Are you from Santiago?
But the journey wasn´t over quite yet. We had to get across Lake Atitlan to Santiago de Atitlan where we planned to stay for two nights. And despite the fact that it was now early afternoon and we´d been advised to travel early to avoid a choppy crossing, we simply had to stop, catch our breath and get some food down our necks.
Following our noses down Pana´s main road, past what seemed like thousands of stalls and impromptu sellers of fabrics, wood carvings, beads and pretty much everything else, including Rasta wigs complete with Bob Marley hat attached, we eventually came to the Sunset Cafe where we gathered ourselves. Wow, what a view……and my, don´t those white horses on the lake look agitated!
Two burgers later and it was off to the ´beach´ to find a boat to take us across to Santiago. We didn´t need to find one since everyone wanted to find one for us, including one chap who pounced on us literally from behind a bush, trailed us for a while, appeared to disappear, only to reappear from behind yet another bush. A true ´ambush´!
We finally relented and were deposited on the good boat ´Linsy´, a fine example of glass reinforced plastic painted in gaudy colours. Now, strictly speaking, Linsy was only built for ten passengers, but that didn´t stop countless others getting on too. And stood at the back, alongside our skipper, was a lad who must have been no more than 7 years old. We think that he wants to be a skipper when he grows up, judging by the wonderfully proud way he stood at the stern the whole journey across the lake, looking for all the world as a hardened sea dog, with chest pushed out and unflinching gaze as the boat rattled across the white horses.
Perhaps the little lad really was in charge, since for much of the time the true skipper didn´t appear to be taking much notice. After leaving the dock he opened the throttle wide opened, raising the bow from the water as we literally hurtled across the seven mile lake in a little over 15 minutes. But from his steering position the skipper couldn´t see a thing, and only chose to nonchalently look over the roof of Linsy, with steering wheel between his knees, every three or four minutes. At least all the other boats stayed away from us!
Into dock at Santiago de Atitlan and before the ropes are tied we have a horde of little helpers keen to impress upon us their local knowledge. At this point, Eug had the bit firmly between his teeth, and declared that we could walk to the hotel which was just over a mile away. He hoisted both rucksacks onto his shoulders and set off at a blistering pace up the main street from the dock, which was also a hill full of people, dogs, street vendors and vehicles. Em had all on to keep up with him, but found him near the top taking stock of the situation – or was that near to collapse???!
A wise choice was made to flag down one of the little Tuk Tuk´s that seem to have migrated from their usual abode on the Indian sub continent, and with two full rucksacks perched precariously across two rather tired traveller´s knees, the journey recommenced on a three wheeled trike that only had two speeds – go and stop. Now, it turned out to be a wise move because the hotel certainly wasn´t just over a mile away. More like two.
But before we could even get there we came across yet more road reconstruction after the terrible events of a couple of months ago. Traffic jam, Guatamelan style ensued, including the arrival of a bullock tethered to two men which was led past the throng of belching vehicles and decided to make its great escape just as it passed by our little Tuk Tuk. Stomping of hooves and rearing of horns brought the reality of becoming mince meat very close!
And then we got to our little bit of paradise for the next two nights. The Posada de Atitlan is simply idyllic, positoned as it is between two of the three giant volcanoes that surround the lake. No TV, a stone cottage with its own wood fire place (with wood supply too!!), a view from the bed of the highest volcano and a hammock lazily swinging just outside. Right, time for some much needed relaxation, at least for a little while!
Tags: Guatemala
mihai