Antigua and the Highlands.

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Hola Amigos

The night before leaving Punta Gorda, Belize we were watching an episode of ´The Big Bang Theory´. We both love that show! However, the next morning there was a big bang reality when Theresa whacked her head on the springy shelf and catapulted the TV across the room. It was quite the crash! As Dave rushed to the room, he found Theresa curled up holding her head, and a TV faced down on the floor with glass everywhere. Quite the scene! There was no yellow tape for this crime scene, but we prevailed.

We had a word with the owner and he wanted us to replace it. So we found a small store that sold goggle boxes, bought one, then hauled it up the street in a great big box. These events all occured before 8am and I´m sure we looked like morons? About an hour later we were on a boat to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala! In hindsight we would have been better off financially (and it would´ve been funnier) if we had just caught the boat in first place and left the electric fishtank in a shattered pile on the floor... But we had done the right thing instead...

Seven hours by bus from Puerto Barrios is the charming colonial city of Antigua. The city is surrounded by volcanoes and is subject to many earthquakes and eruptions. Although things are quite sleepy right now, there is a wee bit of smoke bellowing out of Volcan Fuego! We spent a lot of time just wandering the pretty streets and sitting in the Parque Central watching the slow pace of life drift by. We drank coffee in lovely gardens, ate wierd and wonderful food from the many street vendors, and said ´no gracias´ time and time again to the many persistant shoe-shine boys - even though we were wearing flip-flops!? The park is alive with local Mayan ladies in traditional dress, food vendors, artists and musicians - people watching is fun.

We are now one mile above sea level in Panajachel (Pana), a hustle and bustle kinda place on the shore of Lago de Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is endorheic (meaning it has no outlet to the sea), although it does lose some water due to seepage and evaporation. It is stunningly beautiful and is surrounded by thickly vegitated volcanoes that tower more than a mile higher than the lake.

We have rented a small furnished house until the end of January as we are both going to do some one-on-one Spanish classes. It´s a quaint little house in a quiet area of town so we can both study in peace. We have nice neighbours and we are surrounded by a large garden with lots of plants. It´s home for now.

We are also hoarding change here. No-one in this town has change for anything! A remarkable phenomenon!

Hasta la proxima, D y T.

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Photos

Parque Central
Central Park in Antigua. A.K.A "Plaza de ´no gracias´".

The Streets to the South
An impressive landmark to the south. Antigua.

Water Fountain
Parque Central, Antigua.

Antigua.
Looking down from Mirador el Tenador.

Volcan Fuego.
The smoky volcano that looms above Antigua.

Lago de Atitlan
From Panajachel.

Our House.
Home for three weeks in Pana.

Watching squirrels
We have at least three resident squirrels in our back yard, two of them always chase each other and one has no tail.

Buying bracelets.
In Santiago de Atitlan, a small town on the other side of the lake from Pana.

High Water
The lake is about 3 metres higher than normal, and the deepest it´s been for over 50 years. Many of the lakeshore buildings are now under water.

Shot-put?
With a melon?

On the boat.
Many of the lake side communities are accessible by boats from Pana.

Comments

[MOM]

Lucky people
Boy you two, you sure are seeing lots of different cultures, You are learning things everyday about other countries, LUCKY YOU TWO nICE HOME,AND BEAUTIFUL LAKE, YOUR HOME LOOKS LIKE VERY PRIVATE. Well have a good day, LOVE, MOM (hows your head) what happened, was the TV over you head, while you sleep????

[Cuz]

Thanks guys, looks like you are having WAY too much for for regular people! :) Have a great 2012......by the looks of it, you're already on a great start.... minus 18 here, very nice weather...WANT SOME > ? :) Keep warm and safe xxoo T

[Heather MacLeod]

Great photos!
Hi to the Crannster! Glad to see you are having a great time! Love the photos especially of the high water on the lake...what is causing this, just more precipitation that usual? Look forward to next blog. It is -35 plus windchill here.....just saying!