Guatemala, Summer 2014: Lake Atitlán

Monday, June 30, 2014

We woke up early to go to Lake Atitlán. Ali and I went to a little bakery to get pastries and eggs (bought individually and brought home in a little bag), but the shuttle came to pick us up before we could cook or make coffee. Pastries in the van it is, then. We also left in such a rush that we left our toothbrushes, shampoo & conditioner, and brush, too- oops.

The shuttle made stops around Antigua to pick up all the passengers (about 12), then we headed up for the mountains, which are beautifully green. We drove through lots of little towns and saw all sorts of animals and roadside stands. When we finally saw the lake, it was almost another hour before we actually got there. The van kept driving down, and down, and down until we reached Panajachel, where we were dropped off.

Lake Atitlán is a large lake, surrounded by a ring of small towns and three volcanos. Panajachel is the main touristy town, which serves as a hub to other towns, accessible by boat.

We walked through the markets browsing all the stands. Many women and some men in town wear traje típica, or traditional Mayan clothing. The women wear long skirts and blouses, and the men wear pants and shirts, all made out of colorful and intricately woven cloth. At the markets we bought wooden bowls painted with bright flowers and a ceramic plate, mug, and vase.

For lunch we went to Sunset Cafe, which was right on the water with picture-perfect views. Ali told us that she had never had a better enchilada than here, so Potter and I both got them (chicken for him, tofu for me, and a killer salsa verde). Ali branched out and got the burritos, but ended up regretting it. Live and learn. I also got two limonadas con soda, which are quickly becoming a favorite.

Next we walked to the dock to catch a boat to our hotel. Ali told the captain where we were going, and the conversation went like this:

Ali: How much?

Captain: Q 35.00.

A: No, 20.

C: 20?

A: 20.

C: Ok, 20.

We got in a low, approximately 20 foot long motorboat, waited for a few more passengers, then sped off across the lake, bouncing along on the waves. We’ve been lucky to have great weather so far, and the water and sky were so blue. After a while, Ali pointed up one of the hillsides to a beautiful little building with white walls, red roofs, and little balconies nestled into the lush green landscape and said “that’s our hotel!”

The boat dropped us off at the dock and we climbed the stairs up to the hotel (La Casa del Mundo), checked in, and went up to room 13. It has a private balcony right over the water with views of all three volcanos. We spent the rest of the afternoon with coffees and limonada on the balcony. We also walked around the hotel grounds, which are a stacked and woven series of rooms, stairs, gardens, and patios. All the plants were so colorful and lush, and there were so many pieces of Mayan art tucked into the walls.

We walked down to the water, which Ali explained is rising. The lake used to be fed and drained through the bottom, but a recent earthquake shifted the ground in such a way that it doesn’t drain- only fill. We could see a level of terraces and walkways that are now submerged- it was very sad.

Dinner was served family style at a long, beautiful and candle-lit table. The three of us ordered a delicious Chilean cabernet sauvignon. The first course was a vegetable & cilantro soup in a light herbed broth with hearty, multi-grain bread. (My “we’re not used to eating healthy” neighbors dumped salt on it all!) The next course was a sort of antipasti with onions, peppers, olives, and tomatoes. Our main course was roasted veggies (onions, pepper, zucchini, and eggplant), garlic bread, and pearl-sized gnocchi in a veggie/tomato or bolognese sauce. Dessert was strawberry panna cotta. The entire meal was delicious- fresh, tasty, and light but filling.

We ordered another bottle of wine, which we brought up to our balcony. We marveled at the stars (Ali again told us how lucky we were to be getting clear skies), smoked a Cuban cigar we had bought in town, and stayed up late talking. Ali told us about some of the harsher, less pretty sides of Guatemala, and we talked about where she might want to take her career in the next few years.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

We woke up to clear skies and calm waters. (Ali said it’s always calm in the morning and windy in the afternoon.) We could see men below on small wooden boats throwing fish line into the water. Ali & I enjoyed coffee on the balcony, and then we went down to breakfast.

We all got the breakfast burrito with homefries and mango/pineapple juice. A World Cup game between Argentina and Switzerland started, so we watched some of that. We also saw lots of people kayaking in the lake.

After digesting, we put on our bathing suits and swam off of one of the lower terraces. Because of the rising water, we were actually swimming over submerged patio and seating areas. Some of the railings were just the right height for us to walk long. They looked like ancient ruins, but we knew that only 20 years ago, people were sitting there. We had fun swimming around, though. The water was cool, but refreshing, and of course Potter loved that it was salt water (Ali & I are saltwater girls).

We came back up to our room to change, then got a boat to go over to another town on the lake, San Juan. It’s a very small town where lots of co-ops sell work by local artisans.

Our first stop was an herbalist, because Ali has been having some trouble with her asthma. We walked along a narrow, muddy path by the shore and reached a small house. Ali explained her problem, but they were out of what she needed. The offered us a tour of their gardens, though. Ali translated for us as the woman explained what all the plants were and what ailments they were used to treat. She broke off bits for us to smell, too.

Next we went into a shop that had paintings for sale on almost every square inch of wall space. Many were of the “vista de ave” style, which are bird’s eye views of women at marketplaces sorting through their wares. They’re densely patterned, so you see the women’s heads, bowls, and whatever the subject of the painting is: corn, coffee, fruits, flowers, or a mixture. They’re painted in vivid color, and sometimes the products will have thickly layered paint, too. Potter and I got a large one for ourselves, and got a few small square ones for Ali, too. We also got a beaded Quetzal, the national bird, to hang on our Christmas tree.

We walked further up the hill into town and found a restaurant with nice views of the lake and a TV to watch the USA / Belgium game. Potter and Ali had pizzas, and I got nachos. While we were waiting for our food, we heard a procession coming by, and went out to watch. There were hundreds of people marching: a guy in the front would run ahead and set off fireworks. He was followed by a marching band with lots of clarinets and big drums. Next came lots of people walking, mostly women in traje típica. They were waving incense, throwing flower petals, and in the center were two floats (for lack of a better word) with flowers, gilded towers, and statues of what was probably a saint. Someone had a megaphone, and every so often there was a call and chanted response. The whole thing felt very somber… except for the girl I saw who was giggling as she threw flower petals at people.

After lunch we wandered around town. The women’s weaving co-op that Ali wanted to take us to was closed, unfortunately, but we still walked around. We shared a coconut (water and meat), got a funky fruit where you popped big seeds out of a pod and sucked off the meat, and saw some adobe buildings. We poked our heads into a bar to watch the overtime of the USA / Belgium game, but headed out when we heard thunder. Belgium ended up winning.

We went down to the dock to get a boat back to our hotel, but because San Juan is so small, the boats come infrequently. We decided to take a tuk tuk over to the next town, San Pedro, to catch a boat. Tuk tuks are a Guatemalan type of taxi. They are very small, only have one front wheel, and are open air. We piled into the back and drove up into the hills to cross over to San Pedro. Mom called the tuk tuks blenders, and I could see why- you get shook around inside!

Once in town we went down to the dock and got a boat that would take us back to La Casa Del Mundo. Even though the sky had darkened and we had previously heard thunder, it still wasn’t raining. Ali reminded us again how ridiculously lucky we had gotten with weather.

On the boat we met a very nice Guatemalan man. He offered to take our picture, and he and Ali chatted. He spoke slowly enough that I could understand bits and pieces of what he was saying, too.

Once back at the hotel, we ventured down for dinner. There were only 10 of us at the table, so it made for better conversation. Dinner was pumpkin soup with cilantro pesto; julienned veggie salad with sesame seeds; roasted veggies, rice, and veggie or chicken curry; and fruit wontons. We met some interesting people at dinner. One woman is an Evangelical missionary who has lived in Antigua for 8 years. Another woman had lived in a remote Guatemalan village in the 70’s and left right before the civil war. Her daughter was studying to become a vet, and was in Guatemala to rehabilitate poached animals. Another girl had just quit her job as a nurse in NYC and was traveling the world, including Central America, Ireland, and India.

Once back up in our room, we stayed up talking for a while. Then I spotted a spider on the wall that, including its legs, was nearly 3 inches across. Ali dealt with him like a boss, and said it was the biggest non-tarantula spider she’d ever seen. EEW. We went to bed trying not to think about it.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

The morning began with our now typical coffee on the balcony. Once Potter woke up, we headed down for breakfast: breakfast burrito again for Ali, eggs with homefries and toast for Potter, and French toast with fresh fruit and homemade fruit compote for me. We all had cantaloupe-pineapple juice.

After breakfast, we went down to the water for one last swim. I set up my camera with a self-timer so we could get some group shots, then Ali & I got a little silly with some mermaid and synchronized swimming poses. We thanked the lake for a great time, then headed out.