Guatemala - See Atitlan and Antigua

Lake Atitlán

Here we go, the wild ride. Guatemala Shuttle including border crossing and onward journey to Lake Atitlán. I already knew the first part of the journey, as I had only traveled to the border a few days ago with the tour. But this time it's much faster. Then comes the border and no one really knows what will happen. We have heard a lot beforehand. You have to pay to leave Mexico, no, only to enter, but only if you can't show a plane ticket. So no one knew what was going on, and of course the border guards didn't either. One after the other has to step forward, and it's like a lottery whether you have to pay or not. I was lucky, after studying my flight ticket for entry, they let me go for free! Others were not so lucky. We try to decipher the confusion, but we can't come to a conclusion. In return, we get to know each other a little better. The money probably just goes into the pockets of the 'officials'. On the other side, it continues the same way. But the Guatemalans only ask for one euro. Short process - Welcome to Guatemala. And the journey towards the lake was a challenge. Many bends, great views of spectacular volcanic landscapes, and a somewhat chaotic traffic. We don't know much about Guatemala spontaneously. At first glance, it was similar to Mexico, but the proportion of indigenous population was much higher here. I enjoy the bumpy ride as much as possible, and after about 13 hours and the final descent into the crater, we reach Panajachel! I look for my hostel and quickly go to sleep.

The next day, I stroll through the town, where everything takes place mainly on 'Santander' street, which leads down to the lake. Restaurants, bars, and countless souvenir shops, where exactly the clothing is offered that everyone is wearing here. And they seem traditional, modern, and beautiful to me. This is where a kind of farewell shopping begins. Unfortunately, this street is also full of cars. An endless traffic jam. However, no one has this street as a destination, it is only a thoroughfare. This naturally clouds the shopping mood, as you always have to be careful not to get run over while negotiating the price. I actually made it all the way down to the lake. And the view is simply outstanding. In the background, three picture-like, green volcanoes rise, the sun reflects on the lake, a few boats zoom by. Many small villages are scattered around the lake, which can usually only be reached by boat. I will explore these in the next few days.

Each village has its own character. Panajachel is the gateway to the lake and has the most beautiful souvenir shops. San Pedro is located at the foot of the volcano of the same name, is more of a party place, and quite built-up. But from here, the hike to 'Indian Nose' starts, from where you have a spectacular view of the lake at sunrise. On the opposite side is the hippie village of San Marcos, where you can find international cuisine and music, and where plants are sprouting everywhere. In between, there is idyllic tranquility in Jabalito and Santa Cruz. But there is also a party hostel here. So I change places every two days and get to know the lake quite well. And it's just incredibly beautiful and relaxed here. Great hotels and delicious food, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and a bit of hiking. So I stay here for almost a whole week. The weather is also cooperating. We are actually in the middle of the rainy season, but it is currently 'Canícula'. This is the three-week break in the rainy season, when there is almost exclusively clear blue skies. You also have to have a bit of luck. 😉 And so I enjoy a few more days at the lake.

Antigua

Afterwards, I continue to Antigua, the tourist capital of Guatemala, only 3 hours away from Panajachel. They say that this is the most atypical city in Guatemala. Mainly characterized by the colonial period and the great panorama with three large volcanoes all around it. The first exploration tour takes me to the lookout point Cerro de la Cruz. From here, you have a great view of the city with the 'Volcan del Agua' in the background. The city itself is full of great cafés and delicious restaurants - touristy but unagitated. But the main attraction is undoubtedly the always active volcano 'El Fuego' and its extinct neighbor 'Acatenango'. You climb Acatenango to have the best view of the spectacle of El Fuego. That's the theory... Unfortunately, I spent so much time at the lake that Canícula is now over, and it occasionally rains again. The lake and Antigua are both at an altitude of about 1500m, so it's the perfect climate - not too hot and not too cold.

If you want to climb Acatenango, you first have to hike up to about 3600m. There, the camp is prepared for overnight stays. We arrive there around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and unfortunately, it has become a bit cloudy, so we only see El Fuego briefly, but its activity is clearly audible, and occasionally thick ash clouds rise as well. We hope for improvement when it gets dark, but shortly afterwards a storm with lots of wind and rain begins. It is also unpleasantly cold, and I have mostly sent my winter clothes home. So we go into the tents quite early to warm up and sleep. Our guide Adelso wanted to wake us up if the sky cleared up again during the night. Because only at night can you really see the eruptions and lava flows of the volcano. But even during the night, it only cleared up for a minute. So we could occasionally see lava and especially hear the eruptions. That was already an experience. But unfortunately, we couldn't see the spectacle as beautiful as on the advertising photos. Actually, you climb to the summit of Acatenango for sunrise. That's another 400m higher at 4000m. However, it was cloudy and too stormy for the ascent, so we had to make do with the view from the camp. After breakfast, we begin the descent, and with each step towards the valley, it gets warmer again. I would describe the mood in the group as 'not quite happy, but not too disappointed'. We were just two days late. Nevertheless, I enjoy finally being a bit more active again. That's almost completely missing in Mexico. My legs will appreciate it for the next few days as well. So I relax for two more days in Antigua before the next long journey to Lanquin.