Claudine Masson

For my next destination I ventured South to San Pedro, a small Mayan village on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala´s largest and reputedly most beautiful lake. My first experience of this lakeside village did not quite match the image I had of a tranquil hippy idyll that other travellers had painted for me. As soon as me and my fellow travellers had got off the bus in San Pedro, we were bombarded by a hoard of tourist touts and hawkers desperate for our attention and business. We quickly located our rucksacks and tried to explain to the crowd that we already had a reservation for a hostel. Unfortunately, this information did not dissaude the rowdy throng of people and a congo line formed behind us as we made our way to the hostel. The group continued to push ... read more

The last few weeks have been rather eventful since my last entry. I learnt to love Roatan. The latin american experience I was looking for (whatever that is anyway) I discovered would never be found. The history and culture of the island are more routed in Garifuna traditions than Latin American ones. In fact the locals I met and spoke with did not see themselves as Hondurans at all. The Garifunas are descendents of African slaves that were left on the islands in the 1600s. The people of Roatan were warm and friendly. I was constantly invited to have dinner at people's houses. The local food on the island is great. Lots of fresh and perfectlly spiced seafood, ,fried plantain, rice, beans and the best coconut cake I have ever tasted. Their hospitality was greatly appreciated ... read more