The only thing I understood in that danged board is that I have one more hour to go. I wish I did not understand a single word of Spanish. This is going to be interesting today. We are still below the tree line. So, at least it is cool.

Ran out of breath enough to stop and look back and see Lago de Coatepeque again. Still very serene. Except from this height, I can see the layers of mountains behind.

It is 4 minutes to noon. Why is the moon up now? I think everybody wants to see how this 56 year old loses his breath trying to climb a 7,812 feet volcano.

This beautiful lake was formed about 70 thousand years back due to collapsing of a lot of volcanoes. At the other end of this serene beauty we could see private houses and restaurants. I promised Gabriel that I will treat him to one of those restaurants if he can bring me back alive from the top of the Ilamatepec volcano!!

Today’s goal is to climb to the topmost point of El Salvador. Got a first glimpse of it as we got out of San Salvador. Of the three mountains, the right one is the tallest one. If I can climb to the top of that 7,812 feet high crater rim of Ilamatepec volcano (also called Santa Ana volcano), I am told there is an amazing view waiting for me. The challenge is that the last one third of the trail after you clear the tree line is less of a trail and more of climbing on rock juttings with no shade whatsoever.

That one last erupted about seventeen years back.

So, two things. I have to survive the trip up and down. And the volcano needs to hold off any more eruptions for a few hours.

Wish me luck!!

Victor Gabriel Hernandez joins my long list of driver-guide in a foreign country. Like the fourteen before me, he has been teaching me all the details of culture, politics, education and history of the country. Over lunch together, I got to know about his life journey. He has now convinced me to make a 4 hour trek to the top of Santa Ana mountain and back tomorrow!

Had not seen a cashew tree in a very long time. We used to have two of these in the first house in Durgapur that we grew up in.

One was taken down by the wave. The other stood up.

The surf capital of El Salvador. I learnt that the beach gets its name from that volcanic rock right in the middle of the water. It kind of looks like a pig on its back with its feet upward. In Salvadoran Spanish, Tunco is a slang for a pig.

Ergo…