Indomitability:

A couple years back my parents and I got to hike a volcano named Pacaya, near Antigua. It's elevation is 8,373 ft and has been erupting continuously since 1965. An hour drive from Antigua takes you to the base of the mountain and from there it is a 2 hr. uphill hike. Not for the faint of heart! Children offer rides on horses for a small fee. If you don't rent their horse the children will follow you hoping you get tired and fall into the trap :o) Which seemed to work! The hike starts out in a shady meadow, then breaks into an open, treeless hill, and then to the jagged volanic rock. The wind is freezing at the summit but the heat from the cooling lava heats up your shoes! Quite the contrast!

At the beginning of the hike we met a man who had a prosthetic leg and who was determined to hike the volcano. He joked with us that he would not succumb to the horses as he wanted to beat the challenge!! At the top I asked if I could take his picture as he was so inspiring. He laughed and agreed. The hike was definitely one of the most challenging and varied I've ever been on. His attitude and will power were truly motivating! I regret not ever getting his name though.