My first glimpse at Lake Atitlan
We flew, drove, and sailed to get to Lake Atitlan, and just laying your eyes on this lake is worth every inch of travel. This truly must be what people meant when they uttered the expression, “heaven on earth!” All I could marvel at as we rode the boat through Lake Atitlan was the omnipotence of God. The vastness of the water, the dark green mountainous plains, the volcanoes with mysterious misty clouds hovering above all put on in a state of awe at the magnificence of the sublime. All day long, the view of the lake with its surrounding mountains was captivating. It is dark outside and I am incessantly waiting for the sun to rise tomorrow morning so I can glimpse the beauty that lies outside my hotel window.
Once we reached the dock of the lake
So we’ve finally arrived to Santa Cruz, one of the twelve coastal regions of the Lake Atitlan. We will be staying in Casa Rosa, a beautiful hotel on the shore of the lake. I’m enthusiastic that we’ll be spending the next ten days here, where the weather is just perfect, but before I go on to praise the beauty of this place, let me recap the day’s events.
We woke up at 6:30 am to have breakfast at our hostel in Guatemala City. Our hosts fixed us a neat and simple dish of pancakes with pineapple. I chugged down some tea afterwards, which I would pay a heavy price for drinking.
Around 8 am we hit the road. We drove through the congestion of Guatemala City, and I was glad to be leaving this city because there was not much to admire about its urban grunge. I don’t mean to be unappreciative, but Guatemala’s beauty lies in its nature, and not its cities. I discovered this truth when we arrived to Lake Atitlan.
Guatemala City's traffic congestion
As we drove by one of the mountains surrounding the shores of Lake Atitlan, we were breath-taken by the divine nature of this part of the world. This lake is like a cradle between volcanoes that ascend up into the clouds. The misty aura of the lake truly gives it a prehistoric ambiance, as if we had entered the dinosaur age or something. We couldn’t resist driving any further without stopping to photograph this wonder.
Our driver, William, proved to be handy as he knew one of the best panoramic spots on the road for us to stop and take a look at this beautiful piece of nature. We snapped several shots. I particularly enjoyed using the trees and surrounding nature as a frame of the lake in my photos. I took dozens of photos of the same view simply because of how awed I was.
Some of the photos from the panoramic spot are below:
We then stopped off in Panajachel (I believe that’s where we first stopped), had a delicious Guatemalan meal, smoothies, and exchanged money. We walked a bit through the marketplace of this city, but again, it was very shabby. The locals here are very courteous though; they greet you “Beunos Dias” when you pass by them and they smile a lot, which I admire about them. For transportation, they drive “rikshas” here like they do in India.
Some photos of Panajachel:
After a bumpy boat ride across Lake Atitlan, we finally arrived to Santa Cruz, where we would be residing and operating out of. When we arrived, the sun was sifting its rays through the clouds; it was a magnificent site. We then climbed up one of the mountains for a good 15 minute hike to reach the clinic of Mayan Medical Aid; this would be our first encounter with Craig Sinkinson, a doctor in the region who would be supporting our efforts. The mountain climb was a good work out because of how steep the hill was, but it was a great opportunity to get a panoramic view of the lake.
The view of the lake from Santa Cruz (where we were staying)
The vastness of this lake is amazing. I have never seen a closed body of water of such magnitude. Its so great it literally seems as if it could be classified as a sea. On the way up, there were many Mayan girls playing around. Its amazing how much joy these kids could get out of nothing. They had literally made a jump rope and a sled out of nothing.
The Mayan girls playing
When we arrived half way up the mountain, there was a church, a school, a library, and a basketball court, where there was an influx of kids running around playing another game. This game, which keeps them busy all day long is basically rolling a very thin wheel with a stick. I would get bored of this game after 5 minutes, but this is what keeps them entertained all day long.
Photos from the top of the hill:
Our meeting with Craig Sinkinson, the doctor who heads the non-profit Mayan Medical Aid, was very motivational. He informed us of the cultural norms in Guatemala, the dire situation of malnutrition, lack of access to clean water, and hygiene problems that the local Mayan population faces. He informed us that our work in the area could have a real impact. We discussed our preliminary objectives of this visit and some logistical issues. Overall, it was a very fruitful meeting.
That night, we dined at the Iguana, a local expat-run hostel and restaurant. What I really liked about it was it was a bunch of American college students who run this place. They are either taking a gap year or are on break. They come and live together, cook, give Spanish classes, and just chill out. It’s a very laid back environment. To be frank, I kind of envy them; I wish I lived a similar simple, vagabond lifetsyle.
When you’re down here in Lake Atitlan, its as if time freezes. You forget your worries and the natural scenery captivates your senses. Its as if you’re more in touch with reality and not being held captive by the rush of life. I see a lot of old people here, and it makes me want to retire in some tropical regions this.
I went to bed early once again; it must have been the jetlag.
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