so when hiking up a volcano it is important that you know that it is a volcano and can be dangerous, not only because it is a volcano but because it is a very large object that you are trying to get on top of. This volcano, and many like it, generates its own cloud and has its own cloud forest in which it is extremely muddy. We decide to join up with some other travelers, on peddle bikes, and hike this badboy. The only thing is that we leave out the guide that is meant to protect you from the dangerous volcano. We slowly make our way up some small paths and through farmers yards and we ask directions from these farmers and get mixed looks and expressions like, "el comino is muy peligroso". We ignore these and ask if the top is up, they say yes, and we continue.
Little paths cross big paths and faint paths cross small paths, over bare hills and past farmers and cattle and flowers, a breeze blows the heat off of us, we get up to a little plato and have a view of the lake, white capped and the volcano conception with its top hat cloud.
we don't stop long and continue up the mountain. similar to hiking to the waterfall as we continue the trail gets steeper but this time it get more and more muddy until we are sinking in to our ankles.
About two hours from the top I get a small pain and dismiss it for a little cramp, about twenty minutes later I have stopped and can't move. Hours from any road I am bent over and loosing energy quickly. We tell the other hikers that what is happening and we head down very slowly. My salvation is thinking of the little lookout spot in a field of flowers and sunlight that i can lay down in. After at least two hours of crippling pain, and getting rid of breakfast, we step out into the field and i lay down and curl up into a ball while Colin eats what is left of our sandwishes. After a while we make the rest of the trip down, get on our bikes and make it back to our hostle just as our hiking partners arrive after hiking to the top and back down the other side. We pack up and jump on the bike, heading back over to El Zopilote the backpackers where we had homemade pizza Tuesday night and met up with our friend Nate, whom we first met at Casa Perico back in Guatemala. It turns out it has been exactly 28 days since we saw him last, we know this because it seems he is our full moon buddy.
Day 69: Enjoying an cooperative organic farm on the shoulder of a volcano.
El Zopilote is a pretty amazing place. First there is the setting, just breathtaking amongst hundreds of banana and plantain trees with a little watchtower affording views of both volcanoes and the lake waters below. Then there is the hostel itself: hammock and tent space, dorms, private cabins, composting toilets, concrete and glass showers and great people. Can't forget of course the produce and goods grown and produced right on the farm such as coffee, jams (try mixing bananas and ginger sometime, wow), homemade bread (so good) and whole bunch of veggies. Some travelers come for a few days, some stay and work for months.
We also took some time to go down to the windy beach on the east side of the isthmus: another idealic place to chill.
Volcan Madera:
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