Day 1: Travelling to Antigua, Guetemala

West of Guatemala City, the highland area of the Altiplano is bounded to the south by a string of impressive

volcanic peaks. Rich in Maya culture and blessed with a wonderful climate, this picturesque region will be the setting for my next adventure. Over the next two weeks my aim is to summit 7 of the volcanoes in this region in search of sunrises from above the clouds, views of the distant Pacific Ocean and to witness the power of nature as plumes of ash rise from the peaks lining the horizon. Such rewarding views and experiences rarely come without a physical challenge, but I find this aspect equally captivating and feel ready to tackle what lies ahead. The volcanoes range in height from 2500m-4300m but ultimately my maximum altitude will be governed by the level of volcanic activity.

Before the adventure begins, the daunting task of the long journey lay ahead of me. Endless waiting, queues, attemping to sit still - I know it's always worth it but I can't help but become restless on these long journeys. I left Heathrow in the morning on a 10 hour flight to Houston in Texas where I'll have a 5 hour layover before my final flight to Guetemala City. After what felt like an eternity I landed in Houston and passed through customs and security. The airport was busy as crowds of people queued in a large hall lined with USA flags, waiting to have their passports checked before the rigorous security involving not only scanning bags but walking past sniffer dogs that eagerly checked each passenger. My bag got pulled aside for an extra search but I'm used to this by now, I never get through security smoothly.

I was hungry after the long flight so headed to a Tex Mex bar for some food and a drink. I sat at the bar and four large TVs above me were showing the same NFL game. It was the half time analysis of the "Steelers vs Ravens". I stared blankly at the screen ahead and found myself smiling at how many times I heard the words "offence" and "defence", as the rest of the analysis went completely over my head. As the game restarted, I must have looked engaged as the man at the bar next to me asked if I followed the NFL and I laughed, shaking my head, telling him I had no idea what was happening. After the usual American reaction of "oh you're British, I love your accent", he proceeded to tell me everything about NFL. Although I really wasn't following, I smiled and nodded, enjoying how passionate he was. I committed to an hour of supporting the Steelers with him and he patiently answered my questions when I was completely lost with what was happening.

I was grateful for a shorter final flight to Guetemala City of around 3 hours. Once I land, I will travel to Antigua which lies West of Guetemala city. Antigua is a World Heritage site and one of the most attractive cities in the Americas with a rich and colourful history. Founded in 1543, the city became the Spanish colonial capital from which most of Central and South America was once ruled. By the time I arrive it will be almost midnight, but luckily I'll have some time in the morning to explore the city before heading towards my first objective of the adventure. All I have the energy to think about now is sleep, my eyes are heavy and I need to recharge given the challenges that lay ahead.