying to get lost and take it all in. We found another few markets, this time full of souvenirs and touristy knick-knacks. In yet another parallel with Morocco, I still can’t haggle to save my actual life. Elicia was giving me the eyes like ‘shut up and let me do the talking’… I happily obliged. 

Before I headed off, we stopped for lunch at Rincón Típico. An unsuspecting spot with chicken cooking on an open fire. I wish I had taken pictures of it because, in all honesty, it doesn’t look like much but the food was unreal. I had the ‘veggie lunch’, which was mole, seasoned potatoes and potentially the most delicious salad I’ve ever had all for 35 quetzales, (£3.50).

It was time then for me to head for my hike up Pacaya, which is one of 37 volcanos in Guatemala. The last time it erupted was March 2021. We didn’t climb right to the summit, (some 2,500m high), but instead a lookout point, which put us at cloud level. The drive from Antigua to Pacaya National Park was about an hour long. As soon as you arrive, there are a number of locals looking to sell you hiking sticks or a horse to do some of the climb. There’s a little shop with water and snacks to stock up on before you begin. Our guide was a young girl called Diana who is a local, she said she could end up doing the hike twice in one day! I believe the whole point is to create jobs for those living around the volcano. You pay 50 quetzales, (approx. £5), to the National Park for its upkeep etc., and then you’re on your way.

The weather was incredibly moody at the start: it was grey, drizzly and there was a thick fog clouding our visibility. To be real, the beginning felt like I had made a huge mistake. We kept pushing and eventually the weather picked up. Instead of fog, it felt like walking through cloud mist until we eventually got to our blue sky lookout point. It’s hard to explain but it literally felt like being in, (what I imagine), space. The lava from previous eruptions had cooled into lava rock which was giving me the same visuals as a crater on the moon. Looking out, you can see the vents where heat is escaping from below. We roasted marshmallows, (a Mexican guy who was in the group brought these delicious coconut marshmallows from Mexico to roast), and just gazed at all the other volcanos which you can see from that point. We could see Acatenango, another volcano I’ve forgotten the name of and Fuego, which was literally erupting. You could see the plume from where we were standing, (you might just be able to see it in the pictures!). We looked out into the blue skies, with the clouds just beneath us in literal awe. The perspective you get from being surrounded by the magnitude of natural beauty never ceases to amaze me.

Eventually, it was time to make our way back down. The climb down was far worse than the walk up. For starters, there’s no proper solid ground for the first chunk: it’s almost like sand. I was, quite literally, just sliding my way down and praying my ankles wouldn’t do me dirty. The group, myself, and my ankles, made it back down in one piece and headed home to Antigua. I was knackered by this point and was very glad for a hot shower, warm bed and peaceful nights sleep. I said a little prayer for my friends sleeping on top of Acatenango that night. Come the morning, we would be heading to our final place of the trip, Lake Atitlán.