Quetzaltrekkers is a non-profit organization that has activities such as hiking up volcanoes, kayaking, horseback riding, and canopy. What is fantastic about this organization is that 100 percent of all profits go to after school programs for children in Leon.
In Leon, there are 14 volcanoes that can be visited with most of them being able to hike up to the top. The best part being that three or four of them are Active volcanoes. This means that you could be hiking up all happily and then they could erupt. Some people are reading this with such fear, but the likelihood of that actually happening is slim. It's just risk taking along with a great nice hike out in open air.
The tour consisted of a couple rookie(new) tour guides. The tour guides are also volunteers. One from the Netherlands and the other from French. Of course, I had to nickname my new French buddy, "Frenchie." And why not name the other one "Dutchie." He was like 18 and just learning about everything- always interesting listening to the fresh chickens speak. On the tour, there was a girl from Germany, a couple from San Francisco, a couple from England, and me. It's not shocking to see a German traveling as they always cross my path. They travel like it's nobodies business. She even said she has no interest in settling down and she just wants to travel. Most Germans are that way-travel and then settle down with the marriage and children.
Frenchie
Off we went in the back of a truck with bumps and bumps and bumps on the dirt roads through the villages to the Serro Negro volcano. It was really nice seeing the outside of Leon because I was always in the city around the same areas. When we arrived, he took all our boards out the truck and handed each of them to us. They were super heavy like twenty pounds or something like that. Dutchie handed it to me and I looked at Frenchie making my questionably disgusted face.
I absolutely love hiking- one of my favorite activities, but walking up with a heavy board or extra weights just isn't my thing.
After fifteen minutes, I tell Frenchie I'm tired and he takes my board. He's super cool and we have some nice conversation so he doesn't mind. As I am watching him carry it and behind me, I take it back from him because I'm the only one not carrying my board. I'm the tough competitor, not the slow one who can't carry my board. I pick up my pace and move my way up to the front.
Dutchie
It's pretty steep and the views are beautiful. It's just one big volcano full of volcanic ash and rocks. The full details are in the previous post.
As for making it to the top, we all did. We were the first company to go down and us girls were definitely not ready. It looked much steeper than we anticipated. Not to mention I was wearing Keens, which had opening on the side(Really? Priscilla what were you thinking?) I had to open up my shoes to remove stones and ash every ten minutes-ridiculous. I'm not going to act like I was perfectly brave up there. The girls and I were contemplating walking down. You could have a wipe out and roll down the volcano- yikes. We let the boys go first and most of them were pretty slow going down and the one German girl flew down at lightening speed. She had a board I didn't want.
When it came to my turn, I was just sitting there thinking about my sledding accident where I fell down on my lower back(my only injury I've ever had and it was minor). The tourists were all laughing as I was entertaining them with my 10 year old antics.
Off I went down the mountain moving slowly like a turtle and mid way down I gained speed and let myself speed down. The boys are at the bottom with their positive praise and high fives.
We all walked to the truck to snack on cookies and bananas. Then he gives us a nice surprise
"Who wants to back up and run down? "
Priscilla. "I do, I do."
The other girls were munching on cookies and looked up at him like, "Oh no we are staying right here." This means it was just me and the boys- normal for Priscilla to accept the challenge and hang with the boys.
It was so nice the second time up as we seemed to have some real discussion and spiritual moments.
I always love just being one of the boys and being strong and tough. That's exactly what I was this time. I was not a scared girl on a board rather I was a strong boy running down with power and confidence-nice.
Running Down Volcano
For lunch, we at a tomato and cucumber salsa with tortillas. But that wasn't it. He pulled out the beans in a bag. Oh no he didn't! The refried beans in bag were surprisingly good and they were vegan so no complaints by me.
Sitting near us there were men making the boards shaving off the outside-it's a lot of work and they said they finish one or two per hour. Also, behind our eating space with hammocks and benches, there were peacocks and ducks. At the end of our trip, we all got a free shirt and some more snacks. What a great company and cause-so impressed.
This was such a wonderful reward for my work. It truly is the best motto. "Work hard and play harder."
In Leon, there are 14 volcanoes that can be visited with most of them being able to hike up to the top. The best part being that three or four of them are Active volcanoes. This means that you could be hiking up all happily and then they could erupt. Some people are reading this with such fear, but the likelihood of that actually happening is slim. It's just risk taking along with a great nice hike out in open air.
The tour consisted of a couple rookie(new) tour guides. The tour guides are also volunteers. One from the Netherlands and the other from French. Of course, I had to nickname my new French buddy, "Frenchie." And why not name the other one "Dutchie." He was like 18 and just learning about everything- always interesting listening to the fresh chickens speak. On the tour, there was a girl from Germany, a couple from San Francisco, a couple from England, and me. It's not shocking to see a German traveling as they always cross my path. They travel like it's nobodies business. She even said she has no interest in settling down and she just wants to travel. Most Germans are that way-travel and then settle down with the marriage and children.
Frenchie
Off we went in the back of a truck with bumps and bumps and bumps on the dirt roads through the villages to the Serro Negro volcano. It was really nice seeing the outside of Leon because I was always in the city around the same areas. When we arrived, he took all our boards out the truck and handed each of them to us. They were super heavy like twenty pounds or something like that. Dutchie handed it to me and I looked at Frenchie making my questionably disgusted face.I absolutely love hiking- one of my favorite activities, but walking up with a heavy board or extra weights just isn't my thing.
After fifteen minutes, I tell Frenchie I'm tired and he takes my board. He's super cool and we have some nice conversation so he doesn't mind. As I am watching him carry it and behind me, I take it back from him because I'm the only one not carrying my board. I'm the tough competitor, not the slow one who can't carry my board. I pick up my pace and move my way up to the front.
Dutchie
It's pretty steep and the views are beautiful. It's just one big volcano full of volcanic ash and rocks. The full details are in the previous post.
As for making it to the top, we all did. We were the first company to go down and us girls were definitely not ready. It looked much steeper than we anticipated. Not to mention I was wearing Keens, which had opening on the side(Really? Priscilla what were you thinking?) I had to open up my shoes to remove stones and ash every ten minutes-ridiculous. I'm not going to act like I was perfectly brave up there. The girls and I were contemplating walking down. You could have a wipe out and roll down the volcano- yikes. We let the boys go first and most of them were pretty slow going down and the one German girl flew down at lightening speed. She had a board I didn't want.
When it came to my turn, I was just sitting there thinking about my sledding accident where I fell down on my lower back(my only injury I've ever had and it was minor). The tourists were all laughing as I was entertaining them with my 10 year old antics.
Off I went down the mountain moving slowly like a turtle and mid way down I gained speed and let myself speed down. The boys are at the bottom with their positive praise and high fives.
We all walked to the truck to snack on cookies and bananas. Then he gives us a nice surprise
"Who wants to back up and run down? "
Priscilla. "I do, I do."
The other girls were munching on cookies and looked up at him like, "Oh no we are staying right here." This means it was just me and the boys- normal for Priscilla to accept the challenge and hang with the boys.
It was so nice the second time up as we seemed to have some real discussion and spiritual moments.
I always love just being one of the boys and being strong and tough. That's exactly what I was this time. I was not a scared girl on a board rather I was a strong boy running down with power and confidence-nice.
Running Down Volcano
For lunch, we at a tomato and cucumber salsa with tortillas. But that wasn't it. He pulled out the beans in a bag. Oh no he didn't! The refried beans in bag were surprisingly good and they were vegan so no complaints by me.
Sitting near us there were men making the boards shaving off the outside-it's a lot of work and they said they finish one or two per hour. Also, behind our eating space with hammocks and benches, there were peacocks and ducks. At the end of our trip, we all got a free shirt and some more snacks. What a great company and cause-so impressed.
This was such a wonderful reward for my work. It truly is the best motto. "Work hard and play harder."
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