Last Sunday (and also the Sunday before that) we made a 7-hour round-trip drive from our cozy abode near San Marcos La Laguna to the Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. In general, we hadn’t planned on spending a ton of time in major or capital cities during our drive through Central America, and Guatemala City, … Read more
Guatemala City: 2 Observations from 2 Brief Encounters
May 31st, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (5 Comments)Chichicastenango Market
May 30th, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (2 Comments)Around 140 kilometers northwest of Guatemala City (and 65 kilometers northeast of San Marcos la Laguna) is the highland K’iche’ Maya town of Chichicastenango. Chichi, as it is often shortened, is essentially famous for one thing. On Thursdays and Sundays what is generally deemed the largest market in Central America transforms an otherwise forgettable town … Read more
Cottage at Lago de Atitlán
May 29th, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | Lodging | The Places We've Been - (8 Comments)We have been thrilled with our choice of lodging for the month of May, a two room cottage at PasajCap just east of San Marcos La Laguna at Lago de Atitlán in Guatemala. The property is accessible by car, boat, and helicopter (woot woot!) and features a lancha dock, a swimming dock, space for parking, … Read more
Reserva Natural Atitlán
May 28th, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | Parks | The Places We've Been - (1 Comments)Just northwest of Panajachel is the Reserva Natural Atitlán. Founded in 1995 as a butterfly house and a few trails traversing the dense vegetation of the mountains overlooking the lake, the reserve has expanded since its inception. It now includes a visitors’ center, a few rooms for rent, camping spaces, a small restaurant, an outdoor … Read more
Everyday Essentials: Lago de Atitlán
May 27th, 2013 | Posted by in Everyday Essentials | Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (2 Comments)This is a series detailing some of what appear at first to be more mundane details of a place, but will hopefully be illuminating as insights into the grind behind the “glamour.” Water, Laundry, and Cleaning This month we’re renting a two room cabin just east of San Marcos La Laguna on a property that houses … Read more
A Day in the Life: Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala
May 18th, 2013 | Posted by in A Day in the Life | Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (0 Comments)This is an installment in an ongoing post series detailing a typical day in one of our destinations. Not everything in this schedule might happen on any given day, but it should give you a good idea of our usual activities. 5:00 AM - Thought we won’t see it for another hour, the sun’s first rays crawl … Read more
Panajachel and San Pedro la Laguna
May 16th, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (3 Comments)Thus far we have managed a grand total of two trips away from our corner of Lago de Atitlán, one to Panajachel and one to San Pedro la Laguna (check out the map for reference – our place is just east of San Marcos la Laguna). That’s not entirely true; it’s actually been three, but … Read more
Beets Turn Your Poop Purple and Other Assorted Reasons to Love Them
May 15th, 2013 | Posted by in Food | Guatemala | Oh - (5 Comments)Diego, our neighbor and gardener, stopped me on the path outside of our casita about a week ago and asked me if we might want some extra lettuce he’d grown. When I gladly accepted, he extended the offer to include something I didn’t understand, but when he explained them as round and red, I assumed … Read more
Lago de Atitlán: An Introduction
May 12th, 2013 | Posted by in Guatemala | The Places We've Been - (7 Comments)“Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes.” – Aldous Huxley Lago de Atitlán, in the Guatemalan highlands, is the deepest lake in Central America, surpassing one thousand feet in places, and is considered by many to be one … Read more
Border Crossing: Mexico / Guatemala
May 12th, 2013 | Posted by in Border Crossings | Dogs | Guatemala | Mexico - (7 Comments)We cross borders by land in a CR-V with US passports and our two dogs. We do not carry drugs or weapons or disallowed fruit (usually). These articles are not a definitive guide to crossing borders nor should they be used as a sole source of information. They are our experiences. When, Where, and Which … Read more