Day 17: Panajchel, Guatemala

Very sad to leave Antigua this morning. We can’t wait to come back! Took a 7AM shuttle bus to Panajchel to check out Lake Atilan. It was full of very rude, old Americans, a few Germans, and us (smack in the middle and quite unhappy about our obnoxious countrymen (and women). 

But the ride only took a couple hours and was, like all transport in Central America I believe, rather treacherous. There was some kind of marathon going on while we were trying to go up, down, and over the mountain to the lake so the driver was driving like a typical shuttle driver (insane) on a two lane road that was only actually big enough for one vehicle at a time all while dodging the equally insane people running up and/or down the mountain in the road. Several times we were looking over the edge at our imminent death down a several hundred foot drop-off without any kind of guardrail as the shuttle weaved back and forth around the mountain and runners. But we made it alive and even stopped for at a pleasant overlook of Lake Atilan where a few kids were trying to peddle the crafts to anyone within 20 feet of the shuttle.

Overlooking Lake Atilan

It was a nice view but we were just ready to get to the town and unload our packs. We had never planned on coming to the lake but so many fellow travelers told us how incredibly amazing it was. With such strong and numerous recommendations, we figured it just must  be a phenomenal place not to be missed. As soon as our shuttle stopped (on a random street, nowhere near a travel agency or the town center), a swarm of taxi drivers opened all the doors and started yelling the names of various locations they would drive to. We just wanted to get away from the shuttle and find a cheap hostel. It took a while but we tracked down one on the edge of town near the locals’ market called Hospedaje Villa Lupita for about $5/person. Pretty sketchy (i.e. Dirty bathrooms, a questionable shower, and sorta-kinda cleanish rooms. We were just happy to drop our packs after walking all over the town trying to find an open, cheap enough place to stay. It was only about 10:30 and we were ready for some lunch (brunch?). We found a quaint little cafe that served the best regular pancakes I’ve ever eaten. They were fried in butter and just perfectly crunchy golden on the outside and terribly fluffy! It was served with some fresh fruit but the papaya tasted weird (it seems that papaya is a bit different here and in the States). 

 

Lindsey's Panqueques

Saben's Toast and Fruit

Walked around Panajchel all day through the tourists’ souvenir market that lines both sides of the streets all the way down to almost the water’s edge. The town is an extremely touristed place, so many of the vendors can be pretty tough to bargain with since they are in no real shortage of customers. There are lots of old women and little girls who walk around between passersby and people sitting in restaurants trying to peddle their various goods which usually consist of colorful pieces of fabric, scarves, bracelets, hair ties, and the like. It’s the same stuff over and over again and they are very pushy but if you keep saying “No, gracias” they will move on. We did find out that by adding “senora” to the no gracias, the women usually go away sooner because we are not only being polite but also respectful in our refusal to buy anything from them.

Atitlan Street Sellers

 

 

It’s really easy to find a taxi too (in fact all over Central America). Plenty of drivers park their cars and lean against them yelling out “Taxi!” or listing off various places they are willing to drive you as you walk past. We had another look at the lake, which was beautiful but not really anything extraordinarily phenomenal as we were lead to believe it would be. We are a bit fed up with the touristy-ness of Panajchel and rather disappointed with the town. We did have a better time walking through the locals’ market where the usual vegetables, fruits, meats, and so forth are sold. 

Goods for sale at the market

 

 

But again, like in Antigua and San Pedro Sula, we were the only non-local shoppers. We found a nice little place to hang out by the waterside and spent the rest of the day watching the boats plow in and out of the dock. While we relaxed, we were frequently hit up with the typical touts selling their various goods. The main difference is that they are mostly children about age 7 or 8 who, not satisfied with not selling their wares, would often ask for a dollar or “Buy me Coca Cola?”