Birthday, Christmas, and Quite a View

I can't believe how quickly time is passing here in Guatemala. Last week was Aaron's birthday and Christmas. At breakfast on Christmas eve day, our wonderful host family surprised Aaron with a birthday cake that our host mom Elvira had stayed up until one in the morning making. She loves to cook and has exposed us to some wonderful and traditional food here.

Aaron with our host Mom and the birthday cake she made him.

We left in the afternoon for the famous Lago (lake) Atitlan to spend Christmas and celebrate Aaron's birthday. Unlike New Year's, Christmas here in Guatemala is a time to be with family. There are no big fiestas or parties that happen in the streets, so we figured we wouldn't miss a lot leaving the city for the weekend. We traveled three hours north via shuttle. Our trip to the lake on Christmas eve day was an experience in itself. While crosses marking the spots of deadly accidents dot the highway, drivers still ignore the "Curva Peligroso" signs indicating dangerous and steep curves in the road. All along the sides of the highway Guatemalan women sitting with their children by the side of the road waved to passing cars. Many times the children were playing in the median on the highway...We asked our host family about this new and somewhat unusual phenomenon. They suggested that this was the way families in remote areas of the country "relaxed". I certainly cannot imagine a similar scene in the United States, though I have to say the kids all seemed to enjoy the diversion of "watching traffic". Here are some of my blurry photos from the drive.

This car was driving about 70 mph with 20 + people in the back!

 View of a typical rural farm here.

We arrived in Panajachel, the biggest city on the lake, near dusk. After negotiating our transportation to our hotel across the lake, we got in a small wooden boat for the thirty minute trip. As we stepped aboard the tiny vessel, the driver was using a coke bottle to bail out the water from the last trip. The boat, which looked about forty years old, was very low to the water and plastic covered the little windows to try to keep dry as waves crashed against the sides. After loading about twenty other people aboard, some tourists, some locals going home for the night, we were off. It was quite a rocky ride as the afternoon wind causes a surprisingly big current on the lake. 

Me at the front of the boat before it loaded up with people.

We arrived at our hotel in Zuzuna, a small village on the lake. Because the lake was formed by a variety of volcanic activity over the years (and is surrounded by three active volcanos), nothing is flat. We climbed 350 stairs from the dock up to our hotel. We chose the hotel in part because we were intrigued by the owners who met on a UN Peacemaking Mission in Guatemala (he's Belgium and she's Uruguayan). They used to retreat to the lake on weekends and often encountered backpackers hiking around the lake who needed a place to stay or something to drink. Hence - the hotel they now run. All of the people who work at the hotel are locals from the nearby Mayan village.

 Lago Atitlan (daytime)

 Lago Atitlan (dusk)

 View from our hotel.

It is a beautiful retreat. Unfortunately, Aaron woke up on Christmas day (his birthday!) pretty ill. Suffice it to say that our "invincible stomachs" were conquered by something we must have eaten on the street in the prior days. While he had to spend the day recovering, we were able to kayak to a local village on Sunday and spent some time exploring Panajachel before leaving on Monday. Panajachel is a very mellow city filled with beautiful local artwork and crafts (like much of Guatemala). It is a must see if you are traveling to Guatemala. While we only visited San Marcos and Tzuzuna, we have also heard that San Pedro (another pueblo on the lake) is wonderful. Despite the wonderful "vacation" - it was nice to return "home" on Monday. Traveling while you are traveling is such an unusual thing...

 Aaron on the "road" into the town of Tzuzuna.

 Tzuzuna.

 Laundry day in Tzuzuna.

 Kayaking on the Lago.