Mi casa es su casa

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Back at the lake again (they say once you´ve seen it you´ll always come back). The entry on the mountain school is on the way . . . will get onto it.

Initially arrived here with two American friends - Hayley and Thompson - from the school. We went to the biggest market in Guatemala, Chichicastenango on Sunday and then chicken bused the last hour here. Having found a place for 1.50 euro a night (with hot shower!) we went out for some drinks in Zoola which is basically the most chilled out place ever (as is the whole town really, you may remember I biked here three weeks ago). You lie around in this huge straw hut on cushions on the ground. Its so chilled out it takes an hour for them to process your order . . .

The next day we went down to the lake (after splashing out on a huge western breakfast of fruit salad, yoghurt and granola) to see about renting kayaks. A six-year-old Mayan girl was manning the stand and agreed to rent us a three-person kayak (that hadnt seen daylight in at least three years) for a couple of hours. We had a quick health and safety test which consisted of her asking us one by one if we could swim. When we confirmed we could she cleaned out the kayak and just as we were about to push off Thompson managed to come up with some word for life jacket and asked her if we could get some (you may remember this lake is as deep as the volcanoes rising out of it are high). At this her little face clouded over and she frowned: "I thought you said you could swim!" so off we went without life jackets and paddled for about half an hour until we came to this amazing private beach. After a quick swim, a look at the amazing lake we were back in the kayak and paddling back to San Pedro.

Hayley and Thompson left early the following day. Hayley back home to California and Thompson to Xela for more classes. We toasted their departure with some local Gallo beer on the roof of the hotel where all around us you could see little towns lighting up parts of the lake. The climate here is perfect. Warm during the day but always with a breeze and at night you never need more than a sweater. The houses here have neither heating nor air con - perfect.

Once they left I had my first lie in since leaving home and got up at 8 am. I had plans to go over to one of the largest towns on the far side of the lake where my friend Lindsey from Antigua is working. San Lucas hasnt managed to get any of the tourists so I was interested to see what it was like. Indeed getting there proved a challenge and I finally managed to get a boat/lancha to Santiago. Once I got there I asked about a bus to San Lucas and before I knew what was happening these three men were running with me to get a dilapidated bus that was already moving. Spent the next half our speeding around a windy road until a little old woman helpfully gave me a sharp tap on the head to tell me we´d arrived in San Lucas.

The town was a bit crazy because it was market day and there was all this noise and commotion but I finally found Lindsey and we headed back to her place. Shes living with this great young family. They have an amazing house (esp after what I saw in the mountain school) with proper windows and tiles. She lives on the top floor, has her own door and bathroom - only downside is the families fridge is in her apartment . . . and she has no sink so has to drain the water from cooking into her toilet.

We went to the market to get ingrediants for cooking and got talking to a nice man who had lived in Minnosota for 30 years and was now retired here. His cousin invited us to have a coffee in his house so we went and he entertained for the next hour with stories of how he met Pavorotti, what his three daughters are up to, etc. His father had been the mayor of the town 15 years ago and he was obviously quite well off. He was also incredibly generous and was urging me to take half his book collection home with me. We finally agreed I would take a supplement from the Prensa Libre newspaper on the regions Indian population and we left with him reminding us we were always welcome back.

Lindsey´s host family was the same. Joking with me and telling me I can come back any time. The dad came into the apartment that night and we talked for hours about pretty much everything. When I left the next morning (today) he was shaking my hand and asking me when Id be back!

I caught a pick up with about 30 locals to Santiago and caught the boat back to San Pedro for my first day alone . . . of course Id only arrived on land when I ran into a Canadian from the bar on Sunday night and went to breakfast with him and two Israeli girls. This place is huge with Israelis! Meeting him for dinner later too! Dont have a watch so meeting at nightfall which is interesting.

Spent the rest of today hanging out by Daniels pool. He even remembered my name from the last time. He cooked me lunch with his friend which was nice and spent the rest of the afternoon on my lounger hoping the millions of scars on my legs would fade a bit and avoiding the splashes of the twenty little Mayan girls who had invaded the pool.

All in all a pretty great 24 hours. Going across the lake to Panajachel tomorrow before getting my bus to San Cristobal, Mexico on Friday morning!

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Comments

[Mark]

Definition of a lie in
A lie in til 8am?!