I just completed a hike from the city of Quetzaltenango, called Xela (Pronounced shela) everywhere but on maps to Lago (Lake) Atitlan. The Lake is surrounded by mountains and towns, many of the mountains are extinct volcanos!
Our first day was through cloud forest and we passed many pines, many adorned with hanging plants, as well as ferns, oaks and other stuff...
The company I went with is called ketzal trekkers, and they are a volunteer organization whose profits have already built a school, and they are now working on a new dormitory... Kids come from villages all over, and would otherwise not be in school. Kids with good grades get to come on the hike, and we had 2 along with us.... Miguel and Hose....
Miguel tried to convince me that Hose was deaf, and almost got away with it, it was really funny... they know some sign language and everything! (He really wasn't deaf)Here's a cabbage patch kids! The slope its on is very steep!
The first day we passed a town which was created by the government to move people to, after their town suffered a hurricane with massive mudslides... Aparently many people died in the first winter as it was much colder. It was incredible to see fields so high up (notice the peas in the pods!!!)
in the mountains, all being taken care of. We passed people herding animals as we switched from trail to road to half trail/road, and inbetween settlements. That night we stayed at the semi abondoned town where people had been moved out of... It was nto too abandoned! We stayed int he town hall, a big courtyard wit many rooms off to the sides... two of wich being jail cells!
We tramped along the next morning after a yummy breakfast of rice and beans! Tramping is what they do in New Zealand.... Ketzal Trekkers comes to this town every sunday morning and has to keep alternating between the two restaurants...by restaurant I mean a room with a table, a fire in it and people cooking for you. We also had tea which was made of pureed banana water and sugar...yummy! We passed many great views that day and made it to a families home that night. The hiking was a little tiring but not brutal.
The man of the house is Don Pedro and he rocked the accordian for us! His kids played the guitar and danced...It was very interesting adn wile the kids were not super enthused don Pedro
certainly was!
We had more rice and beans for dinner....with pasta, and after the music and an idoor bonfire (without a chimney, but wiuth beer) we went to bed...
Not long later we awoke at 4 to head up a little more and see the sunrise over lago Atitilan. The sunrise was breathtaking, as is the lake, and we also had some oatmeal.... All that was left to out trip was a 2 hour descent, and a swim in the lake with lunch... coming down was as usual harder onthe legs than going up but the swim was worth it! Quite refreshing!
We were supposed to finish with a boat tride to the town of San Pedro where we could have lunch, but it was to choppy for the boat to come... We flagged down a pickup and all hopped on... the driver could have used a labotomy but who am I do judge! We made it to the hostel/restaurant and had lunch, said goodby to our guides and the kids and pretty much stayed inthe chairs and hammocls for 2 days.... with some good cooking and other fine dining, San Pedro is a nice place to lounge and swim in the lake...
Today I'm off to another town around the lake, hopefully by canoe...
