san marcos la laguna

The main town of Lake Atitlan is Panajachel. On the weekends, it is brimming with gringos. It's definitely known for all the "stuff" for sale - there is a ton. I bought some really solid and beautiful little stuffed animals for the children that I'm living with.

Our chicken bus did switchbacks all the way down the hill to get into town. I think I did that once in a bus in Europe, but a chicken bus is quite another thing. We saw a car go up on the rail. Was there a rail? Probably just a rock.

We stayed in San Marcos, a tiny and quiet alternative where you could, if you wanted, choose to stay in a bungalow made entirely of recycled materials. We found this out too late. We did, however, get to see a tree house. It is made of a few old and sturdy tree trunks and sprawling branches that hold a two story wooden house (glass windows, electricity, etc.). You walk under it and past the spiral stairs that lead up to what must be the living room, I guess, to get to the sauna where we sat and sweated until I could finally breathe again. Still sick.

The lake is navy blue, as if the cool aquamarine color at its edges had been veiled with ash from the surrounded volcanoes. It is ominious. It is huge. There's this place with low, flat rocks and a cliff up above it. After I watched a kid jump off, there was no not doing it. 15 meters high. and there's an awesome picture of me plunging and looking terrified on my friend's camera. The adrenaline rush from that was pretty great, but I still have bruises from hitting the water so hard.