It rained throughout the night. I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to climb this morning but by the time I had to go meet my guide (guides are mandatory on this volcano) it was a pleasant 78º with partially cloudy skies. The guide service cost three dollars and the entrance fee into the nature preserve was an additional six dollars. Its funny to use US money and then refer to them as Dolarés and Centavos. I bought a couple packs of peanuts and a bottle of water. We set off at 9:00. I think the hike was about 4.5 miles each way and the first mile dropped down about 800 feet into a saddle. This is where the climbing started. I would say that it was a mildly strenuous hike gaining about 2500 feet on rocky terrain. I arrived at the summit at about 11:30. What a view! The caldera was over three kilometers wide which dropped precipitously 500 meters (about 1600 feet) to a bright green crater lake. My guide told me that the water temperature in the lake was 92ºC (197ºF) and that the color was from a high concentration of sulfur and other minerals. I could smell and taste the sulfur in the air and feel gusts of heat coming up from the crater. According to Wiki this volcano last erupted in 2005. The summit area was quite a scene with people taking selfies and families enjoying picnics. There were three young men who had carried up coolers full of ice cream treats and were doing a booming business. I spent about a half hour on the summit enjoying the dramatic clouds. The hot humid air of the lowlands condenses as it pushes higher over this string of volcanoes creating a dance of cumulus clouds. About four and a half hours start to finish, I arrived back at my camp in the early afternoon. I fired up my stove to make a cup of coffee and enjoyed. 

Speaking of coffee. I have had several requests to expand upon the coffee making advice I had received at the coffee plantation in Guatemala. So here it is. The perfect cup of coffee according to my very informative guide Gladis. There are three important aspects to making coffee. Time, Temperature and Ratio. According to Gladis you should always use a ratio of 1 gram of coffee to 17 milliliters of water. So, for you non-metric people let’s say you want to make 2-12 oz cups of coffee. That would be 24oz (710ml) of water and would require 1.5oz (42g) of coffee. The water needs to be 90ºC (194ºF). Gladis says that if you are boiling the water it burns the coffee and changes the flavor profile. It should take between 2.5 to 4 minutes to brew your coffee. It doesn’t matter if you are using a coffee maker, French press or pour-over all of these rules apply. 

For a French press, Galdis recommends using a paper filter that goes over the plunger as the particulates will change the flavor. 1g coffee to 17ml water, 90ºC, let steep for 2.5 minutes then plunge. Wait an additional 30 seconds and pour your perfect cup of coffee. 

For a pour over, same thing - 1g to 17ml, 90C, slowly pour the water taking 2.5 to 4 minutes to complete. 

She had a fancy electric water kettle that she could set the temperature to 90C. She used a chefs scale to weigh the coffee and then the water. The cool thing about the metic system is that 17ml of water weighs 17g. She used a kitchen timer to accurately time her pour. 

If that all sounds too fussy for you… You can just go to Starbucks (like I do).