Chapter 25: Guatemala

After Copan our paths went a different way for a bit. Tom left for Livingston in Guatemala, a community of black people, famous for its music; but he had a misfortune there and left soon for Lago Atitlan. I’ll come back to this.

Livingston

I left a couple of days later, spent walking around with my new Swedish friend Lucas (thanks for the photos! See last chapter), to El Salvador to meet a couchsurfer. As soon as I arrived we went to El Tunco, a beautiful Caribbean-like Pacific beach with clear-blue water AND big waves. Perfect! The following day we went to his finca, fruit farm where he grows cacao, sugar cane, bananas and other exotic fruits… wonderful place to chill out. At night we went to a reggae/ska concert, which was instead more ska/punk, or just punk actually. I realised my couchsurfer was actually a total arse so I left next day to Guatemala City, where Tom came to meet me. Together we went back to Lago Atitlan.

El Tunco

Lago Atitlan is a beautiful place. The lake is lost in the middle of a high circle of mountains, surrounded on every side by little villages: Panajachel, San Marcos, San Juan… and San Pedro la Laguna, where all the travelers go. It was low season for us, and I realised how pleasant it is to be able to appreciate touristic places without the tourists. The Mayan spirit is very present, some scholars have settle there to research better and share knowledge, to Tom’s delight. There are many bars and live music, and even a psytrance club owned by a French guy!

Lago Atitlan

Panajachel

San Marcos

San Pedro la Laguna, under San Pedro's volcano

How funny it was to open my travel book one day and rediscovering a map my friend Kaya drew me before I left Scotland. The map described San Pedro, with the famous Buddha Bar and our friend Stu’s former hostel, the Trippies… I had totally forgotten about that map, and now here I was!

I stayed at Mr Mullet’s hostel (where you can have a free night if you agree to get a mullet haircut!), and
where I met Lucas again. The place is beautiful and very relax, if you manage to ignore how tensed and rough the manager can be sometimes. The kitchen is at the back of the garden on the first floor, so it gives a wonderful view on the lake. I loved hiding there mornings with a cup of tea and just admire the lake in the mountains… You can see just in the middle 3 peaks of a mountain forming the head of an Indian looking straight to the sky. The treks to the “Indian Nose” are very popular, but watch out, creepy shit happens there; a girl from my room was robbed by violent and armed guys at the time I was there.

Mr Mullet's

Indian's nose

We spent 3 weeks in San Pedro, eating mainly at Jakuu’s, where we could share a plate for $3 and not be hungry until the following day, kayaking, swimming in the lake, shopping in Panajachel, Tom playing live music at night… Sweet life!

Jakuu's