Via Byway, My Way.

Here’s the photo trip report for my 3 day hike from Quetzaltenango to Lago Atitlan. You can click on the thumbnail photos to enlarge them.

– DAY 1 –

After eating a hearty breakfast of eggs, black beans, tortillas and fruit, we walked 30 minutes to our chicken bus and we on the trail by 10am. hiking up from a small pueblo overlooking the city.

It was a beautiful morning, not too hot, and the steepness of the trail afforded beautiful views the higher we climbed.

Climbing up to our rest stop.

Breaktime.

The trees gave way to grassy meadows and open spaces…

The path became dusty as we crossed farmed land and village homes.

What goes up, must come down…very carefully with this soft and dusty ground.

We continue our hike into the late afternoon, as the clouds came in to cool the sweat on our brows.

We hiked up to a small village, passing by these packs of dogs in the street. I had flashbacks to my scary encounter on my bike ride, but fortunately the dogs were all preoccupied with someone throwing out some food scraps to pay attention to me.

And stayed at this abandoned hostel, which is now only used by the Quetzaltrekkers group for this very hike. The place had no electricity and was definitely a scary place to sleep in at night. It would make the perfect setting for a teen horror slasher flick. I am so happy that I brought my headlamp, because after 6pm, you look down this hallway in complete darkness and it will give you the willies.

During the night, we all tried out the Mayan sauna, called a temaskul. It is not for someone who might be closterphobic, as the space was very small and it got hot in a hurry!

Barely enough room for 4.

– DAY 2 –

Early morning wake up at 6am, bean, tortilla and egg breakfast at a local comedor, and on the trail by 7:30am.

We climbed up and up and up, and had to navigate a portion of a mountain landslide to get to this view.

Looking back from where we came from.

Jerri meets the local kids and they pose for pictures.

We continue hiking down to our lunch break stop.

A young German and his mom (I forgot their names) along for the hike.

We hike down to the river for a quick break.

And follow the bank, crossing the river 12 times over and back until….

…we reach our final ascent. Up the steep section we go.

At the top, it is another 45 minute hike along the road to our stop for the night, the home of Don Poncho.

After all the hiking, the candle light dinner was sublime.

– DAY 3 –

4:30am wake up. Pack up. Hike along the dark road and up a small trail for the sunrise.

And breakfast. Oatmeal, tea and coffee.

Unforgettable.

Morning tea and the rising sun.

Hiking down to the lake…

Where we put on our bathing costumes (that’s what Brittish Marc calls em’) and take a swim in the lake.

Then we catch a lancha boat ride across the lake to the town of San Pedro…

Where lunch awaits us.

Half of our group heads back to Xela in the afternoon aboard a pick up truck, while some of us stay behind for a few more days to enjoy the lake. Here’s where I slept for $2 a night. That’s right, $2 gets me a private room and shared bath. San Pedro has to be one of the cheapest destinations in Central America for accomodations and food.

This entire breakfast cost me under $5.

I moved on to San Marcos, the New Age/Mediation place and found a dorm room at this place.

I spent the afternoon hanging out near the lake and stayed until the moon poked out.

And then it was on to Panajachel via a 45 minute lancha.

I hiked around Reserva Natural Atitlan which had monkeys, a butterfly farm, and these suspension bridges.

Can’t get enough of the lake.

One final look at Lago Atitlan.

Tags: Travel

This entry was posted on Monday, May 29th, 2006 at 10:39 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.