That's right! We were just in Guatemala this week and departed Wednesday afternoon (hours prior to the eruption, you can read more bout the eruption here) from Guatemala City. But that's not all... We were actually on Pacaya just the day before! As part of a small group (called Los Dragones) we hiked up to the Volcano with our guide Carlos, as he explained to us that this was a seemingly calm volcano that had some minor eruptions in the recent past that took place in 2005 and 2000. I even asked if there was a 5 year pattern and was assured that there wasn't as the volcano also went off in 1998 (not that it made me feel any more comfortable) however, the lava flows were further down then Carlos witnessed the day before (a warning sign, maybe?). We stood there awe stricken and amazed, watching other tourists roast marshmallows over the lava flows as boulders of volcanic rocks and debris slowly made there way past us at a rate of maybe 7 - 10 feet a minute. By the time we hiked down back to the village of San Juan Vincente we were too exhausted and amazed to consider the risks of an eruption at all. In fact the entire group only mentioned how it was so worth the effort of the hike to see such an amazing spectacle. Now, a small part of me wishes we were there to photograph the eruption if possible and well, the rest of me says, "What were we thinking, climbing up the side of an active volcano?" Well, it's done now, and I'm glad we did it, mainly because we survived without injury...

Here are some photos of Pacaya as it was the day before the eruption: