Monday, August 22, 2022
This morning I’m taking the long shuttle from San Cristobal to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. It took 14 hours, and all of the border crossings went well (as far as the agents go), however, the company can be very disorganized at the border, so bring your most patient self. I also got stuck in San Cristobal an extra day because the company wasn’t operating on Sundays.
The bus broke down about 30 minutes from the Guatemalan border, and people started to freak out a bit. There was really no reason to freak out because the bus driver called for backup very quickly and we hopped on colectivos to the border. We were supposed to switch to shuttles at the border anyway so it had no impact on the rest of our trip.
After crossing the border we thought we were in the clear, but it became evident that we were not. We got stuck on the only road to our destination while there was a protest blocking it. I didn’t have any Quetzals so I had to borrow money from someone who had exchanged theirs at the border in order to get a drink. They also kept telling us to put our phones away so the protesters didn’t get angry. Eventually we made it through and took a rest at a gas station where I got food and cash and used the bathroom.
It was very late when we arrived, but we finally did. I walked a short distance to Dreamboat Hostel where I’m staying the night before heading to my actual hostel tomorrow. The hostel was alright, but it was really just a quick stop before the rest of my trip.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
I had some work to do this morning so I logged on from Mister Joe’s which felt sort of like Waffle House in America. The food wasn’t amazing. Then I grabbed my stuff and took the boat to my next destination.
La Iguana Perdida has really great vibes. They have a restaurant which serves delicious community dinners as well as other meals. Things I didn’t like about it are that the town is not very touristy and the “hot water” is not hot enough (I realize how ridiculous this sounds, but it’s my truth). I really liked my dorm, which had no electricity and was basically outside (See- I’m not as much of a baby as the previous sentence would suggest).
After talking to some people, San Pedro, San Juan, and San Marcos are more touristy towns that I’ll have to visit another day. It’s easy to travel between towns during the day, but the boats don’t run very late.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
This morning I visited San Pedro, which is known as the party town. It’s really interesting exploring the town because it seems like it sort of just popped up on the side of the lake. There’s some roads when you first leave the dock, but quickly those “roads” become what feels like connected driveways and alleys.
I find my way to Idea Connection Restaurant where I stay until close eating and working. I had a nice breakfast and used the outlet at the one table that had one.
After that, I made a stop at San Juan, another town that is known for having more of a “hippie vibe.” I enjoyed walking up the street from the dock, but didn’t do much else. Everything seemed to shut down around 3 pm, but it could have been the poor weather.
I stopped at Cafe San Juan and got amazing hot chocolate and then stopped at Xajooj Sport Bar because it was the only thing open. I got a quesadilla which wasn’t bad at all. Then I took the boat home, making it before the rain started to pour too badly.
I ate the hostel dinner which was a Mayan dish kind of like goulash. I really enjoyed it. Then it was time for open mic night which was super fun. I’ve never seen such a quirky open mic night, but the hostel owner is super charismatic so he made it work.
He played his guitar with some help from other people on the guiro and maracas. Between songs he demanded someone from the crowd tell a joke and rewarded them with tequila. If no one offered, he would tell a joke. As the night progressed the jokes got dirtier. Anyone was also welcome to go up and use the instruments themself or showcase another talent. When the open mic was over, the party kept going on for a while before everyone went to bed.
Thursday, August 25, 2022
I got the hostel breakfast and then went to Free Cervesa for the free paddle boards and kayaks. You technically have to be staying at the hostel to use them, but no one will know if you just walk in and sign the waiver.
After my early kayaking session, I went to explore one more town: San Marcos. I stopped in at Fe restaurant and ran into a guy I had bumped into at open mic night. We hadn’t really said much to each other, other than to acknowledge that we were both Americans, but we were the only one’s in the restaurant so we ended up sitting down together for lunch.
He was with what I thought must be his girlfriend, but ended up being his wife. He had been at the hostel for a few days to get his scuba diving certification, but it turns out he’s actually here with his wife and two kids for the month. He looked so young I would never have guessed! This couple had a super cool story which really inspired me. I was worried about crashing their date, but they were super friendly about it. Later their kids ended up joining us which was super cute, and honestly changed my view on having kids. This couple was so young yet they’ve somehow managed to raise two children while starting their own business, and are now able to travel to Guatemala for a whole month.
We also ran into a guy that the couple knew and invited him to sit with us. He told us all about his healing journey and how he had come here to take a long intensive course on healing. It was honestly such an interesting (and lovely!) experience to have lunch with these people because none of them were that much older than me but they had taken such a different path from the one I imagined for myself. It made me rethink some things.
Fe was pretty good, although the curry could be spicier and saltier and the naan could be crispier. After lunch, I quickly explored the town which was full of tattoo shops, crystals, and healers. This was definitely my favorite town and I’d love to stay here when I come back to Lake Atitlan.
Again I had the hostel dinner, which had a really delicious soup as the starter. Again I’m really rethinking things here because I haven’t had soup in so long and they can be super filling and nutritious. Sometimes going with the flow, like eating the hostel dinner, can open your eyes in such a simple way.
After dinner, I met some lovely French people and we played President for a while before calling it a night.
Check Out My Guide to Lake Atitlan ⧉
My Google Maps Guides have all the important locations I mention in my blogs, and you can open them right in Google Maps to make it easy to plan your own trip!