Log 6: El Lago de Atitlán
On Saturday, June 11th we went to Lake Atitlan,
of which Aldous Huxley said, “It really is too much of a good thing.” The drive
was about an hour and a half from Tecpán by bus, and we left bright and
early to head for a nature reserve at the lake’s edge. The drive itself is
worth the trip—we came around the edge of the lake on winding roads, and the
views were spectacular, even with a cloudy day. The lake itself is quite large,
and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes jutting straight out from the
water’s edge.


After the nature reserve, we ferried across the lake from Panajachel, one of the larger and most touristy towns on Lake Atitlán, to San Juan la Laguna for lunch. The ride across the lake took about twenty-five minutes, and the choppy lake made for an exciting (and only slightly scary!) ride. San Juan has a much more relaxed pace than Panajachel, and it was just what we needed after a long hike. When we got off the boat, we walked up a very steep hill past several shops and stands. We stopped in a women-run weaving collective, Corazón del Lago, based in San Juan. Their store beautiful scarves, blankets, tablecloths, and other exquisitely crafted textiles. We then went to Alma de Colores, which had opened especially for us, for a late lunch.

After our lunch, we mosied back to
the lake’s edge, and crossed back over to Panajachel for a little more
sight-seeing. Unlike San Juan, Panajachel is much more of a tourist trap, but
we found a nice little place for tea near the water, and had some relaxing down
time before heading back to Tecpán. As we walked back to the bus, we managed to
sneak in some time at a local bookstore, where we were able to buy some
Kaqchikel dictionaries, a Tz’utujil grammar and dictionary, and more! We left
Lake Atitlán exhausted but content travelers. Words really can’t do justice to
the beauty of the lake, so if you’re in Guatemala, go.
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