Who hikes up an active volcano?

Last night we celebrated Bart's 25th birthday out in the city of Antigua. Before we headed out, we ate some Tres Leches cake at the house, which was incredible! We went to dinner at a nice restaurant and each of us shared how much we loved Bart. It was pretty emotional, haha! We then went out dancing as a group at a "discoteca" called Las Vibras. Super fun.

Tres Leches. Muy bien!

So much love in one room.

This morning, some of us went to hike Pacaya, one of the 37.5 volcanoes in Guatemala. This was an experience of a lifetime! We rode on top of the cars part way up the hike to save some time, and then began our trek up the lava-rock covered mountain. Our experience was very unique because after we began our trip, they stopped letting people come up the mountain due to the high activity of the volcano. Our tour guide, Hugo, was absolutely amazing and taught us so much about volcanoes, Guatemala, and Central America. We found out that they use dogs to alert them about potential eruption, which was interesting. Hugo said, "If the dogs are acting weird, run!" Ha!

Hot vent marshmallow, anyone?

Hugo and company setting up our delicious lunch.

We had lunch in the area of the 14th volcano of Pacaya, using the hot vents to toast our sandwiches and to roast marshmallows. Super delicious! We also had the opportunity to shop at the "Lava Store", a small hut that contained jewelry made by local artisans. They began doing this to support the local community after the massive eruption of Pacaya in 2010. Unforgettable experience.

marshmallows!

Nat in deep thought in front of the active part of Pacaya (#17)

We named the dogs - Pickle, Dandelion, and Spot.

To get down the mountain, we skiied! For real, we skiied on our feet down the side of the mountain. Some of us were better at this task than others, but I won't name any names! :) Overall, this experience was amazing, unique, and unforgettable.

UNC takes on Pacaya.

Bart, Bria, Jennell, and Greg had some fun in Antigua while we were at the volcano. They wandered around the market, learning the ins and outs of negotiation. They then walked to multiple church ruins in the city. A photoshoot ensued, with Bart putting Bria "on fleek". Follow them on instagram for more insight on this "fleek" I am talking about. Ha.

The Church Ruins Crew - Bart, Jennell, Bria, and Greg

Stay tuned for more adventures of the UNC DPT third-years. We are pretty awesome.

Ali Serrani, DPT '18