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Published: June 16th 2013
(Note...
definitely scroll to the bottom for some amazing photos)
On Day 3, Wednesday, I explored more of Antigua with the two English and Denver guys from the hostel. They were a fun group to hang out with, and we visited a museum and a few ruins. I was going to book my trip to hike Volcano Acatenango, but unfortunately they changed the schedule and would be leaving Saturday instead of Friday. I did not want to wait around for a couple more days and lose my precious time, so I decided that I would move to my next destination the following day. At night, I went out with some guys from the hostel for dinner and then to a bar which was of course filled with gringos. It still is surreal to me to be in a foreign country, at a bar that is filled with foreigners. Guatemala, then, has been a culture shock for me. Not because of the country itself, but because of how many tourists there are everywhere. To be sure, Europe has lots of tourists but the feeling in the city of Antigua is quite different. You hear English everywhere, and the town caters to tourists
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Church in Chichicastenango. There are old Mayan rituals still held here, and you can see a guy burning incense that filled the air. heavily. This is in stark contrast to my travels in South America, where there are much less tourists, and even fewer Americans. Certain public places here even have a bohemian/granola vibe. I have also noticed that many Americans in particular tend to stand out because of their dress and appearance. I say all this not to disparage Americans, or tourists (heck, I am one of them!), but the way in which they choose to carry themselves and not blend in at all is striking. Culture shock indeed, but not for the reasons you would expect.
The next day I took a shuttle bus a few hours north to the town of Chichicastenango, or "Chichi." Chichi itself is not much to look at, but every Thursday and Sunday the town turns into a giant market, and every block is filled with stalls. Many of these stalls cater to tourists, and sell beautiful textiles, jewelry and other trinkets. The handmade crafts, especially the textiles, are colorful and unique. I wandered around the market for a few hours, making a few purchases and taking plenty of photos. There was an ancient Mayan ritual being conducted at the main church, and the air
inside and outside of the church was filled with the smell of incense. The market was an endless, dizzying maze, and I managed to find the section where local fruits and vegetables were sold. I bought a cup of mixed fruit for a mere 7 quetzales (just under $1 US). At a restaurant for lunch, I shook my head as I heard a tourist complaining that the restaurant was trying to price gouge her on a lemonade. It cost just over $2 US, and she thought she was being overcharged. Needless to say it was a 24 ounce glass of fresh squeezed lemonade that probably would have been $5 or 6 in the US, so I am not sure why she was so up in arms. Although this restaurant was a bit more expensive because it catered to tourists, there was no reason to be aghast at the price. It is funny how quickly your mind shifts when you are in a cheap country. In other words, you get a little snooty and scoff at paying a little more. I am sometimes guilty of that myself.
After the market I took another shuttle bus to Lake Atitlan. As the
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Chichi market. Lots of fruits and vegetables, textiles, and tourist souvenirs are sold. driver barreled down windy roads, he blasted Whitney Houston and Michael Bolton. The other passengers and I just chuckled. The road to Atitlan went up and down and up and down. I sat in the back and had quite the bumpy ride. We passed over one hill and then went down into the valley below, to Lake Atitlan. My jaw dropped instantly. The view was breathtaking. Atitlan is surrounded by dense forests and volcanoes on all sides. It is hard to put it in words, but the scenery is impossibly beautiful. Words or even pictures could never do it justice. I decided to go to San Pedro La Laguna, one of many towns around the lake. It is popular with tourists and has a strong bohemian vibe. The town is a good base for lots of activities, so I decided to make it my base. The gringo strip, or Gringolandia (Gringo Land) as they call it is right along the water. The villagers live higher up the hill. There are lots of eateries and bars, including an English pub with flat screen TVs. Although I have decried the touristy vibe in this blog, I had no qualms about going to
this pub to watch the NBA Finals. I suppose I am a study in contradictions, or maybe just a hypocrite. I met a cool guy from Las Vegas there, who has been traveling for a couple months. He told me that he participated in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain last year. He then went to some local guy´s apartment to get a bull tattoo. I told him he was nuts, and he laughed.
The hotel I found was right on the lakefront and was dirt cheap, at only $5 per night. The rooms were simple and not very nice, but for the price and the view I couldn´t complain. The only shame is that they have been doing construction at the hotel nonstop, and the noise takes away from the setting. On Thursday morning I had breakfast right on the lake. What a hard life I lead! I met an interesting gringo there, a 68 year old man from Los Angeles. He had lived in Thailand for 17 years before moving here. In fact, there are many foreigners that have moved to one of the Lake towns because of the setting. He told lots of interesting
stories including about all of the people he hooked up with while in Thailand. Apparently many of the prostitutes there are men dressed as women, and he said it was hard to tell the difference. "I have had my tongue down so many guys throats," he declared. That was clearly the quote of the day.
After breakfast I took a kayak out on the lake for 2 hours. I paddled to the other side and saw many beautiful lakefront properties. Apparently for about $25,000 you can buy a plot of land and build a house. The only problem is that the water level has risen, particularly after a tropical storm a few years ago, which washed out several homes. The views from the kayak were beautiful, and even though I got a nice sunburn, it was worth it. For the rest of the day I took it easy, as I planned to do an early morning hike the next day.
On Saturday morning I got up at the horrendous hour of 3.30am to go on a hike. I wanted to get a good view of the lake, and sunrise is the perfect time to do it.
I had hired a guide for the trip. We took a bus up part of the way and then hiked 30 minutes up to the Indians Nose, a high point on the west side of the lake. Words and pictures cannot capture the beauty as seen from there. Lake Atitlan is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I sat there in silence and took it all in. The sun began to come up around 5.30am. The early wakeup was clearly worth it. It was magical. Instead of taking a bus back down to town, we hiked back. It only took about 2.5 hours and we passed through dense forest and corn fields. From the pictures you can see the Indians Nose, and we covered quite a bit of distance in a short of time.
After a much needed nap, I set out to explore other towns on the lake. I first went to Santiago Atitlan, a traditional Mayan town. The dress there was interesting, and I visited the shrine of Maximon, an evil saint. There are many rituals and ceremonies around Maximon, and if you are lucky you can catch a glimpse. They typically
do not take tourists to it. At the main plaza I found a boy who took me to the shrine for a small fee. I watched as a man made chants and burned incense, with a statue of Maximon seated in a chair. It was quite the experience. I then took a second boat to Panajachel, the main town on the lake. There was lots to explore, and the setting was again beautiful. The dock here was much bigger than in San Pedro, and so I was able to sit feet from the water, enjoying the view with a beer in my hand. I exhaled deeply. What a day, what a place!
Tomorrow I am off to Nebaj, a small town 6 hours north here for some great hiking and more adventure.
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Jane Roth
non-member comment
Awe
Bernie, I could feel your awe as I took in the photos of Lago - stunning! Thank you for sending these. Devierte, mi amigo! te amo, Juanita