Another picture of some of the rock that doubled as resting spots for us on our way up.  Little vents of steam and gas were everywhere once we got near the peak of the volcano that heated the ground and surrounding rocks, so we had to watch where we sat and walked.  One wrong move and a rock like this one could severely burn our you-know-whats.

These two pictures were the best I could do with getting the lava on film without passing out from inhaling the sulfur fumes (and not falling in, of course).

That's all, folks.  There's no way these pictures could ever bring you close enough to Mt. Pacaya to gain the respect for nature I did those 2 summers ago.  All I can say, if you get the chance to go to the top of a live volcano, even one in the U.S. where the restrictions (for safety concerns, lawsuits, etc.) keep you from going as close to the mouth as we did, DO IT.  And don't forget your jacket, no matter how nice the weather is at the start of the hike.

My email: sam_plank@yahoo.com