Lake Atitlan

This week I travelled with 2 friends to visit Laguna (Lake) Atitlan . This is an enormous crater lake about 200 kms from Antigua. The guide book say it is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and it did not disappoint. We travelled up to the lake in a mini bus with 12 other travellers representing 10 different countries- this is certainly an international destination.
First we visited a beautiful art gallery in Panajachel containing Mayan artifacts, Spamish iconology and modern art. Next we caught the launch to San Marcos, a village on the lake where we stayed for 2 nights in a funky hotel for about $10 each- very clean, luscious gardens, delightful people.
There a many villages around the lake nearly all named after saints-St Pedro, St Juan, St Dominico, St Macos etc. - the Spanish certainly left their mark here...
The lake´s water level rises and falls dramatically, and following very heavy rains the past 2 years it has come up about 6 metres. We saw lots of hotels and restaurants now under water. The villages are very steep and the locals all live way up in the hills (guess they know something asbout their environment). There is a large community of gringos living in St Marcos and very alternative lfestylers with every massages and healing method imaginable - reminded me of Byron Bay.
Our "tour guide", Deet , my Jewish friend, has been coming to the lake for years so we met up with lots of her friends and were invited to a 60th birthday party in a Japanese restaurant. The guests included some wonderful musicians so we had Guatemalan songs, a harpist playing beautiful classical music, drummers, shakers etc. Great night.
The next day we caught the boat across the lake to St Juan where I tracked down the women´s weaving co-op and saw a demonstration of spinning and bought some beautiful fabrics.

St Pedro

My friend Coco enjoying the view from Raj´s house. We were invited to his place for breakfast. Raj is an Indian man 70 years old who used to live in Chicago, but after the death of his wife has moved to Guatemala

A typical street in  in St Marcos. This lady is carrying wood on her head.

Breakfast time at Raj´s magificent stone house. Raj left, then Coco and Deet. he served oatmeal panckes, fruit and lots of very strong coffee

Lake Atitlan is surrounded by volcanoes. This is St Pedro volcano which lots of travellers climb ( not this one)

One of the many launches that takes you around the lake. Note the high water level in the background

 

The other form of transport around the lake is the Tuk Tuk- Costs about 50 cents for most rides up those steep streets

A spinning demonstration.This lady is the same age as me but called me an old lady as her birthday is 3 months after mine. I am pleased to say we found all this out with our Spanish conversation. She also speaks her own Mayan dialect

Wonderful ponchos and fabrics

They use all natural dyes from vegetables and plants

The lake is so beautiful. Here is a Mayan statue- Bouganvillea is a everywhere.