Guatemala, an enchanting land

After arriving home from Nicaragua on Sunday night, I had just two nights before leaving for another planned trip to Guatemala on Tuesday morning. We made the plans that way because my travel buddy, Katy (different girl than the Katy I traveled to Nicaragua with), had friends coming in on the other end of our travels. Although I wanted to stay home a little longer, I headed out for the airport bright and early Tuesday morning.

So far our trip has gone very smoothly. I left for the airport in San Jose at 6 a.m. on a bus and arrived at 8 a.m. with plenty of time before our 10:30 flight. I met Katy there since she was coming from a different town (she lives in Esparza, about 40 min by bus from Puntarenas, but studies with me in Puntarenas). Our flight was flawless and we arrived in Guatemala City at just after 12 noon. We found a bank at the airport to get money in the local currency, Quetzales (ket-ZAL-es) for which the exchange rate is 7.5 to the dollar - not exactly an easy number to divide by. We then took a $10 shuttle ride to Antigua, a town historically colonized by the Spanish and brimming with heritage, about 45 minutes away. Katy had been in the city before so we knew just where to stay and walked there easily though the cobblestone roads were a little tough with a heavy backpack.

After settling on a room we discussed plans for the week and set out for a travel agency to make reservations. It was a little complicated to make our plans since we only have a week and we wanted to get all the way to the upper end of the country to see the Mayan ruins at Tikal (which I'm soooooo excited about). We shuffled plans around for a while and after paying them all our shuttle and bus fees we headed for the market.

A bustling center of commerce big enough to get lost in with large sectors for modern merchandise (skirts, blouses, toys, electronics, shoes, hats, etc), a very large artisan market (like a craft fair on steroids), and another area that's indoors with butchers, vegetable and fruit vendors, tables with pots of cooked food where you can pick and choose to make a plate for about $2. Everyone has what is like a large cubicle to sell their wares, though the food market is more like little shops, but all stacked next to each other.

Artisan market

One row of probably 10 others much like it

Katy with a bag of fruit at the indoor market

 The things people make here are just breathtaking. I'd take more photos but I feel bad snapping shots and then just walking away. They are pretty good salespeople and will do anything to get you to come into their store or little cubicle and once you're in they pull every little thing from the shelves to show to you. I've already spent my wad and my suitcase is bulging. But I keep getting tempted. Earrings, purses, little zipper pouches with the most brilliant combinations of colors, delicate scarves, hair wraps, wrap-around skirts, beaded key chains and bracelets, and if only I had a way of taking it home, they have the most beautiful paintings. After a mini shopping trip with a whole lot of bargaining, Katy and I got some food to go and went back to our hostel to enjoy it on the roof that looks out over the city.

 It's pretty chilly here, except for the middle of the day and I'm seriously regretting not packing jeans. I luckily have a sweatshirt, but I'll just have to shiver because I don't want to buy pants I don't need. I guess I'm just too accustomed to the hot weather.

We were pretty tired and after a little TV watching we turned in for the night. The next morning I was up at 7:30 feeling rested and unable to sleep more. I showered and got ready while Katy slept in as she was getting up I was heading out in search of coffee to sip on while I used the Internet at our hostel. I couldn't stay online for long because soon Katy came to find me saying she was starving so we headed again for the market around 10:30. We bought some fresh cut mangoes, served in slices in a bag, while we browsed some more.

We had a tour planned to go to a nearby volcano called Pacaya (pa-KAI-ah) at 2:30 and got back to our hostel just in time though the van was late so we rushed for nothing. The van we were supposed to go in wouldn't start, so the travel agent was going to drive us in a borrowed car, then the van got working, and they shuffled us into the van again. The drive was bumpy but not too bad. Upon arriving we met our guide, Carlos, who would accompany us on the hour and a half hike to the lava flow - yes it is an actively flowing volcano. The steep hike was absolutely worth it when we arrived at a giant lava field of jagged black rocks with gasses seeping up between them. We hiked carefully over the rocks, without a set path (American insurance companies would have a fit) and arrived at a stream of molten lava. I was standing about 12 feet from real, flowing lava and whew, was it HOT! The rocks we were standing on were hot to the touch and between some you could see down to glowing red beneath. I felt like I was on Discovery Channel.

I could only bare to stand there for the few seconds it took for the shot. My back was burning up!

We hiked back down, halfway in the dark (I didn't know we'd end up in the dark but they made us buy flashlights at the start of the hike) and took a shuttle ride back. My back and legs sore and tired, wanting just to flop onto my bed, the ride seemed twice as long which was augmented by a car accident on the freeway. Guatemalans are just as bad as Americans when it comes to rubber necking.

We got back at about 8:30 though it felt like 10 at night. After a bit of rest we broke out guacamole ingredients we had bought at the market and whipped them together in the kitchen of our hostel. Dinner was delicious fresh guacamole and homemade corn tortilla chips, fantastic! (we weren't entirely starving). We passed out soon after cleaning up and getting ready for bed.

That brings us to today. We checked out of our hotel at 7 a.m. and waited for the mini bus to come pick us up to take us to Panajachel (pah-nah-ha-CHEL). The town is situated on lake Atitlan (ah-teet-LAN) which is bordered by three volcanoes and absolutely gorgeous. We worried for a while when the bus didn't arrive, but it was just running late (noticing a trend here). We may be in another country, but punctuality seems to be just as lax. Also in the bus were three older women traveling who happened to be Costa Rican. We chatted it up with them for part of the 2.5 hour bus ride that went from wide freeway to narrow cobblestone roads, passing approaching cars by mere inches, to windy roads snaking through a canyon on hair pin turns. It was scenic, but I was grateful to arrive.

After finding an economical hotel for $10 a night with a beautiful lake view, Katy and I have spent the afternoon walking through town, doing a little more shopping and enjoying a tranquil lunch of nachos and tacos. I now feel ready for a nap and can't believe it's only 3:45. We were looking forward to the sunset over the lake, but it has clouded over so I'm not sure we'll see much. Either way, I'm looking forward to a peaceful evening. We have another day and a half here before we make our way north to see Mayan ruins.

Thanks for reading!!

Kari