The shuttle bus ride was on the Inter Americana Highway, CA 1. Beginning at 5,000 feet in Antigua, this highway winds its way through the mountains to the top at about 8,600 feet and then back down into Atitlan in about three hours.
Lake Atitlan
My seat mate on the shuttle bus was Tito from Germany and his Guatemalan girlfriend. He indicated that he was a contract software developer and worked remotely here in Guatemala for the past three years. He said most of his work comes from referrals from past work.
It was magical getting peekaboo views of Lake Atitlan as we headed down to Panajachel where I stayed for three nights at the resort like Selina Atitlan Hotel/Hostel.
The lake is surrounded by villages accessed by small ferry boats and in the backdrop are three large volcanoes that ring the lake.
This lake was formed in a similar fashion as Crater Lake in Oregon with a huge volcano eruption over 65,000 years ago and it’s collapsed caldera eventually filled and became Lake Atitlan.
To get to the other villagers that surround the lake I just walked down to the waterfront area where the boats were and I told the touts which village I wanted to go which was San Marcos Laguna which was a haven for new agers, yoga, meditation and all sorts of crystal auras.
During the boat ride I got talking to Devon from Texas, and he indicated that he has been living here for about five years teaching English, and said his folks have a place right on the lake he stays at called Casa de La Piedras or house of the rocks which is appropriate when you see it. He said he didn’t think he’d ever go back to the US and now he has a girlfriend here in Guatemala.
After spending some time in the San Marcos town center under a huge fig tree I wandered on back down toward the ferry boat docks and found this Lakeside restaurant where I had a nice fish meal along with a fabulous view of Lake Atitlan with its 3 volcanoes that many tourists hike up.
By the time I returned the winds had picked up, and the waves were a little rough. I ended up sitting in the front of the boat and it felt like I was getting a chiropractic spinal adjustment at every bounce of the boat against the waves.
The following day I took another boat ride this time to Santa Cruz La Laguna which was a shorter distance and more picturesque. It took me two tuk-tuk rides at a cost of just 10Q to get to the top and end of the paved road where I had an expansive view of the lake and volcanoes.
I also enjoyed watching the kids playing futbol.
While hanging around the pool area I met a number of other travelers that were on extended trips. Amy, from Quebec, is on her way to climb one of the volcanoes. Mardi, Who had just graduated from university in Australia was traveling before she began her career. Kerin, from the UK, was on his first trip since Covid shut everything down. Dani, from Arizona, has been on a five-month trip after quitting her business as a yoga instructor and plans to travel to Portland Oregon following this trip to start anew.
I continue to be pleased with the quality of the hostels I’m staying at. I had chosen breakfast included and I was not disappointed. Each morning I had a bottomless cup of coffee along with a beautiful Eggs Benedict breakfast.
Like the other hostels I’ve stayed at, here they offer shuttle buses to the next town direct to the hotel you’re staying at. This three-hour bus ride cost 140 Q—$18 USD. Dani decided to try her first “chicken “ bus ride before leaving Guatemala in five days. It would take her about 5 to 6 hours since the bus stops anywhere people wave it down. It is affectionately named chicken bus because some of the passengers bring along their live chickens, vegetables, fruits, or other goods.
At the beginning of the bus ride back to Antigua, I met another passenger and it turned out to be Stefano from Italy who was also going to be on the same Intrepid tour as me.
Once we got into Antigua, Stefano got off the bus and started looking for hostels since he did not make reservations ahead of time which turned out to be a mistake because it was a weekend and many people from Guatemala City and El Salvador—big National holiday there.
Later that evening I met up with Stefano at the Brewery where there was a live performance going on and he said he finally found a place to stay. While I was enjoying the entertainment I also met up with Mardi and Dani from Lake Atitlan.
I have recently uploaded all of my travel videos to YouTube now that they allow longer uploads. That link is https://www.youtube.com/c/huntforgold
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