Quetzaltrekker

HI dear ones,

There's a lot to tell again, because we participated in a 3-day hike. But everything in due time, let me start from the beginning. Since Guatemala is perfect for hiking, we decided to undertake a multi-day hike together. We were recommended to book a guided tour, as it could be very unsafe to go alone around Atitlan. After a short search on the internet and through recommendations, we decided to go with the organization Quetzaltrekker. They support local poor families so that their children can go to school.

On August 12th, we all met in the evening to clarify organizational matters and the course of the hike. All necessary things, such as sleeping mats, sleeping bags, or backpacks, could be borrowed if you didn't have them already. In addition to their own belongings, everyone had to carry communal things, such as food. It quickly became clear that this hike with a heavy backpack would not be easy.

Day 1 started at 6:30 with breakfast in Xela (starting point), then we walked to the bus stop to arrive at the starting point Xecan after a 25-minute ride. From Xecan, we went through the forests past the village of Xetinamit. This village was destroyed by a hurricane, and the Quetzaltrekkers helped to rebuild it years ago. However, our actual destination for the day was Santa Catarina. We were lucky with the weather, as it started to rain shortly after we arrived at the sleeping place. The warm spaghetti and hot tea were very comforting. After the meal came the highlight of the day: a 15-minute sauna session to recharge our tired muscles. Our neighbors provided us with the sauna, called Temascal.

Day 2 also started at 6:30 with a hearty breakfast of beans, rice, ice cream, and tortillas. After the nourishment, we hiked cheerfully over the mountains to Zukubal, also known as Ice Cream Village. As the name suggests, we enjoyed delicious ice cream as a snack. The last challenging ascent to Santa Clara led through the cornfields. Not without reason called 'Cornfield of Dead'. After the meal, we got to know the other fellow hikers better by playing card games and sitting around the campfire.

Our night on Day 3 was quite short because we had to get up at 3:00 a.m., pack our things, and continue. However, after 30 minutes, we stopped in a meadow to observe the sunrise over Lake Atitlan. So, we snuggled back into our sleeping bags and enjoyed the beauty of nature under the open sky. We started the final descent to San Juan at 8:00 a.m. to drink local coffee there. From San Juan, we took a taxi to San Pedro, where our 42 km tour ended.

Thanks to guides Karlotta and Caroline, and to all the fellow hikers, it was a lot of fun to complete this exciting hike with you.

Best regards, your Egger girls

Hi guys,

The Story Never Ends. On August 13th, we started a hiking tour from Xela to San Pedro. It was a guided tour, so don't worry.

We chose the organization Quetzaltrekkers. After a quick research on the internet and many recommendations from travelers, we said yes to them. The organization spends most of its money on the villages in the mountains, improving their water systems or helping to build roads, and they also help children get a better education.

The day before the start, we met each other at their office. Here we got all the information we needed and tips on packing our backpacks properly.

The first day started at 6:30 at their office again. Here we had breakfast and met the other 9 guys. It's a funny group. 4 people from Spain, 2 from the USA, and 1 other guy from Germany. After breakfast, we walked to the bus station, where we took a 25-minute bus ride to our starting point, Xecan. The day's target was the town of Santa Catarina. On the way, we passed Xetinamit. This village was destroyed by a hurricane, and the Quetzaltrekkers helped to rebuild all the houses and streets. We were very lucky with the weather. As soon as we arrived at our sleeping place, it started to rain heavily. After a warm pot of spaghetti and tea, we came to the highlight of the day. A sauna called Temascal. Only 2 people can fit in it. It's a small hole in the ground. It was good for our tired muscles.

The next day also started at 6:30 with breakfast. Eggs, beans, tortillas, and pancakes with fruits. We walked up and down for about 2 hours and reached the Ice Cream Village, also known as Zukubal. Everyone bought an ice cream, and we took a 30-minute break. After the break, the hardest part of the tour began. We walked downhill for 1 hour. It was raining a bit, so it was muddy and slippery. Not really easy. The hardest part is the 'Cornfields of Death'. It is a 3 km steep path. We had never walked uphill like this before. Our day target, Santa Clara, was at the top. So we all pushed ourselves to go up a bit faster. At the house, we drank beer, played cards, and grilled marshmallows. We had a lot of fun that night.

Getting up at 3:00 a.m. is not a good start. But we wanted to see the sunrise, so we had to get up so early. We walked for 40 minutes to our viewpoint. There, each of us got back into their sleeping bag and watched the sunrise over Lake Atitlan. It was gorgeous. The nature, the birds, and then the sunrise. Perfect. We stayed at this place until 8:00 a.m. Then we started our final descent to the village of San Juan. The first thing back in civilization was going to a café shop with WiFi. We had coffee, ate something, and then we had to say goodbye.

It was an amazing and exhausting experience in the mountains. Thank you Caroline and Lotti for this.

Love Klara & Luci