One Last Dip

There was lots of hanging out and many a despedida (goodbye) with friends the whole week leading up to our departure. Sadly though, our oldest Antigua friends Britt & Carlos were vacationing in Costa Rica until just before we left. Lucky for us when they suggested a 4th of July weekend at the lake date with them after saying goodbye to Antigua, we jumped at the chance. Being that C & B have never been, but were dying to go to to the gringo haven of La Casa Del Mundo, we booked our reservations and off we went for one last dip in Lago Atitlán.


Way back when we lived in the cute loft apartment on 2nd Avenue we met Carlos and Britt, who also lived in the same complex. They were the only other tenants with a car and we were constantly parking each other in on the long narrow driveway. After a couple of weeks of knocking on each others doors, making arrangements for who would be leaving first each morning, we started hanging out. We had already made plans to move into our house at that point, but had we known that some of our neighbors would turn out to be some of our best friends, we may have never left.







It was a weekend of lounging lakeside, stuffing ourselves silly, staying up late playing cards, and dodging evening showers. We couldn't have asked for a better despedida with anyone else. It turns out that Carlos & Britt are actually moving stateside also at the end of the summer, to Minnesota where Britt will be attending graduate school. Even though MN isn't exactly right next door, we're already scheming up plans for our next visit with them!

A new wonder of the world?

We began our 2 week vacation with a weekend at Lago Atitlan, again. This time we visited 3 new towns around the lake, Jaibalito, San Marcos and San Pedro. We stayed in Jaibalito at this gringo hotel, Casa Del Mundo, really the only thing Jaibalito has going for it! It's a beautiful, private place set right on the lake. If you're looking for some relaxation time we highly suggest it. It would also be pretty fun for a group of friends to stay here together. Because the last public lancha (boat) service ends around 5:30pm, you pretty much have to eat dinner there, so it's a good thing they offer a family style dinner for all their guests....convenient, huh? Whether you want to or not, you'll be paying a pretty Quetzal for your meal, at least compared to what we are used to - be prepared! Seriously though, if you want some peace and quiet, this is about the first place we have found it Guatemala that offers it. Probably not recommended for those who want to spend their time hopping around the lake via lancha as it takes a while to get anywhere from there.

We visited San Marcos for a few hours the afternoon we arrived at the lake. “A magnet for hippies with a purpose,” as stated by Lonely Planet Guatemala, San Marcos is thought by some to have a spiritual energy and is best known for meditation, holistic therapies, and massage. We found it a bit boring, but maybe it's different if you spend a few more days there and find a place to get a good massage.....or maybe not?

Thought to be one of the cheapest of the lakeside villages, San Pedro, is also another “hippie magnet.” If you’re looking for drugs, this is the place. Just like we were warned, within minutes for exiting the lancha we were approached by a local “guide” offering tour services and recreational drugs, if we so desired. We did not. The actual town is a bit of an uphill hike from the docks, but most of the tourist action is near the water. We took in both scenes on our Sunday afternoon excursion.


The people of Guatamala, especially around the lake, are looking for make Lago Atitlan one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. While we still haven’t decided if it the lake is worthy of the title, you can cast your vote if you believe it to be true. Surely the Guatemalans will appreciate your help.