30. Fuego

The flight from Seattle to Guatemala City took about eight hours, which wasn't too tiring. After disembarking, Fang Kaixuan and Gu Qiye didn't plan to stay there and immediately took a car to Antigua City.

After all, Guatemala City remains one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Fang Kaixuan felt slightly apologetic for such stereotypes, because there are still many unsophisticated Europeans and Americans who think that China is very dangerous, backward, dirty and chaotic.

Fang Kaixuan was very unwilling to become as narrow-minded, ignorant, and arrogant as them.

With this strange sense of apology, they got into a taxi, the fare was twenty-five dollars per person, and the journey took three hours. By American prices, this was very cheap, but it was considered a relatively expensive mode of transportation locally.

Traffic congestion was severe in Guatemala City, and their car was stuck in the middle of the road, unable to leave the city for a long time. Around them were many brightly decorated buses, painted in bright red and green, with LED strips around their bodies and playing very upbeat music, like mobile discos.

Compared to that, their cars are so boring.

These buses, locally known as Chicken Buses, are the most common form of public transport in the area. For the same distance, a Chicken Bus costs only one-tenth the price of a taxi.

"Actually, we should have taken this car." Fang Kaixuan regretted it a little. After all, they had flown thousands of miles not to take a boring taxi.

"You can try it on the way back."

Finally, we drove out of the city and the car glided into a deep green valley.

I don't know why Guatemala was originally translated as "危地摩馬" (Weidi Mala). The Chinese characters are so expressive; this translation inadvertently evokes a sense of extreme danger about the place.

"Guardia".

Fang Kaixuan had been apprehensive before arriving, but at this moment, all his vigilance was thrown to the back of his mind. The tropical valley, during the dry season, was lush and verdant, yet not humid or sultry—the most comfortable and bright time of year.

With the car windows wide open, a dry and warm breeze blew in, instantly refreshing the mind.

“I always thought that meditation and healing were just pretentious white people.” Fang Kaixuan stared out the window, where the greenery almost spilled into the car. “But this place is really relaxing.”

"In nature, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning can all affect the human nervous system, allowing the brain to experience relaxation and pleasure. Otherwise, why would people sleep so well on rainy days?"

Yes, the most enjoyable thing in the world is probably curling up with your loved one on a stormy night.

Three hours later, a bright yellow town slowly emerged from the green mountains. It looked somewhat familiar, with brightly colored houses and a sky so blue it seemed overexposed. Like Lijiang.

As the car entered the city, the roads became bumpy, much like Lijiang. Because the streets are paved entirely with large and small stones, driving in became a vibrating experience.

“People here probably don’t need foot massages at all; they just walk on acupressure mats every day,” Fang Kaixuan said.

No, you're wrong. This place is full of massage parlors.

Fang Kaixuan was overjoyed. She enjoyed foot massages, massages, ear cleaning... anything that made people relax and enjoy themselves, because she was always tense and needed external help to relax.

Gu Qiye was greatly shocked and could not accept being touched by a stranger.

That night, Fang Kaixuan dragged him there no matter what, but he only stayed by his side and refused to try. On this point alone, he refused to be manipulated by Fang Kaixuan.

It's easy to fall in love with this place. It's a small city, you can definitely walk around, there's always music playing on the streets, and everyone greets each other with a smile, whether you know them or not.

Fang Kaixuan had initially thought it was a niche destination, but upon arrival, he realized it was already a popular destination for European and American tourists. The streets were filled with white people. The very typical kind of white people you'd see in tourist hotspots in third-world countries, like Bali, Chiang Mai, Dali, and Lijiang. The kind of white people who seemed friendly but were actually arrogant.

Many shops also reflect typical white aesthetics. Fortunately, their natural beauty is so abundant that a touch of artificiality cannot overshadow their charm.

After all, even in the bustling city center, you can see the volcano just by looking up.

The mountain is called Aqua, which means "water" in Spanish.

Eating McDonald's here seemed out of place, but it gave the two of them a sense of profound change and vicissitude.

That initial trip back from the airport to keep the appointment still feels like a dream. At that time, she made that impulsive decision simply because she didn't want a stranger to disappear into the crowd. Little did she know that so many things would happen afterward.

There's only one McDonald's in the city, its courtyard filled with tall, deep green tropical plants, a fountain in the center, and in the distance, a textbook-perfectly shaped volcano. You could sit in the courtyard for half a day, facing the volcano, and feel completely at peace.

Sometimes, strange thoughts would surface in Fang Kaixuan's mind: if the volcano were to erupt right now, could that also be called eternity? The volcano, unaware of human thoughts, remained silent. Fang Kaixuan neither knew nor thought about what would happen far in the future. It was merely the next thirty-six hours.

The next morning, the two men, fully equipped with quick-drying clothes, hiking boots, sunglasses, sun hats, and backpacks containing windproof jackets and woolen hats, arrived at the meeting point. Inside a hostel, about a dozen white men and women in their early twenties were unpacking.

Climbing a volcano is a must-do in Guatemala travel guides, and November is the best time for weather. Everything seemed perfect. But after only an hour, Fang Kaixuan was already cursing under his breath, thinking that all the online guides were lies, and who was it that said you only need legs to climb?

The mountain path wasn't steep, but the rocks were covered in thick volcanic ash, making each step slippery, like walking on a beach; even pulling one's feet was extremely difficult. By the time they reached the first rest stop, Fang Kaixuan was drenched in sweat, as if she had just been washed. Watching the guide and porters move with ease, she could only lament that despite regularly going to the gym, her survival skills were so poor.

Gu Qiye was far better than her; his breathing remained steady, with only a slight sweat, unlike her disheveled state. He seemed to sense her worries and transferred the heavy items from her backpack to his own shoulder. "I work in the field year-round, so of course I adapt faster. No need to rush."

After six hours of this repeated process, with countless stops to rest, they finally reached the camp. The moment they climbed to the top, everyone cheered. Before them lay an active volcano, spewing lava every few minutes, which they could watch up close, the rumbling sound emanating from underground.

The campsite was halfway up the mountain. Down below, short sleeves were too hot to wear, but here you had to wear a fleece and a windproof jacket. But no matter how cold or tiring it was, it was all worth it. The teammates were excited, moving around, calling out to each other, looking for their bunk beds to put down their backpacks, or roasting marshmallows by the campfire and eating them with red wine.

For a moment, the surroundings were as noisy as a summer camp, but Fang Kaixuan was reluctant to leave, captivated by the sight of the volcano, its gray-black lava spewing into the air and then dissipating, as if a silent film was playing.

That night, they deliberately chose to continue climbing the mountain, because they needed to reach the best observation point.

This was an absolutely grueling journey. We had to descend from the mountainside where the camp was located to the valley floor, then climb up the opposite peak, and finally return the same way. We'd only gone about a quarter of the way when it was completely dark. Each of us was only illuminated by our headlamps; the pitch-black night made progress incredibly difficult, and it seemed like there would never be an end.

Fang Kaixuan was on the verge of collapse. Why was the mountain so steep? Why was the road so slippery? Why was it so dark? I was perfectly fine, why did I have to come here to suffer?

Normally, when she tries to meditate, she always finds it difficult to concentrate, her thoughts drifting involuntarily to who-knows-where. But now, she can focus with ease, because if she loses focus, she might fall into a daze.

Time seems to slow down very, very slowly here.

Fortunately, in the most treacherous sections, she could reach out and touch Gu Qiye's reliable hand. But that was all. When the journey became too perilous, a romantic gesture like holding hands was out of the question.

Without electricity or internet, in the true breath of the wilderness, he didn't need to give much, and she didn't need much either; all that remained was an unwavering hand. To save electricity, they both turned off their headlamps when they rested, leaving only the chirping of insects, their breathing, and their heartbeats in the darkness.

They reached the vicinity of the volcano, and all the teammates, disregarding the dirt, lay half-reclined on the ground, utterly exhausted. The night was so dark; what had been visible in the afternoon, only grayish-black smoke, was now billowing, bright red lava, like flames, like fireworks.

An active volcano—something that sounds terrifying—was met with a gentle romance by Fang Kaixuan after overcoming countless hardships. It wasn't the artificial, candy-like romance, but an ultimate experience transcending the mundane. The flames emanated from the Earth's core, erupting as if by divine intervention.

The Earth is putting on a fireworks display; isn't that one of the most romantic things that ordinary people can witness?

It's not only romantic, but also very fair.

For this final stretch, cars couldn't make it, horses couldn't ride, and helicopters couldn't land; photos and videos wouldn't capture the essence. Even the wealthiest person, unless they were exhausted to the point of near death, wouldn't be able to witness this spectacle; only by physically overcoming these eighty-one trials could one truly experience it.

They waited quietly under the starry sky, again and again, each eruption eliciting cheers. Even after watching dozens of times, they couldn't stop. The cunning and the indifferent became children again here, watching the fireworks together.

Around midnight, they awoke as if from a dream and returned to camp. They slept in a cabin that night, where the night air was chilly. The cabin provided down sleeping bags, but they weren't warm enough in the mountains. Half-asleep, they could still hear the rumbling of eruptions, and through the glass windows, they could still see lava spewing out, growing increasingly crimson as the night deepened.

He was a little scared, and couldn't help but wonder if a sudden outburst would cost him his life. But for a moment, Fang Kaixuan felt that this might be a good thing.

With this thought in mind, she peeked out from the upper bunk. Gu Qiye, on the lower bunk, was also awake. Firelight streamed in through the window, revealing some energetic teammates still in the corridor, gathered around the campfire, drinking and chatting.

The flickering firelight danced on Gu Qiye's face, softening his solemnity and adding a touch of tenderness. He saw her peek out, asked nothing, and simply reached out his hand. She also reached out a hand from the upper bunk, their fingers barely touching. He rose slightly, and their hands gently clasped in the air.

The two had many things on their minds, but they found it difficult to express them in words, nor did they need to say them aloud.

Sometimes, a complete transformation can happen in just a moment.

In "Volcano Love," the husband says, "Me, Katia, and the volcanos, it's a love story."

This is indeed a love story.

///

Haha, finally it's back to normal!

Kiss kiss~

No more hiatuses allowed

How could I not be there! I watched it immediately! (Even though the meeting interrupted the viewing, which was awful.)

Haha. I'm planning to run two accounts simultaneously next week, can you believe it? (Actually, it means "qtmd")

I...I gritted my teeth and stomped my foot!