MAYA DESCENDANTS AROUND LAKE ATITLAN
Lake Atitlan is one of the most magical places we have seen. It's an azur blue lake in the middle of Guatemala surrounded by active volcanos and small villages inhabited by the descendants of the Maya, also known for its picturesque views of modern-day lakeside ruins overwhelmed by the lake's rising water level.
The view is breathtaking over the lake from the tiny settlements around its shore, especially from the hilly road leading to San Pedro. Many visitors end up staying here much longer than originally planned as the peaceful atmosphere makes them forget about time and the rushing world elsewhere. Each village is a collection of a few streets close to the lake which serve tourists, followed by some more streets further away from the coast inhabited by the locals. The most common establishments by the lake are restaurants, backpacker hostels, Spanish language schools and massage centers. San Marcos is especially famous for these latter two, and hosts a crowd of hippy travellers who wish to stay here forever enjoying yoga, massages and Spanish classes all day long.
However there are many other ways too to spend your time here. The lake provides plenty of hiking opportunities on the volcanoes around it from where you get a great view on the lake. Unfortunately we couldn't benefit from these due to the cold we got after hiking Volcano Acatenango for 2 days and being a bit under-prepared for the -5 degrees that waited for us on the top overnight. However as we heard from others, a hike around the lake is worth the effort. Be aware that there were some safety concerns reported around this area a few years ago and don't hike alone or in the dark.
The other exciting activity around the lake is to visit local markets. Almost every day there is a market in a different village, some are more touristy, for instance in Panajachel, where you mainly buy souvenirs, however some are truly local. The market in Solola (easily accessible with 2 local buses or tuctuc from Panajachel) is the latter, where you will probably be the only tourist around. Here locals from the surrounding villages gather once a week, with everyone wearing their unique clothes from their village. In the different sections of the market they sell fruits and vegetables, local freshly made stall food and everyday traditional clothes from the nearby villages. It's a truly authentic experience. Closer markets include that of Santiago Atitlan, which is mainly for locals too, but it attracts a bit more tourists.
The lake is truly the heartbeat of the area. Public transportation with regular boats is scheduled across the lake between villages and is relatively reliable. Bus services take longer around the lake and run on some seriously damaged concrete. Therefore if you travel from Antigua or Guatemala City to San Pedro or other villages on the Western side of the lake, it is better to take an organised shuttle to Panajachel and catch a boat from there to your destination. The chicken buses around the lake might be worth a try if you haven't seen similar before, but preferably just for shorter distances. They are fully packed buses with locals, with their belongings and sometimes even with their animals (hence the name). The bus comes at random times so don't worry about the timetable too much, just ask a local about the arrival of the next one. The vehicle looks like a US school bus from the 60's. It sounds its horn loudly before the stop and seemingly just slows down for a second so that people can (literally) jump on. Tourists can learn a lot from the locals' speed of completing the boarding process, as well as their expertise of always finding space for just one more passenger, even when the bus is completely full. If nowhere else, on others' laps or as the 3rd or 4th person on (what we thought was) a double seat - but they will always find somewhere to sit, so don't be surprised. Standing is surely not recommended due to the high speed!
The lake is highly respected by the indigenous Maya due to its importance in their lives, and there are several beliefs linked to it too. Locals say that their ancestors knew that they should only build their villages on the top of the surrounding mountains as the lake's water levels rise and fall cyclically every 50-70 years. However, most recently, as the beauty of the lake attracted a growing number of tourists, this belief wasn't enough to stop construction closer to the lakeshore. Guatemalans and foreigners alike started building nice cottages here, until a few years ago, when the water level started rising again without any known scientific explanation. So far it moved up about 10 meters per year, and has flooded the lower edge of the surrounding villages burying several newly built houses and hotels. Now the Maya repeat their truth, while affected people look for the explanation, so far without success. Today the remains of these houses and trees standing out of the water make a very special picture.
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