Day 6: Sunrise and descent

"Senorita Amy, good morning - it's time for the sunrise", Diego whispered as he gently tapped my tent at 5am. I sleepily said morning back before wriggling out of my sleeping bag, shoving on as many layers as I could find and strapping my head torch on. Beanie handed me a cup of ginger tea to make the early rise a little easier and we headed to the viewpoint from yesterday. The horizon glowed orange and the dark outline of the volcanoes contrasted perfectly, allowing their shapes to be clearly seen. The cloud resulting from the persistent eruptions extended high above the volcano, growing by the second. The sun rose perfectly in between Volcan Acatenango and Fuego, peaks which I will be climbing in a few days time. The morning was cold, the ground carpeted with a layer of frost which glistened as the sun rose between the volcanoes. I was grateful to be witnessing such a spectacle and felt as if I was being rewarded for my efforts.

After a traditional Guetemalan breakfast of black beans, guacamole, eggs, corn tortillas and plantains - we began the descent. Beanie led the group and adopted a quick pace, hopping over tree roots and was unphased by the slippy sections of loose soil - running down them chuckling loudly. I followed eagerly, excited to return to the lake for a shower, a flushing toilet and a bed. We rested in the shade and Beanie gave me the water that he'd boiled the plantains in to drink. It was sweet with a hint of cinnamon and is full of potassium to help with hydration. We retraced our steps from the previous day, the heat significantly increasing as we emerged from the cloud forest into the corn fields.

By lunch time we were at the base of the volcano, Diego chanted "Volcan numero 3", giving everyone a high five. We clambered into the trucks for the journey back to the hotel. I slumped over my pack in the back, giggling in my tired state everytime I got knocked about as we drove over speed bumps. Beanie casually hung off the back, texting with one hand and barely holding on with the other as we raced through the winding streets of the towns. I was happy to return to the hotel and shower, removing all the dust and sweat that had accumulated from the climb. I spent the afternoon recovering in the hammock, thinking to myself 3 volcanoes down - 4 to go!