We really lucked out with our hostel. It was only Q100 ($12) a night, and it was right on the lake! Flores is a small island with lots of cool shops and restaurants. We heard that it was okay to sim in the lake, and saw a local jump off the dock, so we decided to go for a swim to beat the heat. The view from the water is amazing- this is such a beautiful place! It truly felt like paradise. We took a break from swimming to try out a waterfront restaurant owned by some German brothers. On the menu, they said that the second the saw the beautiful island, they knew they would never leave. They also gave us each a worry doll with our bill. Legend says you put a Guatemalan worry ... read more

I arrived in Guatemala early morning, and Jess (my sister) took me to San Martín bakery for lunch. I had delicious Horchata for lunch (a rice milk/cinnamon drink-see picture), and we bought bean bread for a snack later. Refried black beans are incredibly popular in Guatemala, and they are SO good! After lunch, we walked to where a woman was selling tortillas. They were unique to any I have ever had- smaller like the corn tortillas from Mexico but thicker and more the consistency of flour tortillas I later found out they were made from a mix called maseca. We got a huge stack for Q4, or about 50 cents! Cultural Notes: -They speak VERY fast here -People greet you with "Buenos días" here, but they also say it as you are leaving, which confused me ... read more