Hot Lava, really?

Bright and early Monday morning we left Lago Atitlan for Antigua with hopes of spending our afternoon on Volcan Pacaya. Sure enough we were able to quickly track down a tour (and only got ripped off a few bucks) and even had enough time for lunch and a brief stroll through the market before our 2pm departure.


Pacaya is an active volcano about 25 km from Antigua. The peak is about 8,372 feet about sea level, but the view below is not the real reason people visit. A chance to see red hot lava is why gringos flock to Pacaya daily. Of course we had to get in on the action. As much as we didn’t want to be a part of another big tour group, it’s not so easy, nor recommended to go solo. When we exited the mini-bus we were practically attacked by local kids trying to rent hiking sticks. Having heard it’s a good idea, we found a good deal (2 for 8Q). The hike up was fairly easy with great views of Guatemala City below. At the top we hiked around on a bed of hardened lava, scouting out “hot spots.” We were able to see a few lava runs (in cracks below the surface) that our guide told us were a year old. It wasn’t quite as impressive as we had hoped, but we did see lava. Guess we’ll have to go back to Hawaii and visit Volcano National Park to get a real fix!

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.

Chicken Bus of the Week #4

Many of the chicken buses are named....this one is "Florida".
It is not uncommon to see female names on the side of them like "Yessica", "Rosalinda" or "Maria Linda".

Rumer has it that the owner of the bus often names it after is first daughter. That's quite an honor! I don't know how I would feel having a bus named after me.....but I don't think I'll ever have to worry about it either (that is unless my dad has become a bus driver while I've been away)!

I've actually seen several versions of this bus "Florida" with the same color scheme, so maybe this guys has a fleet of them!

Pool & Beer

Tonight we're off to Pool & Beer to partake in, of course, pool & beer with some more students that will be leaving us tomorrow! Boo hoo hoo!

Dinner & Dancing

The night before we skipped town there was a special dinner at ICA complete with entertainment! For us, it was extra special because it was our last night with a few students we have become good friends with during the past month at school. The beloved "chicas de Holanda" Rogier & Jonathan, as well as our resident photographer friend Mike, finished their studies and have left Xela for greener pastures......Mexico & Antigua!

Rogier & Jonathan....things just aren't the same without you guys!

We dined on delicious papusas (cheese filled tortillas with sauce) and were amazed by the dancing skills of a local dance troupe. Some of us (those who got volunteered!) even got to partake in the dancing.

Lucky me! I got to dance with someone who knows how to lead.....sorry Benny!

The rest of the night consisted of mingling with other students, spotting a giant rat in ICA, some adult beverages, a stop by Ojala!, conversing in Spanish with some teachers, closing down a discoteca, eating hotdogs and consuming more adult beverages in Parque Central, and returning home entirely too late to get up at 5am the following morning! Here's what it looked like.

Mathias & Mario......... Rogier & me

Mario & Shelly.......... Ben & Bryan

Marek & Petra........ Mario's moto

The Czech-O........... Ana & Jonathan

Justine & Rogier........... Jonathan & Ana

There's no place like home...

Well, we're back in Xela and already settled into the swing of things! We spent the morning enjoying the sun in Parque Central (FINALLY SUN!) and doing a little studying! This afternoon Ben is in the gym and I'm at our favorite coffee shop, Cafe Baviera (it's on Calle 4, not the one near Parque Central), blogging.

We know you all are dying to hear about our trip to Honduras, but we're going to need some time! Let's just say Honduras wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but Guatemala sure was nice! I guess there's no place like home!

Stay tuned for a day-by-day update on our trip!

We missed you. Hope you missed us too!

Rock your Vote

Not that we weren´t supporters before our time here in Guatamala, but after befriending people from many different parts of the world and hearing their takes on the US government, we´ve become LOCO OBAMA SUPPORTERS! We want change. We need change. The World needs change. You can help. Vote Obama/Biden now!