Sunrise over Lake Atitlan

Sunrise at the Mayan Face

It's the last day, we need to make one final effort that will be well worth it. Wake up at 3:20, breakfast with a croissant and coffee made in the hotel's kitchen area – where some cockroaches are quietly moving around at that time – and we're ready for 4:00 to go see the sunrise at Rostro Maya. With our usual Hyundai minibus, we pick up other early risers in the center of San Pedro and from there, we start on the steep road leading to Santa Clara, a route that would make even our mountain roads envious with its many curves. Henry, who earlier had picked up some fellow adventurers who were located in peripheral areas by motorcycle, is already waiting for us to begin the walk with a flashlight through coffee plantations. Initially, the path slopes upwards, stopping at some campsites where the guide provides us with useful information about the lake and its inhabitants. As you can easily imagine – and this location makes it even clearer – it's a collapsed crater and filled with water From here, the reason for the steep banks on its sides becomes clear. The basin has no outlets: it fills from 5 to 15 meters during the rainy season, also thanks to small streams, and returns to its initial level through evaporation during the dry season. As for depth, there are reports of 350 meters – the depth reached by Jacques Cousteau's expedition. It seems that the bottom has never been completely explored. It is not difficult to believe this, given its volcanic origin.

Henry is very proud of his Mayan heritage and culture, and bitterly mocks the Spanish colonization. He tells us – whether this is history or legend, we don't know – about an initial village submerged in the lake, from which the 13 countries that currently surround it developed: a kind of Central American Atlantis. While he provides us with the first explanations, a shy glimmer begins to emerge towards the east, but the darkness still surrounds us and The villages sparkle below us.... projecting faint glows over the lake. We continue to climb steeply until we reach the summit, where we enjoy coffee and some snacks; by now the lake starts to turn color and its shape becomes clear; its boundaries are no longer just discernible from the lights of the country. Although at a distance, the volcanoes of Atitlan They are aligned with those of Antigua – about 45 kilometers apart in a straight line – so you can see San Pedro, Atitlán, and Lake Tolimán, as well as Acatenango, Agua, and Fuego. The latter is easily distinguishable from smoke that emerges from the top, whose deep roars pierce the night as it fades. As every day, the fiery ball gradually takes center stage announced by a magical glow, worthy of a king. The colors tend towards warm tones, as does the temperature – not particularly pleasant in the dark, given that we are over 2,000 meters above sea level. What many consider to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world is right beneath us, while the new day rises on the horizon. We couldn't have asked for a more magical ending to our journey in this land still so strongly influenced by Mayan culture.

The trip to and from the airport

It's now 7:00 AM and we need to get our bearings, because the return journey is about to begin. If we can reach the minibus and therefore our accommodation in San Pedro within an hour, reaching Guatemala City airport will be just as challenging. We had booked a shuttle transfer, which arrives on time to pick us up but delays our departure until 9:30 AM while waiting for other travelers to arrive. The real problem is the blockages on the road that prevents passage. Unfortunately, the protests are frequent and sudden; even though everything seemed calm yesterday, today we find ourselves in a critical situation. We bypass the lake from the south instead of passing through the north, on winding roads where even a slow vehicle can move at a walking pace. In addition, the potholes on the road followed by asphalt work force us to make two stops of almost half an hour each. The risk of missing our intercontinental flight seems increasingly real; if there were further blockades in the Antigua area, it would be over. The minutes pass like stones, although inevitably fast; when we are on the Pan-American Highway, the risks of unfortunate encounters increase, but we can run and the driver will not say it twice. Now, the telephone network constantly works and we can monitor the remaining time: the frantic race to Antigua does not allow us to catch our flight to the airport, so Henry proposes a taxi for which we share the expenses — 17 euros on our part, but it is absolutely no problem. We depart from the beautiful colonial capital at 14:00 and are now confident that we will make it. Shortly after 15:00, we arrive at the international airport, with plenty of time to change and consume the snack we had prepared for every eventuality. At 18:30, we say goodbye to Guatemala en route to San Salvador, where a stopover is planned and where we must disembark to board again in preparation for departure at 21:00. The overnight flight allows us to rest and arrive in Madrid in good shape. Here, we enjoy another coffee with milk and one last sprint brings us home. A positive ending with double, opposite thrill: the mystical feeling of dawn on the lake and the more prosaic thrill of the race to the airport. This positive ending only seals an experience that exceeds expectations. We had started with fears related to safety and organizational aspects; we cannot say that it was a simple trip, but the fact that it was challenging, that we had to keep our minds constantly active, and that everything went well makes it also a reason for pride. Easy things are easy and risk ending up quickly in oblivion; the satisfaction of having arrived through hardship to the stars This is also evident in the starry sky that accompanied us on Lake Atitlan.