What a Magical Setting on Lake Atitlan Volcanos all around
Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Wed 18 Aug 2010 03:55
areas of the world, but this lake ranks up with the best, it is a blue ,
blue, and is 19 km long and 12 km wide, it comes from volcano Calderon, and
has 4 volcano's making up one side. These rise up in the classic style of a
volcano (see from photos) and then the rest of lake surround by a crater rim
100s of feet high and you look up at it. The lake shore is steep except
where landslides over time have provided areas where grass lands and trees
can develop, these have now some houses on. There are 5 little towns dotted
around the lake, and you cross by taxi pangas, there is a sort of road but
it is not smooth and often washed out at this time of year.
It reminds me of the lakes of Europe mountains, but with green volcanic
sides.
This morning we took a panga to San Pedro a small town diagonal from where
we staying, it took 30 minutes but was a lovely ride as you can see from the
photos, and calm. We walked the town and had lunch before coming back, San
Pedro has been a back packers hang out for years, but seems to have cleaned
up, and has some good Spanish schools, but not as much as activity as our
town Panajachel. The mornings are clear, but by midday you can see the
clouds building for the afternoon storms, and rain which last 1 to 2 hours
(we get more here than in El Salvador), and we saw on the way back in the
panga around 12 that the wind had picked up to approx 12 to 15 knots and
there were good sized chop waves which made the trip back not as smooth.
But the fresh air, the green mountains, the towns hanging onto the sides of
lakes, yet engulfed by 6 foot corn fields which encroach into the towns and
surround the houses, makes it a really relaxing environment.
We have found a lovely Mexican restaurant on the lake in the evenings with
really good Mexican food, and superb views so we have been there twice and I
suspect many more times. Sean and Tracy do their 4 hours class in the
afternoon 1.30 to 5.30 pm both are enjoying it especially Sean, and both
growing in confidence. Sean is doing well at his age to do 4 hours but they
do sessions in side and out, and everything is in Spanish, he is also seeing
the need as all his friends his age are Spanish speaking so he wants to
communicate when gets back to El Salvador.
But Alex and I have the afternoon together with his afternoon sleep which
allows me to study my Spanish and then we explore and go to markets
practicing Spanish, he is also picking up fast. Then we we meet at the
Mexican restaurant on the lake to see the storms slide across to the
otherside and lights of the towns around the lake rise and volcano's vanish.
Tomorrow we go with the Spanish school to market town to interact in the
morning, should be interesting.
See the photos it is such a beatiful place.
