Return to Lago Atitlan in San Pedro
Trip Start
May 23, 2007
1
19
22
Trip End
Oct 03, 2007
San Pedro La Laguna,
Guatemala
Monday, August 13, 2007
We have once again gotten a break from constant rain lately and it was really warm the end of last week and Saturday. The weather here makes me feel right at home because you can never predict what it will be like tomorrow or even later the same day. This morning it was chilly so I dressed a bit warm and then of course it warmed up and I was roasting. But like normal it cooled off around 2pm with some light rain and it has been cloudy since. But not cold. It is perfect in a t-shirt and pants. Lots of times it is almost too chilly for sandals, but I am stubborn since it is summer right now in my brain and I love wearing sandals. I don{t want to miss that shoe season!
Saturday night I felt my first earthquake related tremor
Chicken Bus to Xela
. It was definately scary and I hope to experience no more. It is not comforting that I live in a cement building with another floor above mine. I had gone out to dinner with 2 friends to celebrate one friends birthday. We had the greatest Thai food ever! Much later I was back at home and getting ready to go to bed around midnight when it seemed like a wind tunnel went through the apartment. At least at first that is what I thought because the glass in the windows and the blinds were shaking, but then I caught a glimpse of my water bottle next to my bed and the water was sloshing. I also realized the whole building was shaking. I do not know how long it lasted but 10 seconds might be stretching it. I panicked a little not sure if I should run outside in my pajamas or what. Luckily it was over before I could decide.Tomorrow I leave Xela to head to Guatemala City. Yes, friends I have been here 90 days next Monday and my time allowed in Guatemala will expire. So I have to go to the Capital to get a new stamp issuing me 90 more days in Guatemala. It is standard procedure, but the Capital is a very dangerous place. I am taking a tour company private van to the Capitol, not because the chicken buses are unsafe, but arriving alone in Guatemala at their huge bus terminal would not be safe at all. I would not have a clue where to go and also looking young, female and American I would be an instant target
Horseback Riding with Rikke
. This van will drop me off at the hostal I am staying at. Zone 1 in downtown has the cheapest places to stay, but it again is the most dangerous part of town. So my next choice was next to the airport. But my hostal has a restuarant so I will not have to venture out after dark alone. I really hate not being able to come and go as I please and not have to hide my id and money in different pockets, a hidden money belt and other places. I miss safe Iowa!!! So please keep my safety in your prayers this week. I am going to be as cautious as possible, but I still worry a little. It could take 2 days or 3 days one never knows so I guess I will wait and find out. Unfortunately to do this I had to cancel my classes for the rest of this week. But I think I really need this break to store up some strength for my final 5 weeks of volunteering. I am starting to get worn down and very anxious to return home. I know I can make it through, but I want to finish doing a good job and enjoy the rest of my time here too. On the way home I have to travel through Antigua, a colonial Spanish city that was once the Capital of Central America. I have heard it is very beautiful and safe so it will be a nice place to spend the weekend before returning back to Xela on Sunday.Now for my latest adventure. A few weekends ago I went back to Lago Atitlan with 2 friends. Susan, from London, who lived on the lake in 2 different towns for 4 months before coming to Xela
View of the Indians Nose
. And Rikke from Denmark. Susan wanted to visit old friends, Rikke had never been to the lake, and I wanted to see a different town than my last trip and experience the lake while not being on tour group itinerary. At a decent time in the morning we went to the bus terminal and hopped a chicken bus for the lake. We had to first go to Los Encuentros and change buses there. We got there early enough to get seats, but it filled up fast and we were piled 3 in each seat with people straddling aisles and whatever space they could find. Once we hit the road the other man working on the bus besides the driver made his way through the aisle to collect money from all the passengers. Susan knew the correct price, but was waiting to see if he would make us pay extra like many gringos have to. He got to me first and I told him where I was heading. He said doce, 12, and that was the correct price. Susan was in disbelief that he did not try to make us pay extra. I looked down and realized my cross necklace was standing out and proud and I thought maybe he saw it and maybe he is a religious man and decided to not overcharge us. Or maybe he was just being fair. I will never know, but I like to think it helped.We got off at Los Encuentros and then boarded another chicken bus for Solola. Then in Solola we walked through a beautiful square to catch a third bus to Panajachel. We had to climb down the mountain to get to Panajachel on the lake. All I can say about the chicken buses is that at least we were in the back and could not see when he was passing right before a curve, etc. It was very bumpy and our backs were very sore by the end of the trip. We arrived in Panajachel and walked through the market on our way to the docks. We had thought about eating here before getting the lancher (boat) across the lake to San Pedro, but the weather was changing and the lake was getting choppy so we decided to get to San Pedro ASAP. After a short bathroom break paying both for the use of the toilet and for the paper we boarded the lancher to San Pedro. On the day we went there are no direct buses to San Pedro therefore the 3 buses and one boat to get to our destination.
Susan and Rikke boarded the back and the guy yelled to me something about en frente. I questioned what he said, did you say I need to go in the front while gesturing. Some rude American guy said, yes that is right he told you to go in the front. So my Spanish is not close to fluent, but the boat was loud and the guy had his back turned to me. So what if I wanted to make sure I understood. Okay, my big pet peeve here is people who are from the States or Europe and either live here now or have been traveling so long that they no longer feel like a tourist. These people think they know everything about the country there are in and they have no problem making fun of those of us travelers who are not as well seasoned. They forget that at one time they too were green in the ways of living in Guatemala. Now that I have been here awhile I try to remember that and when I encounter new visitors I help them without being condescending and annoyed with their questions.
Okay so I climb into the front of the lancher, but where is there a seat? Two guys make some room in the very front but I squeeze past them to the next row and sit by an American woman with a local man and child beside her. Boy am I glad I did not sit in the front row!!!! We took off on choppy waters with sprinking rain. We had to go straight across the lake. Time is money so we of course went full speed ahead. Water was gushing in from the front and the three travelers in the front were soaked by the time we reached San Pedro. I had picked the perfect location because the wind was not blowing in my direction so I did not get very wet. But I was getting very seasick. And of course the motor went out when we were halfway across the lake. Susan said, so I guess we get out and swim now. We all laughed but deep down I was really hoping it would not come to that. And soon the engine was going again and we were in San Pedro in about 30 minutes total.
We arrived in San Pedro and the boat guy did want to rip us off. The normal price is 15Q but he said it was 20Q. Susan argued with him that she lived there and knew the price was 15Q. After arguing awhile he said she could pay 15 but since we did not live there we had to pay 20. She was not happy, but I said I was fine paying 20Q which is not more than $3. It was not worth arguing about. So then we were headed to our hostal. It is a nice, small place with clean rooms of cement walls, tile floors and no spiders. We each had a single room and we had our own shower and toilet in our room. It was great to have this but it was funny because you step up into a closet type door and the shower is just a nozzle out of the wall beside the toilet. No shower curtain or anything, but it was all tiled. The only crap things was that the toilet gets wet when you shower. But this hostal was cheap for the nice accommadations and it even had a nice courtyard restaurant. We had lunch there and then Rikke and I ventured out while Susan reconnected with old friends.
Rikke and I both wanted to go horseback riding so we went down near the dock to Big Foot the local travel agency. We paid about $10 each for a 3 hour horseback ride with a guide for the next morning. Then we ventured around town and tried to find our way back to our hostel and got totally lost. We called Susan and then felt stupid because we had just passed it and were basically standing right outside the door. In these lake towns you have to understand that the streets are basically dirt paths going here and there and they are not real streets that cars can drive on. There are some bigger streets, but not were our hostel was.
The next morning bright and early we were getting onto our horses. I definately picked the wrong one. I got the wild one who wanted to run like crazy. I used to ride horses when I was younger and a girl scout and I liked to cantor and trot. But I do not remember it being like the running this horse was doing. I kept pulling back the reins and telling him to stop or go slow, but this horse would not be controlled. Luckily we got on a skinny path at the base of San Pedro volcano and I was behind Rikke and her calm, slow horse so we could not go fast. But there were steep places to go up or down where my horse would start to go fast and I would be leaning way back in the saddle praying I would not go flying off my horse.
We got to the halfway point and got off an rested for a bit. The guide was giving me lessons on how to handle my horse. I paid close attention and my horse seemed calmer so we took off back towards town. But after a little bit of time my horse was wild and crazy again and I could not control him. The guide kept saying in Spanish you have to control him. If only I knew how to say in Spanish that this horse has a mind of his own and can not be controlled! We were back almost to town when my horse was getting wild and uncontrolled again. I said I wanted off and I would walk the rest of the way. The guide says no, no, no and we kept going, but I swore to myself I would never, ever ride a horse ever again. I was extremely relived when it was time to say goodbye to the horses. I did laugh however because it seems like every activity I do down here is somewhat life endangering. On the horse I was upset for a minute at myself. Have I become a total chicken in my old age? But then I realized I was in Guatemala volunteering for 4 months and lots of people would be chicken to do that. So I guess I may be a chicken when it comes to climbing waterfalls, swimming through caves, big spiders and horses, but that I am brave in other things.
The rest of our time in San Pedro was spent relaxing, meeting Susan{s friends and eating great food. It was very refreshing to get away from Xela for a weekend. It is nice to have warm, sunny weather now and again. And the lake is so beautiful it just makes you feel closer to God. Guatemala is such a beautiful country that you can not doubt God{s hand in creating something this incredible. It was not cloudy or rainy the whole time we were there so we got to enjoy the sun glimmering on the lake with the green, lush volcanic hills surrounding the whole area.
The morning came when it was time to leave. We walked into the part of town where the locals actually live (closer to the lake is filled with Americans and Europeans who now live here permanently). We got to board a chicken bus that was direct to Xela. And it was not that full so we were not jampacked like sardines. But by the time I got home I was so sore from the horseback riding and the bus riding I did not think I could walk. In fact I was hurting for 2 days, but the trip was worth it. But coming back into the cold climate of Xela brought on a bad cold for the rest of the week. You could never imagine how cold it can get here in Xela even though I am in Guatemala much farther south than back home. I will fit perfectly into the fall weather when I return.
Well I need to go pack for my next excursion, my official business visit to Guate. I will let you know all about very soon.
dianaj25
