“Akaisha and I have been living in Antigua, Guatemala, for the last few months,” writes Retire Early Lifestyle Correspondent Bill Kaderli, “and we have a view of El Fuego from both our bedroom and the roof top terrace. We have seen it erupt numerous times since being here.
“While the news media is hyping the evacuation of 33,000 people off the mountain, I doubt anything close to that is happening. One of our drivers lives at the base, and, although aware of the situation, he is not concerned.
“Paul Terhorst sent me a Yahoo piece this morning stating that tourists were calling travel shops looking for guides to take them up there to see the lava flows. This is absurd. There is no way that a reputable guide would risk his life, much less that of an eager tourist. I looked into climbing El Fuego two years ago, and no tourist guide would take me. They told me I would have to find a local indigenous person, and that was when it was barely steaming.
“This is not a nature trail, and this is not Disney Land. This is a live volcano.
“Some time ago, Akaisha and I did climb Volcano Pacaya and noted it was one of the dumber things we have done as adults. Two months later it blew, killing people and shutting the airport down.
“Just my two quetzales worth…”
Continue Reading: American Chambers Of Commerce Around The World or Travel And Retirement In Medellin, Colombia
