JAN 11, 2016 – From Antigua it was possible to visit Pacaya in a half-day group tour. We left in a van early in the morning and then ascended in about an hour and a half from the park entrance. Villagers were renting out horses for the lazy. Since Pacaya is active, climbing to its top is forbidden, but we got to some nice viewpoints below the summit, from where other nearby volcanoes could be seen. Steam was coming out of many holes along the hillside of Pacaya, and some spots were hot enough to roast marshmallows. I was a bit disappointed not to get to the summit, but it was my first visit to an active volcano, and I thought the steaming rocks were pretty cool. I also found a petrified tree. Apparently one could even see lava up until two years ago, but we weren’t that lucky.