Crater lake, birthday cake and an alcohol ban!

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Well I arrived at the highland town of Quetzaltenango a few days ago expecting it to be freezing, and although it is pretty chilly in the evenings the days have been lovely and warm- yey!!! No-one actually calls this town by its proper name- everyone calls it Xela (shay-la). No idea why!!!

During the past few days I´ve been bumping into loads of different people that I´ve met in different places in Guatemala, which has been really nice. I´ve been to a football game (yes I know, very unlike me!), hot springs and a crazy church that was painted in garish colours.

Then yesterday was my 29th birthday! Waaaaaaaa! There is normally some disaster or trauma that occurs on my bday, but I´m pleased to report that the day went well. The only problem was that it was election day in Guatemala which meant that NO ALCOHOL WAS BEING SERVED!!!!!!! How annoying!!!

There is not that much to do in Xela but there is lots to do in the surrounding areas. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to visit a crater lake on top of a Volcano on my birthday. I´d heard that it was quite an easy walk, but man I was wrong!!!! I don´t know whether it was the altitude (you get exhausted much quicker at 2270 m) or my old age but I was completely ready for bed after about 10 minutes!

First we had to walk 45 mins uphill (that was enough for me!), then 15 mins down (woo hoo, that seemed like a dream after all the uphill action) followed by another hour uphil to the lookout point. THEN there were 622 steps to climb down to the lake which of course we had to climb up again afterwards. The only thing that saved me was the fact that we managed to get a lift on the back of a pick-up truck for half of the way back!

In the evening, despite my aching legs, I managed to trough some yummy birthday cake and went out for dinner and (non-alcoholic) drinks with a few friends.

Ahhhhhh, only a few more days in Guatemala before I´ll be moving on. Take care everyone, and thanks for all your birthday messages!!!

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Photos

View of the lake after 2 hours of trekking!
I look superimposed, but I really was there!

Cake by the lake!
I took a brownie to celebrate my bday after climbing down the 622 steps! It was a bit squashed, but it gave me the energy to climb up again!

Laughing in the flowers
Taken seconds after I overbalanced and toppled onto my bum!

My surprise cake!
My friend Trish secretly bought it and the whole hostel (who I mostly didn´t know!) sang to me!

Waaaa! It´s so unfair!
Why me? Why my birthday!?!?!?!

Birthday drinks, kind of......
Damn that alcohol ban!