Antigua, Guatemala

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Antigua is a lovely town.. plenty of great places to eat. First thing, we did the trek in Pacaya - an active volcano. It was an amazing experience, being so close to hot lava. The walk took about 1.5 hours each way and it was shrouded in smoke - the visibility was not the best. We walked over the coals for about 20-30 minutes to reach the top where the lava was spilling down. It was very eerie with all the smoke and clouds rolling in, and the heat was strong, but bearable.

The following day, Nath and I did a coffee tour which is something I'd been wanting to do for a while. It was very educational!

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Then unfortunately, I fell sick. The local food or the water the doctor said, but the pain was so bad, that I went to a private hospital. They said I had an intestine infection and I was kept there for 2 days. Nath stayed with me, and the other boys continued on their travels. Nath did a very good job of communicating with the doctor and nurses about the symptoms I was having.. they spoke very little English. Finally, the agony started to pass, although I was not up to eating at all for a while after that.. it really knocked me about. So after spending far too long in Antigua, in a terrible hostel called UmmaGumma, we left after 7 days there. This time, not on a chicken bus, but a shuttle and another bus which was very painful as I was still not fully recovered.