Dec 17 - Tajumulco

Today we decided to hike up Volcan Tajumulco - yep, another volcano. Although this one isn´t active. I don´t think there are mountains in Guatemala, just active and inactive volcanoes. The attraction with this one is that at 4,220m, it is the highest point in Central America. It is also approximately 4,218m (13,840 feet) higher than our apartment in Cayman. It´s about a 2 hour drive from Xela so we left at 4:30am, which is way too early. If the moon is still up, it´s way too early. And it was cold. There was frost on the ground when we started climbing. There were only two other people on the hike with us. Jedo (our guide), a 15 year old Guatemalan mountain goat, and Tobias, some tall lanky guy from Switzerland who I´m sure was born in some remote Alpine village and skipped his way up and down the mountain to go to school. Does anyone even like the Swiss? Needless to say, these guys kicked our asses up the hill. I´m blaming the altitude. Although I could have made it to the top a lot quicker if it hadn´t been for Tanis holding me back. But everytime she stopped for a rest I´d walk another 20 feet or so and then look to the guys ahead of us and wave them on, effectively saying "Normally I´d be walking up front with the men, but I´d better wait for the missus - she´s a little delicate". Anyways, 3.5 hours later we made it to the top: Mexico to the Northwest: Xela and the rest of Guatemala to the southeast: And Medusa and the Pacific Ocean to the south: