Lake Atitlan

Guatemala Fun Fact #2: The CIA declassified documents admitting to being behind the 1945 coup, funding a military dictatorship, and training the Guatemelan army in psychological warfare. But still, much was blacked out. What could they have done that was any worse?

After Anitgua we set out for Lake Atitlan. lake Atitlan is a crater that was created by a volcanic eruption some 85,000 years ago. The blast was so big, that magma reached Panama and Florida. Fortunately for tourists today, so much earth was shot out that the ground nearbye collapsed, creating a huge crater that eventually filled up with water. Lake Atitlan is extremely beautiful. During the 60´s and 70´s it not only drew toruists, but a huge hippy contingent who claimed to be drawn by the killer vortex of the lake. The 80´s Civil War dampered the free love feel, but Lake Atitlan is back. Besides the numerous new hotels, many more were in the process of being built all around the lake.

What I liked most about the lake was it´s remoteness, you mostly went by boat taxi, and I think that caused each town to feel particularly different. There was Panahachel, where you arrived, and had a little bit of a Tijuana feel, but also was oddly likable. San Pedro, where the hippies made their home. San Marcos, home of the New Age pyramid hotel that offered Moon classes. And Santiago Atitlan, which was extremely traditional and the men wore clam digger pants with pin stripes on them.

We stayed in Jabilito, a tiny town with an incredible hotel that was perched right on the side of a mountain looking into the lake. During the day we went on hikes, visited the other islands, and even kayaked once. At night there were family style dinners where we met some other travelers. The only downside was the flipside to the remoteness, it was kind of hard to go anywhere else. Boat taxi is not a fast way to get anywhere and it rained, pretty hard, virtually every afternoon. We tried for 3 days to eat somewhere else for dinner and were continuosly thwarted by the elements. On the last day we bit the bullet and hiked to another town in the dark during a rain storm adorned in our garbage bag like ponchos. We swiftly ate our dinner (well I did, Marsha threw hers up, but that´s another story involving a parasite she got at Pizza Utz (Pizza Good)) and hopped the last taxi back to our hotel.

Anway, overall a very enjoyable time in possibly the best hotel I´ve ever stayed at (Casa Del Mundo). And those moon courses are to die for!