Cayo Guillermo beach in Cuba. Love this beach. The high and low tides changed the settings dramatically.

Vacationing in El Salvador back in March 2010, I just had to live this awesome experience. Rising over 2800m above sea level, the Santa Ana is El Salvador’s highest volcano. For those who decide to attempt the climb, you will not only be rewarded with an amazing view of the surroundings once on top but you’ll also get the opportunity to see the volcanic lake residing inside it’s crater.

Pictured below (from left to right) is Izalco volcano, Cerro Verde and Santa Ana.

During the climb you will also get the chance to get a glimpse of the Coatepeque Lake:

Despite what it looked like on the first photo, the Izalco volcano is smaller than Santa Ana but I get the impression that it’s ascension is much more steeper. You will also have many occasions to view Izalco during the climb.

It may sound weird but during the first hour or so of the climb, we were actually going downhill. This was due to the fact that we were dropped off on Cerro Verde and had to climb down before starting our ascension of the Santa Ana. I suggest you bring along a good pair of hiking boots/shoes with good ankle support. Some parts of the climb are fairly easy and are almost like a walk in the park. You will however encounter many steep steps that are quite rocky. Also keep in mind that you will be taking the same path on the way back.

We did our excursion on a very cloudy day. Once on top, we literally had our heads in the clouds. Everyone is free to go wherever they want however we are reminded that it is at our own risk. Some parts of the volcano’s rim are quite narrow and possibly unstable. One false move would certainly lead you to your death.

At first I thought we would be able to walk all around the outer edge of the volcano but one you reach the top you will clearly see that it is impossible (or extremely difficult) and it would take a few hours to do so. The two people below give you an idea of the scale of things once you reach the top.

The crater lake that sits in Santa Ana’s crater is composed of very acidic waters. The greenish color is characteristic of these types of lakes.

Depending on your physical condition, the climb down can be quite easy or a bit challenging. If your knees and ankles are week from the climb up, be careful when taking your footing. The rocky paths can be quite treacherous at times and an ankle is easily twisted. The climb itself could take 2 or 3 hours depending on your physical condition (possibly a bit more). You have some free time once atop and this is where you will have your lunch brake. We had sandwiches and fruits. The climb down will take less time but keep mind that during all this time… there are no bathrooms/toilets/wc on the way. As you can see, there aren’t a lot of trees to hide behind either so make sure you take care of business before you start the climb. ;-)

The hotel is quite new, thus was equipped with all the modern commodities such as flat panel LCD TV, WiFi, digital alarm clock, in-room coffee machine, well equipped gym, nice rooftop swimming pool and it’s own massage/beauty salon. The food was great and the variety was excellent. I do have to mention that it was great for breakfast (as it was included) but I would not recommend it for lunch or dinner as it was quite expensive. Besides, you’re in Thailand for a reason so go outside and eat with the rest of the Thais.

The room was clean, the beds comfortable and the view was awesome. Our bathroom was separated from the bedroom by a glass panel that would be either fully transparent or opaque at the flick of a switch. I’m not sure if this had any particularly useful benefits besides the kinky ideas you could get out of it.

The staff spoke a surprisingly good english and were extremely professional and courteous. Our stay went smoothly and we were quite happy with our choice of hotel.

I was in Toronto for a 2-day training back in May but had the chance to take a few shots of the scenery around the hotel. I was lucky enough to fly form Montreal to the Toronto island airport via Porter. Amazingly fast check-in, flight and check-out. I even got to the airport earlier the next day and they offered me to take an earlier flight. The hotel was only 10 minutes away from the airport. This gave me the chance to grab a few shots and wander around town a bit before heading back to the hotel for the night. Enjoy!