Tales Of Illamatepec
"It's always good to visit the same place more than once. Change always makes something new."
-
Someone Very Special to Me
I have visited the Ilamatepec volcano so many times that I have lost count of all the hats, caps and headscarves that the wind has taken away from me. However, for every piece of clothing I've lost, there's always an interesting story to tell about that place. Ilamatepec is not just a volcano. It is the highest peak in El Salvador makes it one of the most important national attractions, but it is so unique that it has its own ecosystem, economy and culture. From people who find a religious meaning and make a pilgrimage to the top, to a famous popsicle seller who walks the mountain every morning for profit, both from tourists and locals. This place stands out because there is a culture around it, so I will never stop visiting it.
Panoramas are a great way to show landscapes. This panorama of the Ilamatepec crater was composed of 16 shots. Oddly enough, this volcano used to be bigger (now it is 2,300 meters above sea level). Chatting with one of the tour guides, he informed me that the volcano erupted a long time ago, throwing rocks to the coast. Then these became coral reefs. Judging by the enormous size it has now, it is difficult to understand an even larger crater. By the way, there are two people on the right who can be used as a reference of their size.
This panoramic photo is composed of 59 drone shots of 48 mp each, taken at an altitude of 115 meters above the crater. It is safe to say that putting all this together was not an easy task.
A kind of celebrity now, Alex has become famous for selling popsicles at the top of the volcano. He climbs the same path every morning wearing a cooler on his back. And, of course, later he has to take that same cooler back down, whether it's empty or not. To add a little irony to the situation. Take note of your knuckles in the last photo. They are swollen by putting their hands too much inside the ice, all this despite the fact that the sun shines strongly on the rock he calls chair.
A tourist heads to the top of the volcano, probably too tired to enjoy the view and completely ignoring the "Green Hill" or "Green Hill". Some may find the road a little treacherous, as the terrain takes a dramatic change from a path in the forest to a rocky terrain devoid of any shadow. The change of biomes is not uncommon in the mountains. It often provides forests that are protected from the sun along with exposed rocky paths where insolation is common. This can cause hikers to suddenly get tired and not be able to enjoy the views just before reaching the top.
In addition to occasional tourists, there are also locals who have assigned a religious meaning to Ilamatepec. Talking to one of the guides, he told me the story of a man who spoke "nahuat" and climbed the volcano, barefoot, to ask permission from it to guide tourists to the top. Whether they are Christians who consider the trip an offering to God, or locals who think of the volcano as a sensitive entity of nature, one thing is certain, their determination exceeds that of the occasional tourist.
It is difficult to realize how many people visit this place in a weekend when one crosses the forest trail. However, once you reach the rocky peak, it becomes much easier to understand when you see group after group of tourists queuing to take their selfies with the crater.
If you thought you could escape the long lines going up during the week, you were wrong, since students on an excursion, foreign tourists on vacation and even employees in some "team development" activity can find themselves trying to reach the top.
The sulfur-rich waters of the crater appear as turquoise or green, and tend to stain the surrounding sands and soil with the characteristic yellowish tint associated with the chemical. Oddly enough, one can smell the "rotten egg" of sulfur even while walking along the trail without having reached the crater yet.
While we were walking with a friend, we found dogs at the top. It is common for them to follow hikers in the hope of sharing food from time to time. One of them followed us all the way down, earning the nickname "Billy", given by a family of tourists.
On the way down it is usually when people appreciate the views the most. Mainly because they are less tired when going down after their break at the top. Here the line slows down to appreciate Lake Coatepeque on the horizon.
When there's a massive queue of tourists and a bunch of guides who make sure no one deviates from the line, it becomes a little difficult to find a lonely place. Here a hiker decided that he preferred to walk to a lonely place than having to spend his 30 minutes in the queueing part.