Adventure to Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan is surrounded by three volcanoes, but its history I soon found out, connects these volcanoes in a woven story of Mayan culture, beauty, and wonder.

It's like a dream as you descend into the valley of Lago Atitlan.  The yellow school bus (brought from the US) that we call a "chicken-bus" leaned forward down the steep slopes of the valley dropping us further and further toward the coast of Atitlan as my spirits rose higher and higher...

My friend Sarah (a fellow volunteer) and I leave Xela on the bus for Panajachel at Lago Atitlan on the morning of Saturday, March 15th.  We stock up on packages of deliciously sweet bread and drinks for the 2.5 hour ride through the surrounding highlands with views of pueblos and ciudads, thick and green foliage, steep mountainsides, and volcanoes.  When we arrive in the bustling town of Panajachel, we walk to the docks, knowing that our destination of the town of San Pedro La Laguna is only reachable by una lancha (a small, covered power boat).  Little did we know, we are the final passengers to board this particular lancha and end up sitting on tiny ledges jutting out of the bow of the boat...and so our adventures begin.

...The wind whips through my hair and spray from the lake smacks into my face, eyes, and mouth as I wear a permanent smile.  The lancha picks up speed and Sarah and I, at the bow of the boat, are hoisted into the air almost as if we are flying across the lake.  My head snaps in every direction trying to take in the absolute wonder of the beauty surrounding me...it's as if an artist's vision has come to life looking at the steep mountainsides and volcanoes falling straight into the water's depths.  We hit choppy waters as the wind whips across the lake's surface and Sarah and I are thrown into the air, only to land with harsh thuds back on our tiny perches.  We laugh through the first of these many jolts, secretly hoping not to get thrown overboard.  I reach my hand down and feel the spray of water drench my hand.  Within about 20 minutes, we are slowing and approaching a town that crawls up a hillside, is filled with color, and has the backdrop of the looming volcano San Pedro.

On la lancha!

Pulling into San Pedro's dock

San Pedro La Laguna, we quickly learn as we jump off our bumpy lancha ride (wind-blasted, and slightly wobbly!) is a Mayan town with a large population of "hippies."  A walk up a steep cobblestone street leads us to the "main street" of the town and Sarah and I are struck by the many jewelry makers working their crafts on the streets, the vibrant colors of the Mayan outfits (I notice their differences to those of the Mayans in Xela), and we turn around to see the beauty of Lago Atitlan with a promise to each other that before we leave, we will swim in its waters.
After a check-in at our hostel, we go exploring through San Pedro.  We keep walking upwards and eventually find a giant Baptist church with spiraling stairs to an outlook over Atitlan.  Our breath is taken away.  From the top, we have a 360 degree view of San Pedro, the mountain known as Indian Nose (it looks like a Mayan chief's profile as if he were lying on his back), and the immense size of the lake.

Indian Nose Mountain (See the profile?)

We journey further and cover the whole town within about 30 minutes and wiggle our way back to the main street near our hostel.  Over delicious nachos and fresh avocado we decide that the next morning we will go horse-back riding, and after speaking with a guide, Sarah and I agree upon large horses on which we can gallop...and so the adventure continues.
Sunday morning at 8am, we meet our trail guide, Francisco, and three horses, Canela (Cinnamon) for Sarah, Chocolate for me, and Tequila for Francisco, and begin our journey.  We ride through the streets of San Pedro, then into the wilderness for 3 hours stopping at miradors (lookouts), a finca (coffee plantation, and a playa (beach) where Francisco gives me and Sarah each pieces of volcanic pumice rock.

Volcanic pumice stone on the shores of Atitlan

Sarah and me on Canela y Chocolate!

On our return we let our horses start into a trot, and then into full on gallops.  Sarah and I are grinning ear to ear as we first gallop down dirt paths, then into the streets of San Pedro, our guide laughing in awe behind us!  Several times we look at each other and kick Canela and Chocolate back up into full gear feeling the exhilaration of the roaring wind and the power of the massive animals.  When we finally return to our starting point, Sarah and I are dusty, sweaty, and pumped with adrenaline.  Now it is time to swim in Atitlan.
We return to our hostel, throw on our bathing suits, and walk down to several rocks at the water's edge (in our bare feet).  We find a sheer cliff of rock, and I ask a local rowing a nearby boat if it is safe to jump in...he responds "si!"  We strip down to our suits, psych ourselves up and suddenly we're in the air free-falling towards the lake when a surging splash of water engulfs us.  Sarah and I rise to the surface laughing and elated.  We climb out and go again; this time swimming out further to get a view of the lake.  Such beauty...
A quick shower, change of clothes, an extremely choppy boat ride and two buses later, we were back in Xela, exhausted, but marveling at our adventure.

The coolest thing I learned about Atitlan?  In 1996, archeologists found an ancient Mayan city on the bottom of the middle of the lake about 32 meters below the surface.  This seems to prove the geological theory that this area had once been a gargantuan volcano (with a Mayan city on it's mountainside) that collapsed in on itself.  Following this collapse, it is told, were 6-months of rain, filling the giant hole that had been created.  As every year passes, a new rainy season arrives, and Lago Atitlan rises.  So, the three surrounding volcanoes were actually once part of this enormous collapsed volcano?  Guatemala never ceases to make me wonder, mind, body, and soul.