18 October 2009

A Weekend Getaway


K. and I spent the weekend up at Lake Atitlan. This natural beauty is surrounded by steep mountains and several large volcanoes. It's about 3.5 hours NW of Antigua and well worth the ride. The area reminded me a bit of Lake Tahoe and Cinque Terra, Italy. There are about a dozen small towns surrounding the lake, most of them built into the steep hills. Much of the land is heavily terraced for agriculture. And there are a lot of nice lake-front properties. You can tell this is where Guatemala's wealthy elite have second homes. (Here I am still looking gaunt, but happy to eat well, after my bout with Typhoid fever)


Friday we serendipitously happened upon a great outdoor market in the town of Solola. We caught a bus to the hub town of Panejachel (which K. still can't pronounce correctly), and then a boat to San Pedro. Saturday was hiking up Volcano San Pedro.

After a night of not sleeping well and an early rise, we were ready to leave the hustle behind and find somewhere more tranquil. San Marcos was the perfect solution. It was quiet, well vegetated, and home to many gringo naturalists interested in yoga, healthy food, massage, meditation, etc. We instantly felt better. We ate well and read books in hammocks in the garden. Our hotel was one man's art masterpiece, with everything being hand made of mostly recycled materials and delicately crafted.

We're now back in the Antigua area and have one day to visit the doctor, do a little shopping, pack for Costa Rica, and have a celebratory dinner. It's our last day in Guatemala, and it's the day before I turn 29. I get to celebrate in two countries!

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