We took weekend trip to "Lago de Atitlan." This huge lake was created by volcanic eruptions. The lake is over 900 feet deep and we are told it is has large mouth bass. Three volcanoes tower over the southern part of the lake. Steep mountains and a few smaller volcanoes surround the rest of the lake. We rented a car for the weekend as this was cheaper for us than taking the tourist vans back and forth. Actually having a car for two days was a highlight of the trip! We could leave and return at will, stop when we wanted, or when we needed. The kids both got carsick within the first hour of the trip.
There are very few straight roads in our part of Guatemala! We pondered an official Guatemala map and the hand-drawn map the hotel had faxed us as we made our way to Lago de Atitlan. We got off track once, but friendly Guatemalans offered help. The hotel map indicated a section labeled "23 turns." It was actually 23 very tight, steep switchbacks down the side of the moutain! Boy was Becky glad Rick was at the wheel. The chicken buses and tourist vans take these switchbacks at breakneck speed!
We stayed at a lodge on the southwestern edge of the lake. San Juan La Laguna is not a tourist hotspot since you can't see the big volcanoes from there. We were thrilled to have some peace and quiet overlooking the lake. Except for the mountains, it felt like the North Shore. The kids
and Rick were brave enough to jump off the dock into the frigid water. They climbed right back out again. We also did a little kayaking. Sunday morning we took a lancha (water taxi) across the lake to another town for lunch and a view of the volcanoes.
All too soon we packed up and headed home. We didn't want to be driving after dark in case we lost our way. Unfortunately armed robbery/carjacking is a real danger for foreigners in Guatemala. We were delighted to stop for dinner at Burger King in Chimaltenango. We do have a Burger King here in Antigua, but this Burger King had a parking lot and drive through!
We took weekend trip to "Lago de Atitlan." This huge lake was created by volcanic eruptions. The lake is over 900 feet deep and we are told it is has large mouth bass. Three volcanoes tower over the southern part of the lake. Steep mountains and a few smaller volcanoes surround the rest of the lake. We rented a car for the weekend as this was cheaper for us than taking the tourist vans back and forth. Actually having a car for two days was a highlight of the trip! We could leave and return at will, stop when we wanted, or when we needed. The kids both got carsick within the first hour of the trip.
There are very few straight roads in our part of Guatemala! We pondered an official Guatemala map and the hand-drawn map the hotel had faxed us as we made our way to Lago de Atitlan. We got off track once, but friendly Guatemalans offered help. The hotel map indicated a section labeled "23 turns." It was actually 23 very tight, steep switchbacks down the side of the moutain! Boy was Becky glad Rick was at the wheel. The chicken buses and tourist vans take these switchbacks at breakneck speed!
We stayed at a lodge on the southwestern edge of the lake. San Juan La Laguna is not a tourist hotspot since you can't see the big volcanoes from there. We were thrilled to have some peace and quiet overlooking the lake. Except for the mountains, it felt like the North Shore. The kids
and Rick were brave enough to jump off the dock into the frigid water. They climbed right back out again. We also did a little kayaking. Sunday morning we took a lancha (water taxi) across the lake to another town for lunch and a view of the volcanoes.
All too soon we packed up and headed home. We didn't want to be driving after dark in case we lost our way. Unfortunately armed robbery/carjacking is a real danger for foreigners in Guatemala. We were delighted to stop for dinner at Burger King in Chimaltenango. We do have a Burger King here in Antigua, but this Burger King had a parking lot and drive through!
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