Hotel Atitlan Panajachel

... not exactly spacious. About halfway through the ride, a
middle-aged woman came and squeezed on the seat next to Susan.
Considering that there was already three across from us (and the guy
across from us was pretty much in the aisle), and that Ted is three
times the size of any Guatemalan, we thought it was a little odd that
she´d choose to pack us in like gringo sardines. And as seats started
to open up around us, we found it downright bizarre. But ...

I haven't written this week because there really hasn't been much to write, I have been very busy with class in the morning and homework in the afternoon. A few eventful things have happened:

1. I ate the grosses meal I think I have ever had. Hot Dog Stew. That is the name I give it, I am not sure the official title. I wasn't feeling very well a couple days ago anyhow, but generally, Latin folks don't understand the concept of just giving someone 'a little bit' of food ...

... to get to Panajachel. Each time we got off there was another bus waiting who confirmed ‘Panajachel’ quickly and then tossed our bags up onto the roof and quickly departed! At around 3:30ish we arrived in Panajachel – on Lake Aititlan, We intend to spend the rest of this week on the Lake – which is a beautiful and tranquil volcanic lake set in the highlands in Western Guatamala. ‘Pana’ is known locally as Gringo town – ...

... to my ankles. I arrived in the village battered, bloodied and bruised but not defeated.

The Ritz

We walked through yet another maize field and came across a small collection of houses surrounding an open area where there was a stone sink and a small clearing. We were told there was not enough water for a shower but we could ‘bush shower’ which consisted of using the water already drawn in a stone sink and using small bowls pour the cold water over ...

... tat, and a remarkably unsafe looking ferris wheel. The wind had really picked up by the time we came back, so we were all glad to step onto dry land by the end of it. We will stop here in Panajachel just for tonight (we´re off out to a cool sounding bar tonight, apparently with good food and live music) before a long driving day tomorrow will take us back into southern Mexico, to the town of San Cristobal. A futher update will follow from there, no doubt...

... nothing and he also sold the house. Ana has barely any money to send her children to school and in a few weeks will have no roof over her head, no kitchen, and no running water. Though she is typically strong and has persevered, especially with running the women’s cooperative and sales, she began to weep while she talked about her difficult situation. Ana dabbed at her face with the edge of her huipile ...

Nos despertamos a 5 en la mañana y viajar a Panajachel, Guatemala. Panajachel es en un lago, el lago es Lake Atitlan. Pero primero salimos nosotros comemos a Café Rainbow. Yo tuve un muffin y un caliente chocolate. Cuando llegamos en Panajachel yo compre un tiquete para mi novia a paraglide en Lake Atitlan. Ella lo amó. Después almorzamos a McDonalds. McDonalds en Guatemala es muy rápido, más rápido ...

... in the northern part of the country.










FLORES AND TIKAL

Flores is a small town on an island on the Lago de Peten Itza, connected to the lakeshore town of Santa Elena by a 500m long causeway. It was to be a whirlwind visit however, as our only reason for being there was to see the nearby ruins of Tikal – reputedly the granddaddy of all Mayan sites in Central America ...