San pedro - Pushing me to my limits

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Trip Start Sep 09, 2008 Previous
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  San Pedro La Laguna, Western Highlands, Guatemala
Sunday, November 2, 2008

San Pedro La Laguna is only a few kilometers around the lake from Satiago Atitlan but the similarity stops at their close proximity to one another. San Pedro has all the bars and restaurants of Panajachel but in a less touristy setting. From our hotel balcony we have a cracking view of the lake and its surrounding villages. This is by far the best view we have had the pleasure of seeing every morning when we wake up. It's great to relax here before heading out into town.
Volcan San Pedro is 3020 meters high and yesterday I took on the mighty beast along with Kristoff and Cameron. Mish found the heat a little draining and opted out. In hindsight, I'm so glad she did.  From the bottom, the volcano  looks high but not too daunting. Once you have been climbing for half an hour you realize what a mammoth task you have taken on. After one and a half hours you realize that maybe you have misjudged the situation slightly. After two hours, you are fighting off the tears and buckling under the mental and physical torture. You think you are doing well until you reach a sign that says 600 meters left to climb. Every step is agony, every breath burns the back of your throat and every time you dare to look up your heart sinks. With around half hour to go I could finally make out the summit and this was the lift I needed to climb the last few hundred meters. At the top we sat there, breathless at first, but after regaining some of our mojo we began to laugh and joke about what we had just achieved and the agony we had all experienced. Unfortunately, we weren't rewarded with the view we were promised, due to the cloud that had shrouded the summit. Occasionally, it would clear slightly and we would be able to make out some of the villages below but then it would roll back in and block everything from sight. We sat there at the misty summit, eating chocolate and bananas to recover from the huge drain in energy we were all suffering from. I wasn't able to drink on the way up as I suffered from stitch most of the way, so I gulped down as much water as I could to replenish my dehydrated body. I don't think I have ever sweated so much in all my life. The way down was easier but by no means a walk in the park. It did give us all a chance to laugh, chat and take in some of the beautiful surroundings that we had missed on our painful ascent. For me, this was the biggest test of mental and physical strength I have ever encountered. I'm pleased I didn't speak to anyone who had climbed it beforehand because I think their appraisal would have put me off attempting the climb altogether. The pain of that day will stay with me forever but so will the memory of sitting at the top, grinning like the cat that got the fish!
The rest of our time here in San Pedro has been taken up by recovery. The constant sun helps as does the refreshing winds that whip around the lake. At night, we eat out in the restaurants and then drink in the bars. Today we found a bar that was putting on a good old fashioned BBQ with the best meat we have all tasted in a long time. The American guy who runs it said that he is fed up with tortillas every day and so decided to bring a little of back home to Guatemala. His homemade baked beans were the icing on the cake!
The only downside to it all is how early the sun sets, around 6pm every night.  We go from shorts to jeans and jumpers within minutes of the fading light. After a week here, I can honestly say that this must be one of the most
beautiful lakes in the world as reported by the late English explorer. If we stumble upon a better one, I'll be sure to let you know.

XXX
 

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