Blogs from Lago de Atitlán, Western Highlands, Guatemala, Central America Caribbean - page 16

4 Hours We started the day with 4 hours of chicken buses. The first one went from Antigua to Chimaltenango. Apparently you don{t try to get to your final direction, but get to points along the way. We all got seats on the multicolored school bus (more on this later). We were on for about 45 minutes and waited impatiently for the moment when we would have to share with more than 1 person. John (tour leader) and I actually got 4 in our seat with a mom and kid joining us. The next one went to Los encuentros and took about 2 hours. …standing most of the way! Bus 3 went to Solula but did not take too long at all. Empty bus really. But some seats didn´t have cushions. A Blessing for a ... read more

We toured Lake Atitlan by boat, as there are several towns surrounding the lake to visit. The first stop was at Catarina. Then we went to the hot springs and went swimming. There were some spots that were really hot and others that were very cold. After that we went to San Antonio Papalo. Quetzal purchased a quilt that said ¨Guatemala¨for 60 quetzales. The girls all purchased bracelets. We saw the kids making the bracelets. One girl was only 7 years old and they had really fast hands. The last stop was Santiago. That is where we had lunch at El Pescador. It was really good except that we couldn´t eat any fruits or vegetables. It was the biggest town we visited around the lake. Colleen bought 2 coconuts and some platanos. We were almost home ... read more

We tried to wake up before 5am to see the sunrise on the lake, without the noise, but didn't quite make it. We strolled down to the lake thru the very quiet streets, arriving around 6:30am. Although somewhat overcast it was still very pretty. Afterwards, we decided to hike to the nature preserve Richard had told us about. A bit tiresome uphill in the high altitudes, but very scenic. Unfortunately, when we got to the reserve, we found out they didn't open until 2pm, and it was not quite 8am at the time. Oh well, it would have been nice (they had a zip line tour!), but we were booked on the trip back to Antigua at 12 noon. Back to the Inn for some coffee and a bit in the natural hot tub. Very ... read more

After relaxing and getting some orientation and tips from our hosts, we walked into town. Although very touristy, Panajachel (our town on Lake Atitlan) was still colorful and interesting. We stopped first at the Crossroads Cafe (Americn owner Michael) for a couple of cafe con leches to go, then strolled about half way down the main street towards the lakefront, checking myriads of gift shops and Mayan street vendors. We stopped for lunch at "Sandra's", the place the Inn recommended. The British owner was friendly and the food was great. Supposedly Lebanese, but very tasty and varied. We had the appetizer plate and shish kabobs... total with drinks... $15.00. We finished our stroll to the lake, but by now it was raining, which happens most afternoons here, so the view wasn't as stunning. Getting back ... read more

I guess upon arriving in Guatemala, i didnt really know what to expect. After having recently visited the well-travelled tourist-laden tropics of Costa Rica, i guess i was imagining something similar. I had read some about Lago de Atitlan and spoke to fellow travelers who have been there, but nothing can really explain whats it really like to be there, altho i can try. Its more like the rural mountains in Southern Mexico without the coast's collection of Club Meds and Sandals. Panajachel, i guess the biggest tourist town on the lake, is surrounded by towering clifflike mountains on eitherside, split by a "river" in a huge bed of would-be building material. The views of the volcanoes across the lake are startling, and the water mirrors the clouds. The towns collection of both homeless and ... read more