The Plantation Diaries

The Volcano And The Porcupine

My son and I got up at 4am yesterday to climb Vulcan Usulutan. We were up for a moderate hike, but soon found ourselves on a strenuous climb up the mountain. The peak stands at 1,500 feet and it took four hours to get to the top.  

My friend Santiago, organized the event and hired three young guides. We were a group of about fifteen men, women, and children. I found it reassuring when I saw the children. I figured if they could make it, so could I. It didn’t help much when the guides kept saying another half hour, every half hour. Santiago decided a large party would be safer as apparently, there are thieves lurking on the mountain. Santiago said that Adam and I would be too much of a target.

We pulled into Santiago’s driveway where the group was waiting for us. We all climbed into his brother’s truck, including one pit bull and a white scrawny mutt. Sancho drove through the gates of San Mauricio and deposited us about a mile in. We started on a nice little path for the first 20 minutes, when our guides made a beeline straight up the hill through a coffee grove. The slope was already steep, and I hung onto the coffee trees to pull myself. I kept wondering, where is the road that meanders around the mountain ever so gradually taking us to the top?

The guides were now hacking their way through the dense foliage with their machetes, and it was enough just to keep up and not trip on the many vines growing on the ground. We came to a clearing where Santiago announced our first break. Off came the jackets from the morning chill as we drank some water and ate half our lunch. Adam and I looked at each other with one of those looks that said, “Whose idea was this?” The majority of the people we were with, all walk long distances every day. It was obvious that we were out of shape.

We were back on a trail of sorts that was very narrow with steep drop-offs. It really was a matter of one false step and over you go. Fire ants seemed to like the path as well, and we were forever leaping and jumping across their busy highways. Their sting is painful and lasts for days. Much of the trail had washed away from last season’s rain, and Santiago tethered ropes at several spots to haul ourselves up.

Four hours later, while Adam and I were nearly on our hands and knees, we heard the guides yell that they were at the top. In order to reach the absolute top, you have to scale two enormous boulders left from the last eruption. It was not an easy feat, as we had to climb halfway up the rocks, and then shimmy our way between the boulders, only to jump nine feet down to a small rocky platform. The view was astonishing with a 360 degree vista of the countryside. Volcanoes in every direction dotted the horizon. I was able to spot the finca right away, which is when I remembered I had forgotten the binoculars. Must remember to take those things out of the drawer when I get back.

Adam was thrilled by the view. He started climbing the many rocks that dotted the top and managed to get stuck at one point. He put on a good show that he had it all under control. It was only later that he confessed that he was terrified and shaking while clinging to a slab of rock. He later turned a shade of white when Santiago had told us about the legend of the volcano. He said that the two boulders capping the volcano belong to the devil. "Many people have fallen from these rocks because the devil will shake them off by moving the rocks Nina Stephanie. He really should climb down from there."

After lunch and much picture taking, we began our trip down. A third of the way, one of the guides spotted an animal up in a mango tree and in one try, brought it down with a slingshot. Adam raced ahead with the guides, and by the time I arrived, they were all in an uproar. The downed animal was a porcupine. The dogs, in a completely natural act, had gone after the animal. The porcupine, just barely alive, shot its’ quills right into both dogs. They let out ear-piercing howls. Both of their faces were covered in quills. The quills had gone inside their mouth, their tongue and gums. The dogs feverishly tried remove the quills by rubbing their faces in the dirt which only made it worse, and then attemped to attack the porcupine again.

After the initial shock, the guides held them down and pulled out the quills one by one. It took forty minutes until they were cleaned up, and somewhat coherent. Dogs being dogs, the minute they were released, they went after the porcupine. Adam grabbed the porcupine by its' tail before swinging it down the mountainside.

My son, having been such a good sport, was beginning to shows signs of fatigue. His toes were bleeding, his legs hurt, he was getting a headache, why didn’t we take a shorter path, he was hungry and thirsty, and so on. I cajoled him as best I could, ignoring my own achy joints and as we hammered ourselves down the hill. By now, my legs were made of rubber and very sloppy. I believed at any moment, I would go catapulting down the hill and land in a heap with a twisted ankle or bruised knee.

We finally arrived 8 hours later back at the gates of San Mauricio where we waited for Santiago’s brother to pick us up. Adam and I collapsed to the ground to wait. We didn’t care anymore if there were fire ants, spiders, or any other tropical dangers that might get us. I rested my head on his chest while we waited and listened to his heart beat.

We talked a lot on the hike of things that might have been difficult any other time. We caught each other when we tripped, laughed at our folly, and reveled in the beauty of where we were. When we finally got home, we made pancakes, took three aspirin each, and went to bed. We both wondered what our muscles were planning for us. We are glad to report that 24 hours later, we are still walking.

Today, we went to Tamarindo beach to spend the day with friends. They have a beautiful beach home in the Bay of Fonseco, very close to Honduras. We stopped at a fishing village where I bought shrimp to make shrimpcakes for everyone. It was a relaxing day and I spent most of it in a hammock trying not to think about the fact that Adam is going home in three days.

Sleeping Volcanoes

I discovered today, that one of the four volcanoes nearby is only asleep and not dormant as I had thought. I visited the town of Berlin with Lito, and some of his friends. He told me that there is a large Geothermal plant located just outside town with a restaurant. I was surprised to find not only a good restaurant where I had a real cappuccino (my first since arriving here in November), but also a naturally heated pool, and small sauna houses that are available for a small fee.

The plant supplies 24% of El Salvador's total energy production and produces 100 megawatts. The geothermal fields surrounding Vulcan Tecapa reach temperatures of 572 F. The area is peppered with giant pipes that transport the steam to the plant from the interior of the volcano. On a short walk around the property, I came upon several steaming and bubbling holes. It was a slightly unnerving to think of all that action taking place below my feet that is only about 15 kilometers away from La Finca. Lito told me the plant helps to release much of the pressure so Tecapa should remain asleep for years to come.

   

We spent the afternoon catching up on news, and everyone wants my bat tea compost recipe. I told them if it works, they can buy it from La Finca. When I pulled up to the finca gate today, there was a horse blocking my way. Don Samuel appeared and told me he had brought the horse for me to look at. I could have him for $100. I told him to bring the horse back when I returned. Buying a horse isn’t exactly an impulse buy, even at a $100.

I rushed home to help Evers finish up the planting of the gourds and melons as he had spent today (his day off) digging holes for me. I was tired, but since he had gone to so much trouble, I found the energy to get it done. He watched his usual Schwarzenegger movie again tonight. I think he watches the same one over and over.