Overseas Walks: Glimpses of Guatemala: Exploring Mt Pacaya, Tikau and The Rio Dulce
Pacaya is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. It is part of the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, where volcanic activity occurs when the Cocos Tectonic plate slides under the Caribbean Plate.
Mt Pacaya, 2,552 metres high, is situated close to Antigua, and about 30 kms from Guatemala city. It first erupted 23,000 years ago, remained dormant for over a century, and then erupted violently in 1965. In 2006 volcanic activity created several lava ‘rivers’ that slowly flowed down the mountain side.
Mt Pacaya has been erupting regularly ever since, the most recent eruption being June 2015, when rocks and ash were thrown high. Heavy rainfall from a tropical storm soon after, was thought to be a blessing because it washed all the ash from the coffee trees and fertilised the fields. There is an ongoing low level flow of lava which can be seen at night as a red stream running down the mountain.
Pacaya is now a National Park, and an entrance fee is charged for tourists.
To reach Mt Pacaya we caught a local bus from Antigua, and were then transported along a farm track by cattle truck. The first impression is of very fertile land.
The walk began with a gradual wander up lush green farmlands, beside an old solidified lava flow. We followed this bank of lava for about an hour and a half, walking past grazing cattle and a few horses.
After a photo stop, we were taken up onto the hot rock, where you could feel
the heat through your shoes. We walked across this for about 45 minutes, past patches where the rocks were smouldering like coals in a fire.
As a ‘Tourist Attraction’, our guide first tipped a bottle of water onto the rock to sizzle, and then threw a packet of fire crackers on the ground, which instantly exploded in all directions. They’ve never heard of OSH!
We left the hot lava and wandered back down through a meadow full of marigolds. The trail went past fields of pineapples, more hot rocks, and on through a coffee plantation, where purple flowering convolvulus crept all over the track.
Another half hour over farmland, scattered with volcanic rock, completed the four hour circuit.
Back at the cattle truck, we were treated to a feast of juicy freshly picked pineapple, before being taken back to the bus stop. It was a really interesting walk.
Nearby, we visited the archeological site of Tikal, build in the middle of rain forest. This is the impressive remains of an ancient Mayan city inhabited from 600BC to 900AD. There are temples, palaces, public squares and houses, many with decorated surfaces, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. Surround-
Glimpses of Guatemala Exploring Mt - Pacaya, Tikal and The Rio Dulce
ing the open area were palms, and lots of epiphytes, bromileads and orchids. We were quite amazed by what was constructed before the use of the heavy machinery available today.
We then travelled east to Tortugal, a safe marina on the shore of the Rio Dulce. From here we explored ‘Castillo San Filipe, a fort, located where Lake Izabal flows into the river. It was a fascinating area, and still has the original cannons mounted, to protect the area from Pirates. Inside the castle, are cannons bearing English seals – confiscated from pirate ships.
From here we drove on to Honduras, and that is another story!