January 25, 2012 Volcán de Agua Climb

[CaliforniaMama]

After 36 years of civil war, the Guatemalan people are working together to seek peace for their country.

On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida, there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence.

Subida por la vida also stands as manifestation for Peace where Guatemalans want to demonstrate and let the world know that we want peace and we will not tolerate violence any longer.

Antigua Daily Photo: This entry was written by Rudy Girón and posted on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Photos by Nelo Mijangos

[glatt]

Looks like just about anybody can put a tv/radio tower up there. I count 28 antennas on that ridge. I bet those protestors had good tv reception.

[SPUCK]

It's why they weren't wearing coats..

[CaliforniaMama]

Originally Posted by SPUCK

It's why they weren't wearing coats..

[Gravdigr]

Radiator/radiation/microwaves?

Antenna component humor.

Love it.

[Gravdigr]

I wondered why they call it "Volcán de Agua", Water Volcano...

Wikisnip:

The Spanish conquistadors also called it Hunapú until a lahar from the volcano in 1541 destroyed the original capital of Guatemala (now known as Ciudad Vieja) and the city was moved to the current site of Antigua Guatemala following this disaster. As the lahar produced a destructive flood of water, this prompted the modern name "Volcán de Agua" meaning "Volcano of Water", in contrast to the nearby "Volcán de Fuego" or "Volcano of Fire".

[glatt]

It's a pretty impressive site. I was looking at it in Google Earth. You've got a row of half a dozen volcanoes just about 10-15 miles to the west of Guatemala City. And a couple are clearly active. So close to a city of a few million.

[CaliforniaMama]

Originally Posted by glatt

It's a pretty impressive site. I was looking at it in Google Earth. You've got a row of half a dozen volcanoes just about 10-15 miles to the west of Guatemala City. And a couple are clearly active. So close to a city of a few million.

I am currently reading Silence on the Mountain. Yesterday, I read a passage that describes what happened when a nearby volcano blew. The setting is a coffee plantation. They didn't get the lava flow, but they had falling ash so thick it was like night for three days.

When the sun reappeared, the plantation was so thickly covered with ash they had no choice but to leave and find work elsewhere. They traveled for a few days and found a new plantation.

Two/three generations later, they call themselves naturales, or naturals to the area. Not originally from there, but of there in their current history. The youngest generation has no knowledge of their family's original highland village.

It seems the people of Guatemala are very adaptable to whatever comes their way. It does not seem like they worry about the consequences of the volcanos erupting. Too many other things to worry about. Like today.