Here be dragons
A large and beautiful lake. Wisps of cloud in the azure sky. Small towns dotting the hillsides down to the water. And towering above it, three volcanoes. I kept looking to the sky expecting to see Smaug, though he didn’t show. That, in a nutshell, is Lake Atilán. Indeed, having travelled the length of Guatemala now, it’s a country of exceptional natural beauty, with a bit of everything, and would have made a more than adequate Middle-earth had Peter Jackson not plumped for New Zealand.
The long and winding road out of Utopia began on the pick-up. No eggs this time but I was clinging on in the back with seven others. And thank the lord it wasn’t raining as it had been every other morning there. After that bone-rattling half hour we boarded the shuttle and as the hours slipped by the journey became increasingly smooth as we left the wilds behind for a different kind of scenery. We eventually arrived in Panajachel, the lake’s gateway town, shortly after sundown. Hopping in a tuk tuk (another new experience), I was whisked off to my accommodation for a quiet night.
The real deal began the next day with a boat across to San Pedro, my base for a few days. The crossing was choppier than I was expecting, if hardly the high seas. I found an incredibly cheap single room so treated myself to a bit of privacy and a pleasant couple of nights outside of a dorm. Located right in the thick of it, the town itself is a rabbit warren of alleyways and the main strip on the waterfront. The most traveller-friendly of the dozen or so towns, it’s developed quite a reputation for its language schools. After eventually getting my bearings I found some favourite hotspots for eating and drinking, notably a craft beer bar and an excellent Middle Eastern place. And the icing on this particular cake was the eponymous volcano looming overhead.
I took trips to a couple of the other towns too. San Juan was an easy walk, known for its textiles and local art in a couple of small galleries. San Marcos, on the other hand, was a short boat trip to a pretty little town which was New Age Central. More spiritual centres than you can shake a dream catcher at, if it was probiotic, organic and vegan then you could find it here. I wandered above town to the yoga forest (yes, really) as it afforded nice views down, as well as checking out a park with a cracking panorama of the lake and Volcan San Pedro.
And speaking of the volcano, the best thing I did was to climb it. Alongside three fellow hikers from the States, two guides and two excitable dogs, we set off for the base in tuk tuks. They may be taxis but for me they were like buses given how long I’d gone in my life without having been in one and then taking three in as many days. Starting 1500 metres above sea level, we were ascending to just over 3000 metres. It was a challenging but manageable climb in perfect conditions - sunny but we were largely shaded, not too warm and a light breeze. I know I’ve banged on about the weather a lot - and yes, it’s a national occupation - but when so much of what you’re doing is outdoors it does have an effect on things. Plus it was my first consistently nice (warm! sunny! dry!) weather in at least a fortnight. And just in case you were wondering, the volcano is extinct and covered in greenery. We passed coffee and avocados on the way up, as well as other interesting local fauna as apparently the soil is excellent - to me it just seemed dusty, as my feet and legs will testify. Only right near the top was there a change, with it becoming muddier underfoot, presumably because at a certain height we were at the same level as the clouds. And after three hours, we reached the summit. The crater was filled in with trees and plants but the vistas down to the lake were the good stuff and well worth the climb. After lunch spent sheltering from the wicked wind whipping around us, it was time to descend. An excellent day was capped off with a hard-earned beer and the hope that my body would forgive me the next day.
The long and winding road out of Utopia began on the pick-up. No eggs this time but I was clinging on in the back with seven others. And thank the lord it wasn’t raining as it had been every other morning there. After that bone-rattling half hour we boarded the shuttle and as the hours slipped by the journey became increasingly smooth as we left the wilds behind for a different kind of scenery. We eventually arrived in Panajachel, the lake’s gateway town, shortly after sundown. Hopping in a tuk tuk (another new experience), I was whisked off to my accommodation for a quiet night.
The real deal began the next day with a boat across to San Pedro, my base for a few days. The crossing was choppier than I was expecting, if hardly the high seas. I found an incredibly cheap single room so treated myself to a bit of privacy and a pleasant couple of nights outside of a dorm. Located right in the thick of it, the town itself is a rabbit warren of alleyways and the main strip on the waterfront. The most traveller-friendly of the dozen or so towns, it’s developed quite a reputation for its language schools. After eventually getting my bearings I found some favourite hotspots for eating and drinking, notably a craft beer bar and an excellent Middle Eastern place. And the icing on this particular cake was the eponymous volcano looming overhead.
I took trips to a couple of the other towns too. San Juan was an easy walk, known for its textiles and local art in a couple of small galleries. San Marcos, on the other hand, was a short boat trip to a pretty little town which was New Age Central. More spiritual centres than you can shake a dream catcher at, if it was probiotic, organic and vegan then you could find it here. I wandered above town to the yoga forest (yes, really) as it afforded nice views down, as well as checking out a park with a cracking panorama of the lake and Volcan San Pedro.
And speaking of the volcano, the best thing I did was to climb it. Alongside three fellow hikers from the States, two guides and two excitable dogs, we set off for the base in tuk tuks. They may be taxis but for me they were like buses given how long I’d gone in my life without having been in one and then taking three in as many days. Starting 1500 metres above sea level, we were ascending to just over 3000 metres. It was a challenging but manageable climb in perfect conditions - sunny but we were largely shaded, not too warm and a light breeze. I know I’ve banged on about the weather a lot - and yes, it’s a national occupation - but when so much of what you’re doing is outdoors it does have an effect on things. Plus it was my first consistently nice (warm! sunny! dry!) weather in at least a fortnight. And just in case you were wondering, the volcano is extinct and covered in greenery. We passed coffee and avocados on the way up, as well as other interesting local fauna as apparently the soil is excellent - to me it just seemed dusty, as my feet and legs will testify. Only right near the top was there a change, with it becoming muddier underfoot, presumably because at a certain height we were at the same level as the clouds. And after three hours, we reached the summit. The crater was filled in with trees and plants but the vistas down to the lake were the good stuff and well worth the climb. After lunch spent sheltering from the wicked wind whipping around us, it was time to descend. An excellent day was capped off with a hard-earned beer and the hope that my body would forgive me the next day.
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