Lake Atitlan

On a boat on Lake Atitlan

We couldn't miss spending a day visiting Lake Atitlán and the wonderful villages that surround it. The roads are either steep climbs or completely absent, so we take a boat trip across the lake. The first one, which takes about half an hour, is from Panajachel to San Pedro, where we will be staying overnight. This allows us to leave our luggage and explore the town; here we can see a beautiful church and... the usual market The distance to San Juan is short, and we decide to walk there, visiting what we can define as the most picturesque village: the murals are beautiful, and the street slopes down towards the harbor. covered with open umbrellas In order to appreciate it, with a series of shops nearby that are worth visiting. All this creates a sense of vibrant colors which will likely be the main thread, the primary memory of the entire trip: from the decoration of the streets to the women's clothing, even to the cemeteries. In this village, we have the opportunity to participate in a guided tour to understand how they work... cacao beans, which are harvested throughout the year to produce various products. Once collected, they are separated from the thin outer shell; the beans are dried for 30 days in wooden boxes with banana leaves that help remove moisture and act as a natural preservative. At this point, they are left to dry for some time in the sun, toasted – tasting them reveals the pure cocoa flavor –, and apply with rollers to obtain a paste that, once dried, turns into powder ready to make chocolate. The finished product as we understand it is not widely used here – it is essentially sold to Western tastes. With the husks, the outer shells, you can make cocoa tea, which is very useful against diarrhea and as a natural anti-inflammatory. Since pure cocoa has a bitterness that can be excessive, it is usually mixed with other fruits up to 50%. In particular, with 80% cocoa, 15% of sugar (refined or not) and orange are added, which, in addition to giving flavor, also acts as an antioxidant and natural preservative; if the percentage of cocoa drops to 70%, it is balanced with 20% sugar and 10% orange.

We take the first available floating boat to San Marcos – it's larger but equally interesting. It winds its way through a series of alleys where you can find shops, massage centers, yoga and esoteric practices; the town is considered a place where cosmic energies converge, making it particularly suitable for certain activities. Lunchtime has arrived, but we don't have much time, so we sit on a bench under the large and famous ficus tree in the central square to munch on some crackers – this is essentially the meeting point between the upper residential area of the Maya ethnic group and the lower, purely touristy area. A walk near the lake, from which you can see well the three volcanoes; let's have a drink hot chocolate that will remain etched in our memories, and we head towards San Pedro. There is no direct service to Santiago; you need to go through Panajachel Traveling through the various villages visited this morning. We take another two boat trips and see the scenery from a different angle. Today is good because there is little wind; it's said that yesterday there was very strong wind, and one of the sailboats even capsized, probably due to excessive speed on the choppy water. In the harbors, there are security personnel who direct visitors towards the sailboats depending on their destination, wearing jackets that make their coordinating and control role clear. This contributes to ensuring maximum peace of mind for those visiting the area – and not just this: police or military presence is visible in many places, along with frequent checkpoints. Seeing so many uniforms around isn't exactly the scenery everyone wants, but the sense of security is worth a few more checks, and it's a concrete sign that things are changing. Bad behavior, crime, and corruption will not disappear from the area; however, the efforts being made are appreciated. Santiago It is perhaps the largest inhabited area – with approximately 50,000 residents – located in a secluded position, less touristy, and therefore the most authentic. within a bay which opens into a smaller lake. Few tourists and an interesting glimpse of local life, where Latin influence is almost completely absent, add value to the brisk walk. We reach a viewpoint from which we can see the urban center nestled on a promontory that separates Lake Atitlán from the small lake it creates. The colorful cemetery Nearby, you can confirm the importance of Mayan culture. The tree-lined square with the adjacent church represents a classic scene where social life is concentrated, with... street vendors to complement it.

Maximón and the last train to San Pedro

Time is running out, and there's a departure for San Pedro at 5:00 PM; unfortunately, when we arrive ten minutes early, it has already left. It's quite frustrating: the boats have schedules, but they actually depart when they are full — it's more common to have to wait for them to fill up. In this case, things went differently. Since the next one is scheduled for 5:20 PM, we go in search of... Maximón... the Mayan deity that is moved each year to a different location and worshipped by believers there. We ask around trying to find it, and in the end we manage to find it inside a room that doesn't appear religious from the outside. It’s a dummy without legs sitting on a chair, with a sort of lit cigarette in its mouth, flowers all around, and a group of worshippers led by the shaman, who stands out because of his scarf. On one side of the room there is a glass sarcophagus inside which — at least that's what we hope — lies a statue. The whole thing has a macabre appearance; even the quiet atmosphere of the participants in prayer seems more like a funeral vigil. We don’t have time to observe further, because we need to reach the docking area to avoid getting stuck in Santiago. Back in San Pedro, we go to enjoy a good fish dinner — tilapia wrapped in parchment with peppers, onions and parsley — and asado. When it's just after 9:00 PM, we go to sleep at the beautiful hotel right on the lake: its waves caress our sleep, initially strong but becoming gentle when the wind dies down. A magnificent sunrise over the lake awaits us, which will amply justify the short night.