Travel Tuesday: Guatemala
This was the first trip that Jesse and I ever took just the two of us (besides camping, but like come on), and it was unforgettable. I loved every second of it. Except the seconds where I had traveller's diarrhea.
We spent a week here together in March before I headed home, and Jesse stayed an additional two weeks. But we still managed to plan out a very well-rounded seven days and although we didn't see everything, by the time I had to leave I already felt like this hot little country was a second home.
GUATEMALA CITY: K, just don't spend time here. This was the only part of the trip that we didn't like. We flew into Guatemala City, got there around 10 p.m., stayed the night and after renting a car first thing the next morning, we zoomed out of there. Guatemala City is pretty dirty, scary and a huge rip-off. (Jesse had to spend $40 CAD on f*cking TOOTHPASTE at our hotel.) Moving on...
ANTIGUA: We spent two nights in Antigua, but we'd fallen in love with it after spending just one hour there. Nestled at the base of a bunch of inactive volcanoes, Antigua is an ancient little town with cobblestoned streets, multi-coloured homes intermixed with beautiful old ruins and locals that are as colourful as their clothes.
It was pretty tourist-y, but the authenticity of the Guatemalan culture shone through, and Jesse and I loved exploring it fro top to bottom. Every cappuccino there was magnificent, every patio was a gorgeous greenhouse, every market was a multi-coloured, multi-sensory experience, every floor was dotted with intricately painted tiles and every street food option was YUM. Just like this guy:
We stayed at an Airbnb, in a tiny cottage tucked away in a house's back courtyard (the property had a courtyard instead of a backyard – best way of explaining it). The lovely homeowners, JB and Victoria, were two of the kindest and most interesting people I've ever met. We had to enter the property through what seemed to be a former garage that they'd converted into a cosy music room, where JB would play piano and Victoria would sing every night, free for passersby to come, sit and watch. We were lucky enough to have stayed there on a Saturday night and got to experience this. So cool.
I wish I could remember the names of some of the bars and restaurants we went to, but the only one I can was Café No Se, which was, let me tell you, an experience. I don't have any photos of it because it was literally too dark in there to take any. It was all candle-lit and ancient-feeling, with a secret back section that you had to access by crawling through a tiny door. Fun.
But here's a patio of a café I can't remember the name of!
The last thing we did in Antigua was a tour at Filadelphia Coffee Plantation. Highly recommend if you're a java lover (java lava? Java lova) as this is where it ALL. GOES. DOWN. We took home two bags of espresso beans because yes.
SANTIAGO LA LAGUNA: After two nights in Antigua, we set out for Lake Atitlán, a beautiful lake settled at the base of, again, a bunch of volcanoes (some of them active, though!). We ended up in Santiago La Laguna, one of the villages on the southern peninsula of the Lake, at Posada Santiago, a too-beautiful-to-be-true hotel. It was dreamy — instead of one large building, it was comprised of a bunch of private little huts all doused in flowers, all sporting hammocks outside. And it was the kind of experience that would cost at least $200 a night in North America, but we only spent about $40 a night here, which was crazy.
We spent our days here exploring the city and observed that it was completely distinct from Antigua. Whereas Antigua was, for the most part, a lot more progressed despite its history-steeped landscape, Santiago La Laguna seemed to be stuck in another century (in a beautiful way!). We learned that the villages around Lake Atitlán are populated with a lot of native Guatemalan communities, and during our stay here we felt steeped in the country's truest culture.
After two days of sipping mojitos by the lake and red wine in the hot tub, of perusing the markets for unique goodies (I bought some fun green over-alls!) me getting traveller's diarrhea and crying because I couldn't handle it and Jesse having to deal with that, we left our little paradise for our next and final destination.
SAN MARCOS: The two nights we spent in this incredible hippie town were our favourites. San Marcos felt like it had a culture of its own — its population is a happy mix of Guatemalan natives, foreign backpackers and young yogis taking their teacher training at the renowned yoga institute on the mountain.
Jesse and I had reserved another Airbnb, this time an "eco lodge" on the mountain's edge. It, along with another seven or so unique lodges, was owned, designed and built by local woman and retired anthropologist Luzmi.
Let me tell you, guys, I want to be Luzmi when I grow up. I want to be Luzmi now. You can read more about this adorable, wonderful hippie in my Instagram post below. I'll never forget her, and hope to meet her again.
From lounging on pillows under a canopy of leaves, mandala-patterned sheets and twinkle lights at the backyard-like Café Shamballa, to dining by the lakeside by candlelight, to being offered to take part in a sex workshop (yeahhh... no), we fell deeper in love with San Marcos every second that we were there.
We had to leave super early on my last morning to get back to Guatemala City for my flight home. I legitimately cried when I hugged Jesse good-bye, not only because I was sad to leave but because I was terrified he'd die without me (lol). But all in all, Guatemala gave us both the colourful, delicious, unforgettable adventure we'd both been craving, and although it's only been a few months since our visit, we both already can't wait to be back there.
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