I arrived yesterday to Panajachel. I struck up a conversation with my two seatmates on the shuttle and one of them was in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua (but traveling in Guatemala on vacation), and the other worked near Antigua volunteering in health care. I followed them to a great hostel (Villa Lupita), and then down to the dock where I saw some of the most beautiful natural scenery I have yet encountered on my travels.
It was cloudy and overcast, but on the distant shore, I could see the late afternoon sun breaking through and sunbeams hit the surface of the water. Nearby were verdant green hills--that looked like they belonged in Ireland--with colorful vertical rock faces showing. In the distant hills, I could see that the rain had created a waterfall, cascading down to the jungle below.
The lake vista is dominated by two towering volcanoes. They are currently dormant and are a beautiful green from all the rains during the wet season. The natural beauty of this place is stunning. The lake is a caldera and reminds me of Crater Lake in Oregon (which is also gorgeous).
On the shore of the lake I saw a family playing (the father took a little time out of playing with the kids to bathe--just a bar of soap & a lake), ladies wearing traditional garb washing their clothes on rocks in the shore´s shallow water, and the prior evening, those same ladies were fishing--with some monofilament and a food can used as a spool.
This city I´m in ´Panajachel´ is interesting--more native people, lots of merchants selling some interesting crafts, and also the funny addition of a bunch of hippies. And I don´t mean the new ones. I mean the ones who were wandering around San Francisco in the 70s. All the men are fuzzy and capped with beanies and the ladies have long hair and flowing dresses. And I can smell a lot of pot. A lot.
Remaining on my list of "must-dos" in Guatemala are Semuc Champey and Monterrico, a beach with nesting turtles. My only worry is running out of superlatives to describe the beauty here.
After that, I´m outta here. Guatemala has been fantastic, and a great spot for Country #2.
1 comment:
Wishing that I could be there to share the beauty. Missing you.
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