The massage

San Marcus La Lagua, the new age center of Guatemala. After class August, Paul and myself took at 20 minute boat ride across the lake to do some exploring in San Marcus. Originally, they were going to hike a volcano but the rainy weather wasn't making it possible.

August, Paul and Me in San Marcus

San Marcus is very beautiful and tranquil town, but that is about it. There are hardly any restaurants or bars and everything is closed during the day or open for very limited hours. The main draw for visitors to the town is for a massage or to attend a yoga and meditation retreat. I was originally going to spend the night at a yoga retreat, but I am glad I didn't. There was nothing in the town and I am sure I would have gone batty if I was on my own out there. Going with people made is more enjoyable.

Back of the school touches the lake

After finding the San Marcus Holistic Center, me and Paul both signed up for a massages later that after. I was blissfully happy.  The room I was in was very clean and the woman who gave me my rub down was professional. An hour massage for 32 USD, I cant complain. I left the room feeling that I was standing much taller. I realized that I have got to get them more often! After I was down with my I met up with August and we attempted to find some place in the town that sold food while Paul got his massage.

Everything in the town was either opening later in the evening or was closed and only opened on the weekend. After about 4 attempts we found someplace that wasn't too overpriced and munched on some sub par nachos. The salsa couldn't even be called salsa. It was a hot sauce mixture with oil. It was gross! But we were starving and the chips held us over until we all made it back to San Pedro.

Horse

The boat ride from San Marcus to San Pedro was wet and windy. The rain was coming down in sheets and the little motor boat was so full of people, I wouldn't have been surprise if we sank. The boat was so heavy in the water that the waves the boat was making came up to our shoulders. When I stuck my hand down to touch the water, I only had to go a few inches before I reached it. We eventually made it back to land and with very hungry bellies we made a run for a restaurant that we had been favoring over the past two days. After dinner the restaurant showed the Brazilian movie City of God. I had previously only seen bits and pieces of it and to watch it in its entirety was dramatic. Lots of violence, lots of killings, but very good. By the time the movie was done, I was ready to sleep like a baby.

San Pedro walkway 1

On another note, I hadn't mentioned that late last week I saw a dead guy, only because I was so traumatized. Driving from Guatemala City to Antigua there was a fatal motorcycle accident on the opposite side of the street. A motorcycle had clearly crashed into a truck and the driver had been thrown about 10 feet and was done. When we drove past (at the worlds slowest possible speed) the police were in the process of covering the body. However, the cloth they used to cover the body only went down to the man's calves, thus exposing his feet. It was straight out of a movie. White cloth draped over the body with the man's feet pocking out from bellow. I was so traumatized and tried to think of warm fuzzy thoughts.

San Pedro walkway 2

School sign

Spanish school in San Pedro

Teacher in San Pedro

Walk way in San Marcus

Walking the school grounds with my teacher

Where I had class in San Pedro