mas Atitlan (11/4/10-11/11)



from the main dock in Panajachel

Well, all of a sudden two weeks have gone by and I'm still here. Apparently, this happens to a lot of people. On Saturday Nov. 6 I took a public lancha over to San Pedro La Laguna which would be at the bottom right side of the right-most volcan in this panorama, if you could see that far. This is a town where many have settled recently and is the happening place to be on the lake. It's also infamous for a loose drug policy, something I witnessed first hand (I declined to participate).

many more people (25) than lifejackets
stored above

The public lancha costs 25Q and takes about 45 minutes to wend its way from one stop to another. This is actually a good thing as I get to see many of the homes and hotels tucked away here and there - a lot of money spent by people from America or Europe. Most of these places can only be gotten to by boat or even helicopter. Maybe in my next life (why do we always say that?). The lancha is designed for maybe 15 people but at one point there are 25 of us. Thankfully, many of those get off at the next stop and by the time we reach San Pedro there's only 4 of us. A few days later I found out another lancha on Friday had capsized with several people drowning.

somewhere on the lake

$1000 view from my $18 room
in San Pedro (Sak-Cari)

When I got off the boat a guy wanted to help me and it turns out to be a free service (the hotel gave him a tip). No way I could have found the place myself, the Sak-Cari, run by Emilio's brother. You have to negotiate these little pathways that took me until the next afternoon to figure out. This hotel is considered a bargin by Footprint and I would have to agree. San Pedro is a funky, hip kinda place with many little hotels, bars and restaurants. Too much for some folks, but I like it here. The older part of town is a steep walk up winding roads and callejons that had a way of turning me around every time. I talked to a waitress from Germany who is renting a room with kitchen, bath and a lake view with her boyfriend that costs a whopping $125/month. I confirmed with another guy who has lived here for 5 years that $1000/month buys you a very comfortable existence. A couple of months could fly by easily. One of my goals on this journey is to find and file away for future reference places just like this. There are several other towns worth visiting and staying at around the lake but I think a month would be needed, minimum.



Two nights and another boat ride over to Santiago Atitlan, a bigger town considered to be more "authentic" because it's less touristy and more of the Maya wear traditional clothing. Both true, but to me it's like a blue collar town, kinda quiet and a little boring. That's just me. Looking at the panorama above, Santiago would be in the big gap between volcans back in an inlet. That's the other thing, there isn't the same expansive view of the lake here. I take a tuk-tuk over to the very nice Posada de Santiago, built over the years by an American named Dave (I think he's looking to sell if your're interested...see their website). My room is one of the cheaper that they offer at $30/night, but clean with lots of hot water. The grounds here are very lush. It's a very quiet place to hang out for awhile with a good restaurant - try the blue corn pancakes - and you can walk into town in about 12 minutes (I timed it to the centro).


Maximon ceremony in Santiago

market in Santiago

One of the main tourist things to do is to see Maximon, a Mayan god who prefers smoking and drinking. Finally! a religion I can relate to. Again, it's one of those things you'd have to research on-line to really learn about it. When I got there, there was a "ceremony" taking place. Maximon had a cigarette in his mouth with a small bottle of rum in his pocket which one of the guys sitting to the side would pour into Max's mouth at certain times. Lots of ornamentation around the room, candles, smoke, different saints. I guess it's real, but for a fee (that's my 10Q note under Max's tie) you can take pictures, even with flash. The shaman seemed unfazed, talking continuously in the local mayan dialect. The man he was trying to help was clearly focused on his problem.

Two nights here and it's another tuk-tuk to the dock, a 1/2 hour boat ride and another tuk-tuk back to the Cacique in Pana for another two nights (you can see how easy it is to get to two weeks). Emilio has been installing new king-sized beds in many of the rooms which is a welcome bonus. He also carries some American TV including the 3 Denver affiliates, believe it or not, so I know they are finally getting cold and snowy. That actually makes all this even that much sweeter. Sorry.

Tomorrow (Friday the 12th) I will finally drag myself away from here and over to the colonial city of Antigua for a few days and then some beach time in Monterrico before heading into El Salvador. One more picture of the lake...I can't get enough.

early morning from my room
at the Sak-Cari