From San Pedro

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We spent two nights in Panajachel...it's hard to remember what i managed in the last post...sorry for any repeat info.

In Panajachel from a small place on the lake we ate dinner and were able to watch the sun go down behind some volcanoes while locals bathed in the lake below. The walk back to the hotel, along the beach, included the slow lighting of the smaller cities across the lake. We were able to stop and watch fas they each came glittering to life for the evening. It was beautiful to say the least.

Yesterday, sunday, we managed to jump on one chicken bus to Sololá, where we caught the second to Los Encuentros where we finally caught the third to Chichicastenango. In Chichi we found a maze of market filling the streets at every turn. The market was absolutely huge, just as we'd been told it would be...filled of course, with the things tourists are attracted to but at the same corner you can look to your left to find a chicken head staring at you from a plate of many. One of the greatest things i've seen is that those 'things' that tourists are attracted to are all used by the natives as well. My Guatemala bag that i carry everwhere at home is on the shoulder of countless men. OK it's a man-bag here, but blaring the country's name and national bird it is used daily in the same way.
Carl and i have managed to bargain well together, using English chatter in the right tone, it seems to go a long way. In chichi i got five pairs of earrings for less than half of what she origianlly asked, which was already half of what some other woman and wanted..crazy.
The way back we took three more buses to Pana, one was FILLED. That's a funny story. We grabbed a full bus, which only became More full...we stood in the aisle, the filled aisle. Carl counted 70people on the bus, who knows who he couldn't see. The feat we considered as we stood jostled on this bus whipping around blind turns honking..was How is this guy, the ayudante, going to collect money. He climbed arcoss seat tops, over people's heads. When we had to get out, we were the few exiting at Los Encuentros. We tried to shove our way out of the packed aisle, Carl looked around and ended up climbing over the heads of these Guatemalans just as the ayudante had, i followed. The ayudante was delighted to say the least, his face lit up and he nodded at this sight. Too fun.
This morning we got up and took a small boat across the lake to San Pedro (where i am now). We were found by Pedro, a licsensed tour guide, although we had planned to find one, he caught us. We found a really nice hotel with a beautiful view of the lake for less than what we paid in Pana. For anyone wondering tonight's stay will together cost about $3 American. Anyway, this guy was nearly impossible to loose, but we ended up managing a tour of the Indianos San Pedro Mountain, for half of what he wanted because he said it was too late to go up the San Pedro Volcano. We just kept telling him that since it wasn't really what we had wanted to do it should be less, after tagging along with us for so long he couldn't have spent so much time and gotten nowhere, it worked out pretty well for us in the end. He was annoying, but worked. The hike was beautiful but we found ourselves a little out of shape.
San Pedro, it seems to be a highly trafficed place for travelers but not in the same touristy way of Pana. Sure they have the volcano and hikes to offer as things to see but the main strip (though such a thing doesn't exactly exist here) is not lined with stuff as it was in Pana. The local life is much more pronounced here, though as in most places we've seen travelers do find there way around this place.
Tomorrow we plan to leave for Antigua, though we will have to take a bus through Chimaltenango (not to be confused with Chichicastenango). Antigua is where the active Pacaya volcano can be found.
As always i hope all is well at home.

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