Volcano

Well, all I can say is that volcanoes are a real let down after the way we have been living “on the edge” all these weeks!

We arrived in Banos (sorry I spelled it wrong yesterday) around 4 p.m. without too much in the way of incidents. We only got hustled at the terminal to take a mythical “express” bus and then we had to dash across the highway (2 lanes mind you) to transfer from Ambuto to Banos. Then we got stiffed by the cab driver because he had to wait 5 minutes and take us from one hostal (no reservation so no accommodation) to another hostal. Not bad, it was our first time getting stiffed and what is $5.00 in the scheme of things?

We arranged our room at Hostal Santa Clara (and we can highly recommend this place at $10.00 per person and the room is huge, 3 beds and fantastic bathroom WITH HOT WATER. We thought we were in paradise until Barb came back from registering and had we ransack her backpack and jacket a half dozen times looking for her passport. It was lost. We were panicked to the extreme. Barb went to the young fellow at the counter who tried calling the other hostal in case Barb had left it there. WE were horrified. Barb had her passport stolen last year and so she knows it takes 5 days to get a passport; not to mention the cost of missing the plane. Much as we felt for Barb neither of us were prepared to miss our plane on her behalf. I kept saying, let’s call Marjorie, they may have some connections. Finally Barb agreed and had to go in her suitcase to get her address book. While she was unlocking it I was silently preparing to God to please let the passport be in there even though Barb was positive she had it out at the terminal.

God answered our prayers (Barb had been praying also) and it was found. Hallelujah!

The stress took its toll on me, my left eye which had already begun to twitch developed a sty (the first of my life) and as we were eating dinner I lost my voice (another first). I had to go back to our room to lie down for an hour of rest. I’m sure my blood pressure had skyrocketed. I was out like a light but they woke me just before 9:00 p.m. so that I wouldn’t miss our trip to the volcano.

What a let down. We were basically standing at the top of an ordinary mountain and, yes, we did have a spectacular view of Banos but we had been having scenery like that all day long. There wasn’t even an interpretative centre or any sort of relics of lava and ashes. In other words, it looked like nothing special at all.

But I can say that I have stood at the top of a volcano. wow. (lower case on purpose. J )