Usher

...Raymond?

Lago Atitlan

This past weekend I took advantage of some extra time off due to the Guatemalan Independence Day holiday and made a trip to Lake Atitlan. Being from the Great Lake State of Michigan, my affinity for lakes should come as no surprise and Lake Atitlan does not disappoint in its splendor.

Lake Atitlan: Volcanoes Toliman (left) & San Pedro (right)  

Having made the trip to Lake Atitlan two times prior, I felt more comfortable this time around navigating the ropes in the various pueblos and generally feeling more comfortable regarding the places to visit and the places to save for another time.

Atitlan splendor

Lake Atitlan is recognized as the deepest lake in Central America at an estimated depth around 340 meters and is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, giving it an astonishing, picturesque landscape. Caused by a volcanic eruption some 84,000 years ago, the lake itself is the result as the caldera left behind in the eruption’s wake filled with rainwater over many years.

Early morning on the dock

Around the lake lie many indigenous pueblos home to mostly Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel who maintain their traditional dress and language. Most popular of these villages are Panajachel, Santiago, and San Pedro and as such these towns are the more tourist-heavy and tourist-influenced. While the ancient Mayan traditions live on in the more secluded villages, the juxtaposition of these other touristy, coastal towns are stark. Bending easily and quickly to the pressures and fads that come with tourist influences, these towns rely heavily on tourism dollars and as such give me an uneasy feeling of “relaxation” while visiting.

Church in Santiago

On the one hand I am comforted by the serene landscapes of the lake, which seem forever picturesque and undisturbed despite the many new tourists that bank its shores year in and year out. Losing myself in its calming tide and in the small, sleepy towns on its shores are what I consider true relaxation. However, on the other hand these small, sleepy towns can often be prime examples of how tourism can transform an otherwise unknown dot on the map into a bustling hub of restaurants and souvenir stands. Not that these towns have gotten completely out of hand regarding their approach to harnessing much-needed income, but any visitor should be fully prepared to find streets with nothing short of 500 souvenir stands and touristy restaurant/bars side-by-side, heeding no space for much else (I’m looking at you, Panajachel). The other towns are still quaint enough to maintain a sense of self-identity, but you will certainly see flashes of Panajachel’s touristy "charm."

Rebels Without a Cause

Sign: "Do NOT climb on the wall."

I guess telling a man what he cannot do will only make him want to do it more... 

¡Viva la Revolucion!

Guatemala celebrates its independence on September 15 every year, and certainly this year shall be no different.

Starting today, a day early, people are celebrating with parades throughout the streets to honor their country’s independence.

A brief history for those history nerds out there like me: Back during the Spanish conquest, Guatemala existed as a Kingdom under the rule Spain, or more commonly referred to as the Captaincy General of Guatemala. This included parts of today’s southern Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and of course present-day Guatemala. While there was some local autonomy, all was overseen by Spain and their viceroy in Mexico City.

In the early 1800s independence movements were abound, but easily suppressed. Turmoil also wreaked Spain as power struggles were prevalent and accordingly its territories far across the Atlantic took advantage of Spain’s vulnerability. This Central American Supergroup finally successfully declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821, but was quickly swallowed up by Mexico, or “New Spain,” which had previously declared their independence September 16, 1810 and just finished up a bloody war with Spain. Fortunately for our Central American friends, this was short-lived and Mexico let her chicks flee the nest in 1823, allowing them to choose their own destiny regarding independence.

So, while Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua all share September 15 as their common independence day, one can see there is still a bit more to the story. The Central American Supergroup only lasted until civil war broke out between 1838-1840, eventually leading to the formation of each individual country as we know them today. 

Guatemalan Flag: White stripe representing land between the Pacific & Atlantic Oceans

Anywho, so much for “brief”….

On my way to work today I stumbled across a parade full of elementary students marching through the streets, dancing, waving Guatemalan flags, and playing musical instruments all in the name of Guatemalan independence. 

Student Marching Band

Flags

Princesitas

Woody Woodpecker, Speedy Gonzalez, & Friends

Dancing mimes, senior citizens, and clowns

Dance, Dance, Dance

Holy Cow(girls)!

Didn’t I Swear Never to do this Again?

With memories of Volcan Acatenango fresh in my mind from our June hike, I approached a new volcano hike with enthusiasm and, more importantly, valuable experience and mental preparation.

A roughly 6 hour hike uphill to the top of the volcano? Sure. A cold night camping at the volcano’s top at nearly 3,800 meters? Great. A 4.5 hour descent down the steep volcano-sides in the drizzling rain? Awesome.

While none of that sounds appealing by any stretch of the imagination, having gone through the torture and personal mental strain before while climbing Acatenango, I felt much more equipped and ready to tackle the challenges that lied ahead with Volcan de Agua. This, and only this, is what kept me relatively positive as we approached our hike this past Saturday.

Volcan de Agua stands at 3,760 meters above sea level, only 120 meters shorter than Acatenango. Inactive since the mid 16^th Century, it got its current, Spanish name “volcano of water” after the 1541 eruption wiped out the former capital city of Guatemala, which is now the quaint town of Ciudad Vieja, or Old City. Mudslides from the 1541 eruption took out the old city and given the abundance of water, the new name stuck in place of the old, Kaqchikel name Hunapú, meaning "place of flowers."

Volcan de Agua on a clear day from Antigua

Starting the morning spry and lively, we boarded a large military truck for a quick 40 minute drive to the nearest town around Volcan de Agua, Santa María de Jesús. We were greeted with a clear morning, which allowed me to break a sweat 1 hour into the hike as we felt the intense Guatemalan sun beating down on us. Fortunately we were able to eventually escape the sun under the volcano’s cover of lush forest as we began our steep ascent.

On our way towards Volcan de Agua

Stopping occasionally for breaks and for lunch, I ignored all other estimations while chatting about how much further we had to go. Having endured the heartbreak on my last hike regarding foolishly optimistic ETAs, I instead overestimated how much I thought we were yet to climb or, better yet, avoided making such estimations altogether. While it’s only natural to question how much pain lies ahead of you on this never-ending Stairmaster, I’ve learned it only leads to disappointment and it’s much better to focus your mind on getting over small chunks at a time. Rather than focus on the end goal that is physically not in sight (and almost never is), it’s better to attack each new path, turn, or hill individually and reward yourself for each small step conquered as you make your way to the top.

View from Volcan de Agua

Making our way to the top was a blessing as I left the previous 6.5 hours behind me as a painful memory. It’s amazing how the constant struggle over a 6.5 hour period of time can immediately be washed away by simply reaching your goal. Our campsite was to be in the crater of the volcano, which is really just a flat, grassy field littered with rocks and trash. Within the crater it was interesting to look around and see the peaks of the volcano enveloping you inside a bowl of fog and wind. Exhausted from our hike we were rewarded with frigid weather. We layered ourselves in all the clothing we brought and set up camp despite quickly losing feeling in our fingers.

Our old-school, Army canvas tents

An attempt to start of fire was rather fruitless as the unforgiving winds and damp, misty conditions suffocated any sparks. We moved the fire into a small stone house that was on the premises, which helped our fire get started, but immediately became unbearable to enjoy as the small room quickly bellowed with suffocating smoke. Not only out of place given it was at the top of the volcano, but it looked like a decrepit, drug shelter apparently used for ditching bottles, wrappers, and other waste, while also housing a large crucifix protected by a gate. I was confused as to whether it was a place for worship or a place for squatters to find shelter from the brutal elements outside while doing their drugs. The juxtaposition had me scratching my head.

Our cloudy crater/campsite and Jesus House

The saving grace for our hike up Acatenango was the amazing sunrise and views we were rewarded with after our long haul to the top. As the sun rose above the bed of clouds lying beneath us, it melted away the pain and suffering involved in reaching that point. The serene 360 view all around us made me feel like it was all truly worth it to now be standing at what felt like the top of the world. Simply put, Volcan de Agua did not offer similar solace, which left me jaded on our descent. A 4:30 AM wake up call to climb the 30 minutes to the peak above our campsite left us with nothing more than fog and runny noses. Cursed with a cloudy day, we found ourselves right inside of the clouds that I’ve seen morning after morning surrounding the top of the volcano on my commute to work. While it looks peaceful from the streets of Antigua, being within those clouds at that moment was full of wind, drizzled rain, and cold. Not as pleasant an environment as what appears on Volcan de Agua's façade from the streets of Antigua.

Our security detail

Hoping for better weather as we packed up and made our way towards a descent we were not so lucky. The cold remained and the drizzle only became more prominent. Slipping and sliding our way down the volcano was not only dangerous, but taxing on the knees, feet, and thighs. Unfortunate to have such bad weather for the day, we were stuck in a misty cloud cover for most of the descent, only finding a break for the final 1-2 hour stretch at the bottom. As we loaded up and drove away, I took a glance back at the volcano only to see it completely swallowed up in cloud cover – just our luck.

However, despite the sore muscles and tough experience, looking back on the experience was again one I enjoyed if not for a tough workout, for the company (misery loves company!). Additionally, being able to now look at that volcano each and every day as it looms over the city of Antigua and proudly remind myself that I conquered that beast is payment enough.

Dancing With Myself

Billy Idol would be proud...

The Savior

This past weekend I caught a bus to San Salvador, El Salvador. Not being the first time I've done so during my tenure here in Guatemala, I'm now quite comfortable with the route and ins & outs on how to best manage this ~5 hour trip between capital cities.

For those looking to make a similar journey, TicaBus offers a decent service for the cheapest price ($20) although you can expect the bus to a) depart 20 minutes late, b) spend a frustrating amount of extra time at the border, c) be stopped unexpectedly by police once in El Salvador for a routine passenger check, and d) ultimately arrive at your destination roughly an hour later than expected.

In addition to the nuances of the bus travel, picking up the finer points on how to handle the coyotes at the border hawking all sorts of foreign currency, knowing where to get the cheapest pupusas at the border ($1), and managing communications/pick-up plans with friends across the border via cell phone before service cuts out in your destination country, are all things I feel I've come to master through painful trial & error.

As such, I'd recommend: 1) spending the extra $5 for a more punctual bus line even though TicaBus is decent (Sol or King Quality are good options), 2) calling friends before reaching the border to let them know your updated ETA, so you're not stranded without a ride in an unknown land without cell phone service, 3) avoid changing too much currency at an exchange rate you're skeptical of (exchanging currency beforehand in a bank and bringing with you if possible).

Anyhow, coming to Salvador is always a welcomed mini-vacation for me. While on the surface it does not differ drastically from Guatemala, there is something I enjoy more about being there than in Guatemala. Perhaps it's the feeling of someplace new, the feeling of "getting away" for a couple days from my regular routine, that tricks me into believing Salvador is just a little sweeter.

El Salvador: Lord, may I lack everything but you

While there is still plenty left for me to explore in both Guatemala City and San Salvador, I give the edge to San Salvador. It is generally cleaner, safer, and aesthetically more pleasing to the eye than what I have found in Guatemala City. And while the beaches are a far cry from the picturesque paradises one will find in Mexico or the Caribbean, El Salvador has a nice beach town, La Libertad. Here you'll find El Tunco beach with its black sand and stretch of bars and restaurants lining the coast.

  El Tunco beach

This weekend I made 2 new friends as I was introduced to a Costa Rican couple living in an upscale neighborhood in the hills sitting above El Tunco beach in La Libertad. The nicest house I have been to in a long while, it truly was impressive walking into their breezy two story home. Patio doors slide wide open leading to a hillside deck that then dips a few steps into a quaint swimming pool that appears to just spill off the edge down the hillside. Inside a nice foosball table and air conditioning beckon you to pass the evening inside while catching glimpses of the sunset and waves crashing below at the beach. I couldn't help but feel like I was taking part in a tourism commercial drawing waves of tourists to the beaches of El Salvador for their next vacation. It felt that perfect.

Ola Betos oceanside restaurant, La Libertad

With a little American culture peppered into my visit, the weekend's events were the perfect recipe for a delicious weekend away. The opening weekend for NCAA College Football made its debut in sports bars around San Salvador including Buffalo Wings (not to be confused with Buffalo Wild Wings) where we dined on cheeseburgers, Coca-Cola, and buffalo wings (America!). Topping the whole trip off with a visit to the local bowling alley for some glow-bowling, I couldn't help but feel complete despite rolling an average game. I'll definitely be back soon to work on my 10-pin form. 

Coincidence El Salvador's lanes is similar to my hometown alley, Galaxy Lanes?