Trip around Atitlán Lake
This has been one of the more adventuresome trips. On the Easter of
1999, we planned a trip around Atitlán
Lake... walking. Like if this were not enough, we also planned to stop
by San Lucas Tolimán and climb Atitlán volcano and then go to San Pedro la
Laguna and climb San Pedro volcano. We had big goals in mind,
which had to be reduced as the trip progresses!We started at Panajachel going to the East. We passed trough several towns located at the shores of the lake, they were: San Antonio Palopó, Santa Catarina Palopó, Agua Escondida, San Lucas Tolimán, Santiago Atitlán, San Pedro la Laguna, San Marcos and Santa Cruz la Laguna. By the end of the first day, we were at Agua Escondida, where a pick-up truck gave us a ride to San Lucas Tolimán. We spent the night at a house that looked like and improvised lodging. The next day the goal was Atitlán volcano. Thus, the three members of the team began a new hike. As a consequence of the previous day hard activity, after walking by the coffee trees, Héctor announces that he has a pain on his knee and decides that it's better not to climb the volcano. The trip plans are modified. Eduardo and I decided to go on and agree to meet with Héctor at Santiago Atitlán, two days later.
The climb was pretty hard. We were feeling the fatigue of the previous day. Finally, a couple of hours before sunset we had arrived to the camping place: el Chanán. Alter resting lying on the ground using our backpacks as pillows, we noticed that somebody was approaching. The rumors and stories of people that have been robbed at that place made us hide behind some bushes. They were two people, hikers like ourselves, so we approached again. What a surprise! It was our good friend Sergio who had joined our trip with a friend. Once again the feeling of joy and unity that exists in the mountain is multiplied by each friend we find in the path.
Early in the morning Eduardo decides to go for the top of Atitlán volcano. Wishing him to have a nice climb, I stayed in the tent. It was enough hike for me for two days and we still had descend! That day in the afternoon we were again at San Lucas Tolimán. Now we had to walk to Santiago Atitlán. Again one more change to the plan: we got a ride to that place. Once at Santiago Atitlán we thought that Héctor was at that place, but we had agreed to meet there the next day. After walking a bit in the town I suggested to spend the night at San Pedro la Laguna, a more touristic town. We found cheap lodging, Q8.00 each person! (about US$ 1.00 each) in a very picturesque place. For that price you cannot expect any luxury, but who needs luxury when being surrounded by such a natural beauty? There were many European tourists at that place. Sergio cheered everybody's stay with his Pink Floyd cd's collection. A bath in the lake by the end of the day was the very best way of ending our journey.
Next day. Eduardo was not going to leave without climbing San Pedro volcano and thus he went that morning to the top and I took the boat to Santiago Atitlán where Héctor was waiting for us. We didn't fix a place to meet, however we found easily in front of Maximón (pronounced "Mashimón") church, where Héctor already had exhausted the children' patience, they invite the tourist to show then the church... for some fee. In the afternoon we all were reunited at Ti Caaj, that was the name of the place where we were staying. We spent the day walking in the town, swimming and rowing at the lake. That's life!
Last day. We took the boat from San Pedro to Panajachel. The circle was closed. It is true that we didn't walk by lake's shore, but still it's fair to say that one way or the other we went around Atitlán Lake!
(Click on image to enlarge.)
Last modified Feb 14, 2005.