But until then, more of the wonder that is Atitlan....
First.....some practicalities
We have received many emails from folks at home asking us various questions about day to day living in the places we have visited so far. Here are a few details regarding the logistics of living here:
The tap water is not drinkable here (nor in Mexico). We buy 5 gallon bottles (garafons), which, if you return the big plastic recycled container, cost 17 quetzales (about 1 pound 50 pence). We did the same in Mexico and 5 gallons cost just over a pound. It's practical and we are so pleased not to be using hundreds of plastic bottles.
We use easily obtainable water purifying liquid to wash our fruit and vegetables - a couple of drops in each litre of water. It's not a good idea to wash foodstuffs in tap water. We rinse our teeth and toothbrushes with drinking water. We even use drinking water to cook vegetables, as the jury seems to be out as to whether boiling kills all nasty bugs.
Everywhere we've stayed so far has had hot water in the shower, but not in the kitchen or bathroom sinks, which have cold water only. Water is heated either by electricity, or with gas bottles, which are usually housed outside and can be bought for 120Q (ten pounds) if you have the big metal canister. Plugs are a rarity, so to conserve water, we usually bung a bit of a plastic bag in the plughole, which works a bit. Cooking is also gas, from gas bottles. We've had mostly little 2 or 3 burner counter top cookers, but here we are lucky to have a proper cooker, with oven, much to bread-maker Alan's delight.
No paper down the toilet, this is put into a bin. There is great concern about the future of the Lake as toxin-containing algae feed on waste entering the water. The answer would be composting toilets, and some homes and businesses are leading the way, but there is a long way to go.
Recycling of rubbish is patchy, but there are several initiatives to create realistic schemes. Some villages around the lake, such as San Pedro, have recycling 'plants'. Domestic organic waste is used by families as compost for plants and the weavers we spoke to are proud to be able to say that they waste nothing.
Fruit and veg are seasonal and mostly local and are available in the markets and on the stalls, not in shops. There are avocado, banana, lime, cedre (like huge lemons), mandarin and orange trees everywhere, also an abundance of coffee plantations. Coffee is grown, harvested by the men in dry season and roasted locally. The local people pick mushrooms to sell a couple of times a week in season and we have come to know which days they'll appear on a particular stall (or the sellers will shout out to us as we pass 'Hay hongos!' ('we have mushrooms!') as they know we are big fans. It's jocote season at the moment; they are very popular with the local people and stones litter the road. They're a fruit, a bit bigger than a date, start green and are eaten at this stage often with chilli (they're face-puckeringly sour), then they turn yellow and sweeter, then finally turn red and are very sweet and juicy.
All washed in purified water and ready to eat
Alcohol: Beer (Sol, Cabro, Gallo, eg) is around 24Q for a litre and wine from 40Q a 75cl bottle from local shops. There is also 25% proof local hooch (aguardiente) at around 70p a quarter bottle, which is quaffed by local men especially on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, and by some tourists. We haven't tasted it but it smells ghastly...as Homer Simpson would say.... 'mmm, medicine-y'.
Aguardiente - at around 70p for 125ml - a cheap way to get barracho'd
Eating out: Because there are lots of tourists and ex-pats, restaurants and cafes around the Lake serve international cuisine ('gringo food'), though there are some typical comedors (eateries), serving Guatemalan food. Our favourite is the nameless tamale shack in San Marcos, where you can buy a fantastic plate (usually a child's melamine bowl with the alphabet around the rim!) of 2 tamalitos (little tamales), topped with a delicious salad of grated beetroot and carrot, and a whole mashed avocado, sprinkled with lime juice, all for 10Q - under a pound. It is a little shack made of small half tree trunks, no artificial light inside, a mud floor, one table with a bench each side where the customers sit, women sitting at the back around a traditional wood-burning stove cooking tortillas, their children playing nearby, and the odd chicken scratching around before being shooed out.
The tamale shack, from the table at the back, looking out onto the 'walking street' - the gorgeous little girl is Emily, her mum Paulina
Emily, with her mum's broom, sweeping in the 'walking street'. Aged 4, she attends the local school and already speaks Tz'utujil, her mother tongue, and Spanish, and is very assertive (not to mention very cute) and the youngest of 7.
In the tourist restaurants the cost of mains varies, but are usually around 35Q - 45Q each for vegetarian dishes - there are plenty of places around the Lake serving veggie dishes. Drinks (non-alcoholic) include smoothies and licuados (real fruit drinks made with water or milk), also several varieties of tea (lemongrass grows everywhere and makes great tea, also cinnamon (canela) is very cheap here and is used for tea) and, of course, the coffee is usually very good. Our favourite soft drinks were the sensationally delicious mixed fruit smoothie at La Paz, which was a bit pricier than some, at 18Q, but it comprised banana, strawberry, papaya and pineapple with yogurt, also the mango tenangos at Cafe Atitlan in San Pedro. Also popular were the kombucha (fermented tea) drinks and ginger beer made by Love Probiotics or en casa.
Money/economy: as mentioned, the currency in Guatemala is the quetzal ( which is also the now endangered national bird). There are about 12 to the British pound. There are no ATM's in San Marcos, our nearest town, so we need to take a lancha to San Pedro, San Juan or Panajachel to withdraw money when we need it. To give an idea of what money can buy here, avocados cost anything from 5Q - 10Q for three, eggs are 1Q each, tomatoes are 4Q a pound. This is our first stop in Guatemala, so we have nothing to compare them to, but people tell us that prices around the Lake are quite expensive for some goods, as they have to be transported there. Lancha fares are 10Q each to the nearest town and 25Q each to Pana, about 20 minutes away. Local people pay much less, reflecting their wages, which we believe to be very low, as we heard of a maid who changed jobs for an extra 2Q a day, which kind of put it into perspective for us. Tuk tuks cost 10Q per person from our house to San Marcos, for example, a 20 minute walk away, so are expensive compared to lanchas.
View from the back of a lancha
In the villages around the Lake, many local people work in tourism-related jobs, from selling bus tickets and tour packages to other locations in Guatemala and Central America, to selling vegetables, other foodstuffs, jewellery and artesanias in the streets and in shops or stalls. Some villages, like San Juan, have large local populations, so there are lots of local shops and small supermarkets. They also grow coffee for sale, but it is predominantly a weaving town.
Tina, the current presidenta of the fantastic Mayas Artesanias weaving co-operative in San Juan, outside the shop where Alan did his backstrap loom weaving course
A little bit about weaving, or tejido, and the weavers
As both of us took weaving courses in different towns on the Lake and spent time talking to the women in several co-ops who have been weaving since they were tiny, we learned a little about their lives and their history. Many of the women members of the co-operatives are lone parents, sadly often the victims of domestic violence fuelled by alcohol abuse. One woman had given birth to her first child aged 15. Her then-boyfriend and father of the child beat her when she was pregnant. When she became pregnant with her second child, he promised to marry her, then married another woman in the village, leaving her with 2 children to raise alone. She also told stories of abortions, which she was appalled by. Most of the women are catholic and religious. There were many such stories from these resilient women, who were not seeking sympathy, but merely relating the history of how they came to join the co-op and how it had changed their lives. We also gained a great sense of how culturally important weaving is and how it has changed over the years. Younger women have lost some of the more intricate skills of their grandmothers, but have moved with the times and, instead of weaving only huipiles and shawls, as their ancestors did, they now make a huge variety of still beautiful and symbolic, but more fashionable and tourist-friendly items and designs, in order to be commercially successful. It was a privilege to learn from and talk with these women, who retain a sense of history, pride and dedication to their work. For me, this was encapsulated by a phrase used by my teacher on the first day of my course: the part of the loom where the threads cross is called the 'corazon', or heart. She looked at me and said: 'sin corazon, no trabaja' (without heart it will not work), which said it all.
The philosophy of the co-ops in San Juan
In villages like San Pablo, which does not have many tourists, as it does not have a muelle (dock), the local people scratch a living as farmers, working in the maize fields, or travel to other towns and villages to sell goods. Travel is an expense, so many walk hours to and from more touristed places. There are also fishermen on the Lake, fishing from traditional wooden dug-out canoes, mostly for black bass, which were introduced to the Lake some years ago and, as is the story with so many other introduced flora and fauna worldwide (cane toads, rabbits!) have affected the ecosystem, in this case by feeding on the smaller indigenous fish. Santiago, the largest town on the Lake, is in many ways like other modern towns, the economy based on both tourism and local infrastructure.
We read that Guatemala has the highest rate of malnutrition in Central America and the highest fertility rate.
Accommodation: since the start of our travels we have been staying in apartments or casitas which we find on Airbnb, the internet generally, or from recommendations. However, our house at Vistas de Pasajcap we found by knocking at the gate and talking to the maid, who phoned the owner. (We started off in the little studio, then moved to the lovely family house at the top of the property, with even better views, for our last two weeks.) In San Marcos and the surrounding area there are a few hostels, one low-key hotel and loads of little cabins on the hill- and lakeside, many very rustic, some without electricity, and mostly with fantastic views of the lake and volcanoes. Prices vary hugely, according to amenities and the season. Airbnb places are more expensive, on the whole, plus they charge a cleaning and service fee on top. The local people live mostly in the barrio, above San Marcos. Tzununa, the next town along, is mostly Mayan, though this is set to change in the next few years, as a road linking the Lake area with Guatemala city is being constructed, ending in Tzununa. Already many ex-pats are buying land and having houses built there.
Bedroom/lounge in our Pasajcap studio
Anna weaving in the 'porch' of the 'big house'
The porch with amazing Lake views
A hummingbird trapped in the porch area, trying to escape, Bodo hoping for a snack..... we managed to save it.... phew!
View from our adobe casita to our neighbours' house and hammock area
Alan sprinting back to the casita as the downpour starts.... the dogs oblivious
Climate: The year-round temperature in Guatemala is great, not too hot or cold - averaging around 72 degrees F, though it varies across the country according to altitude. We were at the Lake during rainy season (May to October). It rained most afternoons and evenings from September on and sometimes extremely heavily. There were also some spectacular lightning displays and thunderstorms, sometimes resulting in powercuts.
Moody late afternoon before a downpour
This meant that there were far fewer tourists, so accommodation is generally cheaper. Not good for the locals' business, though, and some restaurants and therapy centres close for October, when the rain is heaviest. There was a horrendous landslide near Guatemala City while we were at the Lake, due to torrential rain. Tragically, over 200 people were killed and hundeds more are still missing.
Security: we always feel very safe here on the Lake, as we did in places we stayed in Mexico. The local people are friendly and helpful and interested in which country we're from, what our jobs are etc. Everyone greets us with a 'buenos dias/tardes/noches', according to the time of day, and after a short time the tuk tuk and lancha drivers knew where we lived. However, like anywhere else, you hear tales of petty theft and roads which are best avoided at night, but we just take sensible precautions and heed advice from local people. We were advised not to walk some paths on a Sunday, for example, when there were fewer people around.
Language: the local Mayan people speak mostly Tz'utujil or Kaqchikel, depending on which village or town they are from and most speak at least some Spanish and some speak a little English, too. There are several Spanish schools around the Lake and most tourists we spoke to can at least get by in Spanish, though we met some who didn't speak a word and were struggling.
Healthcare: from what we can gather, healthcare in Guatemala for the huge number of people on or below the poverty line is unequal and many indigenous people do not have access to healthcare, so ill-health is a worry for many local people we met. We came across a few charitable clinics which offer treatment at no- or reduced cost. We met a young ex-pat woman, for example, who had just started a job at the clinic in San Juan and was impressed by the care it offers. Local people attending there are charged 10Q for a consultation and if they cannot afford it, they can make an arrangement. However, a local man we came to know had developed a serious condition and was paying large amounts donated by tourists for specialist diagnosis and medicine. He was unable to work and the family was extremely worried. Many people use and are very knowledgeable about traditional medicine, and use this, or a combination of allopathic and traditional medicine. Herbs, powders and tinctures are available in all the markets we visited around the Lake. Tragically, for such a fertile country, Guatemala has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world.
Creepy crawlies: ants (some of which sting) and fruit flies get everywhere and we had to put everything in the fridge or hang it up in a hessian bag. Scorpions like to hide in clothes, towels, curtains and shoes, so it's essential to check before getting dressed or drying after a shower. They sting, but apparently it's like a bee sting and not too harmful.
We spotted quite a few scorpions in the house during our stay, but were lucky not to be stung
There were several huge huntsman spiders, which are harmless and eat nasties such as mozzies, so were our friends. They shed their skins as they grow, like snakes, and can regrow legs if they lose them.
Huge huntsman spider which lived in the bathroom of the studio
Black widow spiders spin nests, not webs, in the walls and their bite is pretty nasty and can be very harmful to very young, old or infirm, but they thankfully keep themselves to themselves.
There are mosquitos, but the Lake is not a malarial area. However, there is a horrible dengue-like mosquito-borne condition called Chikungunya, which reached the Lake while we were there. It induces severe joint pain and fever. A new friend was infected and was very ill for 2 weeks. The upside was that he quit smoking as it affected his breathing and he hasn't smoked since - hooray!
*Lots of other bugs are featured in our bug gallery, in a separate blog*
Other animals: dogs are everywhere. There are dozens of callejeros (street dogs) around the Lake, some mangey and starving. They are often taken in by locals or tourists. Unfortunately, some tourists abandon dogs when they move on... Totally unfair and exacerbates the problem. There are organisations such as Ayuda Perros y Gatos, based in Pana, which holds frequent spaying and neutering sessions in towns around the Lake and generally supports stray animals. We saw only a couple of cats during our time at the Lake.
Little street dog with XXL ears waiting hopefully for scraps outside a local restaurant in San Juan
We awoke to this scene on our terrace one morning... all of these pooches live on neighbouring properties! Good thing that we like dogs
Wild animals include squirrels: small grey and bigger chestnut coloured, scampering above in the trees (and driving Bodo crazy!) and several types of lizard and numerous varieties of bird, including the multi-vocal grackles and gorgeous hummingbirds.
Lizard in the garden - the males stand on their hind legs to fight
So, that's a bit about our experience of day to day living at the Lake... it's a fantastically interesting and varied place to stay.
Last days at the Lago
We visited Santiago, the largest town on the Lake and home of the image of the god Maximon, representing a fusion of Mayan/Catholic and Spanish conquistador beliefs. He moves each year to a different caretaker's house. We loved the town, though it was a bit of a shock after the tranquility of Pasajcap and San Marcos. It's big and bustling.
This little boy slept on the floor of the lancha the whole 20 minute journey from San Pedro to Santiago
Maximon is housed in a basic room, the ceilng hung with paper decorations, fairy lights and fruits, with Mayan holy men in attendance, also a queue of men waiting for an audience with him, their offerings at their feet. It was very moving and humbling. Tourists are asked to pay 2 quetzales entrance fee, plus 10Q to take photos, which felt very strange, but we were assured that no-one minded and this certainly appeared to be the case. They are totally absorbed in their worship and pay no attention to anything or anyone else. Maximon is made of wood, a cigarette in his mouth. fedora on his head, ties around his neck and money attached to his chest. People come from far and wide to ask him for favours, to fix problems and generally to give praise and be in his presence. They offer candles, cigarettes, alcohol, fruit, corn and money.
A man preparing to pray to the Mayan god Maximon
We visited the local church afterwards - another very moving experience. In the 1980s, left-wing guerrillas had a strong presence in the Santiago area, leading to the killings or disappearance of hundreds of villagers at the hands of the right-wing Guatemalan government during the civil war, which lasted from 1960-1996. In the church there is a a memorial to those who died, including the priest, originally from the USA, who preached in the local language and was beloved of the local people. In the church there are dozens of wooden images, whose clothes are changed several times a year; some of the images and outfits are quite bizarre compared with those in European catholic churches.
Orange with black polka dots, plus mega neckties......
And finally, another Elvis lookalike!
Here are a few images from our time at Lago de Atitlan.....
View of local women from the back of a lancha
Goods being transported for sale by local women, wrapped in handwoven cloth, at the front of the lancha,
Fishermen in wooden dug-out canoes
.......... passing by the dock at Pasajcap
Pie we made with local mushrooms...... yum! 'Hay hongos!'
Scrambled eggs on blue corn tortillas for breakfast
Anna shaking hands with 16 year old Juan after another defeat on the badminton court.. the boundaries were the banana tree at one end, the wall at the other, and sticks along the sides
The gorgeous and irrepressible Isa (daughter of Eric and Carolina, the owners of the property) with beautiful Bodo, on our terrace
Hmm... not sure if the brand name of these lollipops would catch on back home!
Mayachik, an organic vegan/vegetarian restaurant, garden and hostel in the countryside outside San Juan
The dock at Panajachel
Sign outside a hotel in Panajachel.... not much fun to be had here!
Visit to a nature reserve just outside Panajachel, with a butterfly conservation programme
Pitcher plant in the mariposario (butterfly enclosure)
One of several rescued spider monkeys (they are often discarded pets) in the reserve which was originally a shaded coffee plantation
The twice weekly textiles market at the fire station in Panajachel - just looking.....
Hmmm.....couldn't resist this antique huipil, which looks fantastic on the table... oh dear, it won't fit in the carry-on sized backpack....
Sacred Mayan site in the Nature Reserve in San Marcos
Painted shopfront in San Pedro
Drinking mango tenangos (a delicious mango slush puppy type drink)
Mango tenangos make everyone happy .... (the beer was her brother's!)
Outside La Paz vegetarian restaurant and hostel in San Marcos (must have had a mango tenango!)
Alan in Shambala cafe garden, San Marcos
Hike to the waterfall through beautiful countryside with Eric, the owner of the property we stayed at, his son and son's friend
Drying off after the powershower!
On the way to the waterfall we were passed by this religious procession of people from Tzununa, the Mayan village near San Marcos
A little bit of politics
While we were at the Lake the first round of the presidential election took place. The current president was impeached following 60 charges of corruption and there is now great hope for a new, honest successor, who will work to improve the lives of the people. The second election will take place on 25th October and the candidates are Sandra and Jimmy, as everyone refers to them. Almost everyone we've spoken to wants Jimmy Morales, a right-wing TV comedian with little political experience, to win. All the tuk tuk drivers have stickers in their vehicles and everyone says of him: 'Mehor un chistoso que un ladron' (better a funny man than a thief). His campaign slogan is 'Ni corrupto ni ladron' (neither corrupt nor a thief). Sandra Torres apparently has a shady past, allegations of corruption and a divorce of convenience, though appears on paper to have worked hard to improve the lives of women and to eradicate poverty, among other social initiatives. May the best person for Guatemala win....
Better a funny man than a thief?
Or, Sandra (alias Kat Slater - who knew?!)?
We've had a great time at the Lake; time to relax, learn a little bit about life on the Lake, enjoy the views, the friendliness, quirkiness, beauty and unique atmosphere and vibe. We've been lucky enough to do this while staying in great accommodation, with good cooking facilities. So, here are our recipes, as promised:
Recipes from our time at Lake Atitlan
Veggie 'meat' recipe from lovely Mike from Southend (!) who runs Fifth Dimension, http://www.facebook.com/fifthdimensionsp , the excellent vegetarian cafe in San Pedro, in his own fair hand - muchas gracias, amigo:
Ingredients
llb peanuts
1 large cauliflower (florets)
6 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp each oregano, paprika, chilli seeds, salt & pepper
3 tbsps soy sauce
Method
Pulse peanuts into fine powder
Pulse cauliflower (not too fine)
Pulse/blend garlic (or use garlic press)
Mix all ingredients including spices together
Line pyrex dish with cooking oil (9'' x 6'')
Cook at 180 degrees for 1/2 hour in the oven
After 30 mins move the mixture around. It should be starting to brown and should have a stuffing consistency.
Cook for another 20-30 mins, making sure to move the mixture around. It should be between a stuffing/crispy consistency at the end.
Let sit for an hour afterwards.
It makes a great burrito filling, we also used it in a stir fry and a curry and it was delicious each time.
Dom's jam (by no means an exact science!)
Dom, our wonderful neighbour at the Lake, brought an amazing jam to accompany his homemade bread for breakfast. We asked him for the recipe and here's what he- an intuitive and great cook - gave us. so you're kind of on your own.... hope it turns out well!
'Method' (in his madness!)
Make a sugar solution, I'm guessing about 1/2 pint
Add cinammon, cloves and star anise, how much of each was left vague....
Simmer, whilst stirring, until a syrupy consistency is achieved
Now add about 1/2 a cup of 3 different chopped fruits of your choice
Stir, then take off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes
Now put it back on the heat and bring slowly to a rolling boil
Continue boiling for 5 minutes whilst stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer whilst stirring until it looks like jam!
That's it..... Amy, his partner, said that it's great poured over vanilla ice cream... que rico! When we meet up with them in South America, or manage to reach Dom by email, we'll publish a more accurate recipe.
Here is Alan's flatbread recipe, perfected at the Lake ... ta dah!
Rosemary and garlic flatbreads
Ingredients
These measurements are for convenience whilst travelling. You can usually find a dessertspoon and a teaspoon!
16 heaped dessertspoons white all-purpose flour
2 rounded tsps dried active yeast
pinch salt
Tumblerful of warm water (not hot)
1 dessertspoon rosemary and 2 cloves chopped garlic, lightly softened in 1 dessertspoon oil over a low heat
Method
Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well
Add rosemary and garlic, with the oil they were cooked in, and mix well
Now, slowly add warm water, a little at a time whilst stirring, until a slightly sticky dough is formed
Flour a worksurface and tip the dough onto it, then knead for about 5-10 minutes, adding more flour as you go, if the mixture is too sticky to manipulate, or is sticking to the worksurface
Once a 'silky' texture is achieved, form the dough into a ball and put into a lightly oiled bowl
Cover with a damp cloth and put somewhere warm for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and roll it gently into a sausage shape about 25cm long
Cut the sausage into 8 equal parts
Using your hands, form each portion gently into a flat disc around 10-12cm across
As you form the discs place them on the worksurface in sequence, as they will rise slightly as you go
Now, starting with the first disc you made, and working through to the last, gently cook each one in turn, in oil, for about 1 and a 1/2 minutes each side
You will know that they are done when they are about twice as thick, looking as if they are fluffy inside and slightly browned
If you want to, you can keep them in a warm oven until you serve them
They are best served hot, or warm, but will keep well for 24 hours in an airtight container
Serve them with whatever you like - we like them topped with guacamole, cheese, tomato and fresh lime juice, or with scrambled eggs, or as a replacement for muffins in eggs benedict (see our recipe for travellers' eggs benny on the Isla Holbox post)
Or......... leave out the rosemary and garlic and top with chopped fruit, nuts and yogurt.
Full moon from the casita
Sunset on our last evening at the Lake
And sunrise on our last morning: this really isn't making it any easier to leave
But leave we must, but we know we will return, as we've left a bit of our hearts at Lake Atitlan.
Next post: Colonial La Antigua, first capital city of Central America
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