Buying Gloves in July

Yep. Exactly as it sounds. I even had tourists and locals laughing at me in the street as I tried on a few pairs. But take note, there is a stand in the street selling wool gloves and toques.

I'm prepping for the Tajumulco climb that Itay and I hope to undertake tomorrow. The plan is to get up early, meet at the central park, bus it to Tajumulco, and I guess Itay has the rest of the plans after that. Something about having secured a place for us to leave our packs, meeting a guide, and somehow getting up this volcano.

Based on what I've heard and my experience with Mount Kinabalu, I know I'll be so cold at the summit that I will need thick woolen gloves. Rony, our guide last year, gave me his own gloves to wear because my hands were so painfully cold. And this time I'll be higher (though not by much). I'm also prepared with many, many layers of clothing, and a huge selection of food. I just need to find myself a hiking stick, and I'm set.

Nothing else new from here. I've had a lazy day spent mainly with my nose in a book. Yesterday was a little more interesting. In the afternoon, I walked about 3km to the main bus terminal to find some departure information. On my way through the market, I found a boy selling dyed chicks, and shortly thereafter a random man started yelling with excitement at the sight of such a white girl. Also next to the market/bus station is the zoological park. Entrance is free, so I thought I would check out which caged animals were on display to be gawked at. There were some exotic things like jaguars, monkeys, and a toucan, but there was also a surprising selection of domestic and typical animals. Sheep, pigeons, rabbits, etc. I could hardly stop laughing when I reached the pigeon cage.

I'm off now to find some semblance of order before my early-morning departure. The plan after Tajumulco is to head towards Lago de Atitlan. There are many towns surrounding this lake, including a party town, a hippie town, and a diving town. I think I might have to try them all out, so who knows how long I will be spending there. All the best, and I'll be in touch when I get to the lake!