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April 28th 2002

Published: April 28th 2002

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johnb

Chichicastenango

One of the many market stalls, this one specializing in masks

We left the beautiful lakeside Panajachel on one of the beaten up chicken buses Guatamalan people have as public transport, over and through the many mountain ranges to Chichicastenengo, a small mountain town (2000 m above sea level) famous for it´s Sunday market. It was Easter Saturday when we arrived and the town was already putting on various colourful religious processions in its narrow streets. Quite a spectacle. Samana Santa was happening everywhere!

On our last night in Panajachel, Dean hurt his neck a little while sleeping using the rock-hard pillows at the hotel. On our arrival in Chichi we did the usual orientation walk in the town centre when Dean slipped off the gutter and jarred his neck further, so bad he had pain all down his side and had to lay down the rest of the day. He couldn´t even move once in bed. No doctor was needed, only a constant supply of strong painkillers. There was nothing anyone could do for him, and as a good husband I sat next to him while he lay there, in pain, not being able to move. After a short while Dean told me just to go out rather than sit

Chichicastenango

Going for an afternoon stroll

in the room and twiddle my thumbs. I did feel like a coffee after all, so I went out and found a cafe by the main plaza. It was late afternoon when I sat there for a couple of hours watching the locals setting up their stalls for the huge market the following day. The sun went down so I returned to the hotel to a worried Dean, thinking something happened to me.

The next day was Easter, and also the big Sunday market. The central plaza in town had transformed into multiple rows of makeshift kitchens covered with tarps and corrugated tin. Once underneath, it was dark and filled with the aromas of burning wood, oil, cooking foods and spices. It was like a huge soup kitchen, women running around preparing all sorts of Guatamalan dishes, and you can just sit at any of the stalls and eat what you wanted. Lots of fried chicken, ribs, offal, rice, potatoes, soups and breads. Radiating out from the centre of all this were the streets and alleys which were packed tightly with stalls selling things like fresh fruit & vege´s, bright woven fabrics made into all sorts of things, wooden

Chichicastenango

chapel in the market area

masks, ceramics. It was best just to get lost in this huge bazaar, and see it for all it's worth.
Dean´s neck was a lot better as the days progressed, though it took about a week for it to heal completely.

Our next destination was Antigua, a gorgeous town at the foot of a huge volcano, with cobbled streets, centuries-old ruins from earthquakes, and brightly coloured bouganvillea cascading off the many colourful stucco buildings which contain galleries, jade shops, restaurants and bakeries. We spent most of our time sitting in various leafy courtyards by the bubbling fountains sipping cool drinks and eating good food.

While in Antiqua we did a side-trip to Pacaya, one of the regions active volcano´s about an hour away. We were dropped off at a small village in the foothills where we made our way on through the forest up to where the trees stopped, the volcanic gravel began, and an eerie cool mist was being blown up the valley towards us. The volcano was now up ahead, spewing thick smoke from its crater. As we got closer, and higher, we were in view of the huge solid black river which was a lava

Chichicastenango

fresh beans basking in the afternoon sun at the market

flow from an eruption two years back. I assumed we´d stop here, but our guide pointed out the path leading up the side of the volcano where it disappeared in the smoke coming out of the crater. I was a bit hesitant, but then thought cool, how many times do you get the opportunity to climb an active volcano? So up we went, slipping and sliding in the coarse volcanic gravel to the top. It was cold and windy up there, the view over to the surrounding valleys and volcanic peaks was to die for (hopefully not now), though we couldn´t see into the crater from the thick smoke. I was just hoping it wouldn´t erupt while we stood triumphantly at the crater rim. It was fantastic.

After our little frollic up the volcano, the following day we jumped on a bus headed north on a 10-hour trip to Lake Peten Itza. Off through the mountains we went in a slightly better bus than the norm - we even had air conditioning ... what a luxury! Our ride was made even more exciting when we stopped at a small blink-and-you-miss-it town to pick up more people, when one of

Chichicastenango

Semana Santa

these
people got out of his seat when the bus started moving, and proceded to preach at the top of his lungs to all of us. Most of the people on the bus were locals who seemed ok with the idea, but for the whole 40 minutes I wished I'd brought ear plugs. My ears were ringing after Mr Preacher yelled at us in Spanish, and once finished
(thank Christ) he paced the aisle collecting coins in payment for his work. He didn't stop at us, perhaps because he saw me with my fingers in my ears while he yelled.

Finally we arrived at the lake, jumped off the bus into blistering heat, then quickly jumped into a cab that drove us a bit further onto a small island called Flores where we found a hotel overlooking the water. Flores is quite small, has the usual church on the hill in the centre of town, and restaurants and several small shops.
Nothing too exciting. Just bloody hot! I remember our first day there was spent swimming in the lake with the ducks, laying in hammocks on the roof
reading our books catching the cool breeze, then wandering down to

Antigua

The imposing volcano over Antigua makes a great back-drop for these colourful buildings

an outdoor cafe by the lake to drink beers and watch the sun set. Nice.

The following day we rose at sunrise when the air was cool and the lake had a mist on it and were driven up to the old Mayan city in ruin - Tikal. The location was gorgeous with crumbling pyramids that peek high above the jungle canopy where you get a birds-eye view over the
tree-tops to the other pyramids. The whole site covers something like 15 square km, so it took us about 5 hours wandering through the thick jungle exploring the many ruins while seeing things like howler and spider monkeys, colourful turkeys, toucans, and strange animals that resemble possums but have a long nose. It was a great day.

That was our last day in Guatemala, so the next destination was Belize. Once we arrived by bus into Belize City we jumped onto a speed boat taxi which sped us off across the turqoise waters of the Caribbean to Caye Caulker, a long narrow island only 40 minutes away. Pretty much the entire length of the Belize coastline (including its islands) are sheltered by a barrier reef, so there is

Antigua

La Merced, built in 1548

no surf, just crystal-clear water lapping away at white sandy beaches. The village on Caye Caulker is quite small - houses, shops and restaurants dotted here and there, with no real streets, just white sandy paths. There are no cars, just mopeds, bikes and golf carts (but no golf course). Dean & I were expecting the beachfront to be lined with restaurants and bars, but it was nothing like that. The locals are mostly of African descent, with dreadlocked or braided hair, a big white
smile, and speaking in pigeon-english.

We did a little boat trip on our second day to the outer reef where we snorkelled in clear water and swam with dozens of sting rays and nurse sharks. That was heaps of fun. This was just a starter, as the next day we were diving. Unfortunately the wind had picked up quite a bit overnight and made the water inside the reef a bit choppy, then once we got out past the reef to the deep water the swell was between 3 & 4 metres. I had never been sea sick in my life, but sitting in a small boat going up and down, seeing the horizon

Antigua

Cafe Condesa - a book shop with a gorgeous courtyard cafe out the back

then not seeing it, made my stomach turn. The divemaster said it would be a lot better once we get underwater. I was just wodering how we'd do this in such a huge swell. Mind you, for those that don't know, Dean & I qualified as divers in Sydney before we left, so after our first four learner-dives at calm Shelly Beach and inside a swimming pool, this, our first 'real' dive
was a bit nerve-racking. Getting into the very rough water was easier than I thought, but we had to grab the anchor-line to descend otherwise we'd be swept away to somewhere like Honduras! The divemaster was right, once we descended past a few metres, the surge was calm and the visibility was around 30 meters. I'm sure my face was green from the rocking in the boat, but once in the huge 'aquarium' I had a constant smile on my face. Not that you could see
it because of the regulator. It was just amazing.

We surfaced after the 40 minutes or so to rest and tank up for the second dive, but once on the surface the wind had picked up even more and the waves

Antigua

view from Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross)

were even bigger. My stomach turned instantly as I tried to grab the ladder of the boat which was going up and down 4 metres each time. Once on board we headed into the reef to calmer waters and decided to abort the second dive - I was pleased. Instead
we just put on our fins & masks and swam with more nurse sharks & rays, but I had to get out because I still wasn't well. Dean was just about to get into the boat when he looked up and saw me hurling my breakfast of fruit salad & yoghurt. Dean quickly dived under water to avoid it, and shortly after said I created a feeding frenzy for the fish which he witnessed underwater. The remaining few days on the island were spent just swimming and eating and drinking.

Once we left the island we headed north and returned to Mexico, spent a night at Chetumal in a hotel building that resembled a communist jail, then kept going north to the 'Mayan Riviera', found a place near Tulum by the beach and shacked up in a cabaña for a few days. It was located on a white sandy

Pacaya volcano

trudging up the volcano

beach lined with coconut trees, 10 metres from the turquoise water. The cabaña was quite primitive : thatched roof, walls made from sticks, and a mattress
suspended from the corners by ropes above the sand floor. Keeps the creepy-crawlies away! The only thing I didn't like was the be swinging every time you moved, and sand in the sheets & up your crack. Just up the road were the Tulum ruins - more Mayan structures, but in an idyllic location on top of lava pinnacles by the white sand and clear water. Very nice.

We left all this behind as we travelled further north up the Riviera to Palaya Del Carmen, which is like an up-market version of Bali's Kuta area. Funny, half an hour into the bus ride Dean realized our passports were left behindat the cabaña reception, so in a mad panic we asked for the bus to be stopped (on a highway in the middle of nowhere), proceeded to jump off and flag a willing & helpfulcab speeding past to take us back and pick up our most import documents. This done, we sat again and waited for the next bus up the coast. De ja

Pacaya volcano

view from the summit to the neighbouring Agua Volcano

vu. We've been In Playa del Carmen for two days now. Streets lined with
expensive shops, restaurants, you name it, all running parrallel to the incredibly beautiful beach looking out to Cozumel island on the horizon.

Today we got the ferry to Cozumel where we did more diving - this time in perfect conditions. Our first dive was on the reef edge where it drops sharply into dark nothingness. Underwater it was so clear you could see up to 70 metres. We got down to 26 metres, 8 metres deeper than we're qualified to go. Coral was everywhere in every colour and shape you could imagine. Loads of beautiful fish, and our divemaster took us through the coral caverns and tunnels and pinnacles on the wall that disappeared below us. I think I'm definitely over my fear of
the ocean. I can't wait for the next dive.

Next stop - Merida

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