It was bound to happen...

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I got sick.

After spending Christmas back in Antigua, I decided to head to Lago de Atitlan to spend my last days in Guatemala exploring the lake. I met a couple of girls on the bus and we decided to share a room in Panajachel, wake up early, and visit the Thursday market in Chichicastenango. We went out to dinner and went to bed early. I woke up around 3:30 am and my insides felt like they were being put through a wringer. I had terrible stomach cramps, nausea, cold sweats, muscle ache, and fever. I spent the next 20 hours or so in the fetal position. I ate a total of one bowl of soup and 3 pieces of watermelon over the next 3 days (still haven’t gotten my appetite back). Needless to say my trip to the lake did not go as planned, and I never made it to Chichi. I was able to visit a couple of towns around the lake on the third day, just before heading to Guatemala City for my flight home.

All in all, traveling in Guatemala was simply incredible. I met some amazing people who will surely become lifelong friends (see you all in London!), improved my Spanish, visited a few of the many amazing places in Guatemala, and learned a lot about myself. I’ve yet to unpack but I’m already planning my next trip… I’m thinking central Mexico, but maybe I’ll just spin the globe.

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Photos

Christmas Dinner
Marco made a huge lasagna for Christmas dinner, after dinner a bunch of friends came over and we had a party which lasted until around 3:00 am - great time was had by all! Marco (yes, he's wearing a Seahawks hat, I thought the team needed some German fans), Christian (Germany), Priscilla (Holland), me, Bridget (Canada), and Floyd (UK).

Christmas Party
Linda (Germany) and me. Linda had a ton of interesting stories - my favorites were about her high school exchange experience in Mississippi!

One last goodbye
Minutes before leaving for the lake I caught the guys at our favorite place to hang out during morning break at Spanish School. Christian, Sannake, Floyd, me, Suresh.

Beach at Panajachel
This is a view of the playa publica at Panajachel. The guys on the right are there to sell you boat passage to the various villages around the lake. The nice looking restaurants in the distance are where I had what would prove to be my last meal in Guatemala...

Last Meal
This was taken looking out over the lake just before having my last meal.

Sunset at Lago de Atitlan
Not much to say about this, as with most places in Guatemala, it was beautiful!

My Hotel
When you're sick, the last place you want to be is in a hostel or shared room. I got my own room at a fairly nice hotel. Unfortunately this is as close as I got to the pool.

Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol
I know the picture is not in focus, but I thought I'd share it anyway. I found the combination of the Catholic and Mayan religions to be so interesting. These are religious sculptured that are carried through the streets during processions to commemorate the birth of Jesus. It’s interesting to see the Mayan interpretations of Mary, Joseph, and of course el nino jesus.

Maximon
Another example of the combination of Catholic and Mayan religions. When I left the church in Santiago Atitlan I was approached by an old Mayan man in traditional clothing - he wanted to know if I wanted to visit Maximon, the Mayan god. I paid him 10 Q (about $1.10) and followed him to a nearby home where Maximon was currently residing. The people give offerings (usually cigarettes, beer, or rum), and pray to him for blessings, or to harm their enemies.

Market at Santiago Atitlan
Since I wasn't able to make it to the market in Chichicastenango I had to settle for Santiago Atitlan. It was interesting - crowded, hectic, loud, and a bit smelly. There were piles of little dried fish on sale everywhere, the smell of fish was overbearing!

Masks
Masks for sale at the market in Panajachel

Figurines
Religious figurines on sale at the market in Panajachel.