JAN 14, 2016 – At the end of my stay in Antigua, I booked a two-day group hike to Acatenango, Guatemala’s third highest volcano and one of the most popular among tourists. The tour operator I went with was the cheapest in town, and it soon became apparent why: We were a group of about 25 people, and instead of a van we were taken to the trailhead in a former American school bus with a very impatient driver. He tried to make some extra money by charging us a park entrance fee that wasn’t due, but upon complaining we got the money back the next day. The camping equipment provided by the tour company wasn’t the best either, but the guides were friendly and we had a good time despite the minor shortcomings. The ascent was some 1700 meters to the base camp, where we set up our tents and prepared a simple dinner in the campfire. Early the next morning, we ascended the last 400 meters or so, in time for an amazing sunrise above the clouds. During our time on the volcano, we witnessed several minor eruptions of nearby active volcano Fuego – we didn’t see fire or lava, but it was impressive nonetheless.