Being gay has huge advantages. Where my fellow travellers were performing awkward moves to change into swimming gear without being seen naked, I could just take off all my clothes within the blink of an eye, just as my female companion who was joining me into the Guatemalan sauna.No sexual attraction anywhere near. So we could giggle and gossip and spray eachother with hot water for half an hour, recovering from our first hiking day towards Lake Atitlan. This almost felt surreal, and it wasn’t even the highlight of the three day trek. But we didn’t know that yet…
It had been a first day full of adjustments. After six weeks of always sleeping in the relative luxury of villages, this was back-to-basics. We were carrying our own food, with the ‘trail mix’ (a nutritious blend of all kinds of nuts) as a common favorite.
We were also carrying our own sleeping gear, though that one sleeping bag was barely noticeable. And then there was the indispensable ‘shit kit’, basically some digging tools when somewhere along the way you really need to do the poo-poo.
Warm breakfast
We were explained what the ‘shit kit’ was during the introductory round, on a hill in Xecam on the outskirts of starting point Xela. A chicken bus had brought us there, after our 6am warm breakfast (something with beans of course). And that was the moment where another reality hit me: after those six weeks of more or less traveling on my own, at my own pace, I now had to adjust to twenty-two people I didn’t know. And, for God’s sake, I even had to fake being SOCIAL 🙂
There was the French-Russian couple from Paris and Saint Petersburg. The Irish couple, where the male part was animatedly explaining me that Brexit was going to unite Ireland and Northern Ireland. The three Australian guys, laughing 25 hours a day about inside jokes only they apparently understood. The Chilean girl, that was for obvious reasons eager to dive with me naked into the sauna. And the Danish woman, around my age, who was also fed up with sleeping in a big room with twenty people on a straw mat after two nights. Just like me, longing for a proper bed.
Rewards
But hey, for all those discomforts there were of course plenty of rewards. The first climb immediately took us to a mountain called Alaska, with 3.050 metres the highest point of the hike. Sitting here, on a ridge, was almost hallucinating. Clouds were moving along, making the mountains on the other side invisible at times.
From there a narrow path took us into the cloud forest. A place where you can hear the water drip from the trees, even if it isn’t raining. The nature here is so luscious, so vibrant, you can almost feel and hear it grow. A great place as well for an improvised lunch with delicious guacamole. And the first usage of the shit kit for some.
From here, the only way was down. Still several hours though, to Antigua Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan. Also known as Santa Catarina 🙂 A picturesque small village, almost devoid of any modern facilities. The community center turned out to be our refuge for the night: not much more than a big room, with two toilets. And, as a treat, the temazcal: a Guatemalan sauna, a heated very low room where you could rinse your skin with steaming hot water in the dark.
Symphony of snoring
By then, of course, most of the energy had evaporated from our bodies as well. So around 9pm the symphony of snoring could start. There were, obviously, hardly any alternative accommodations in a remote area like this one. But uncomfortable and noisy it still was. Though it brought me on an idea for a brilliant solution for the second night.
That, though, was still another 15 to 20 kilometres away. After a leisurely and quiet breakfast (something with beans and eggs, and thank god also some coffee), we got going for a leisurely and relatively easy initial stroll. After an hour we had sweeping views of the entire valley, back towards Santa Catarina but also towards the Carretera Panamericana (Panamerican Highway).
This brief resting point was also the perfect place for a short explainer by our guides about the recent history of Guatemala. The tour was organized by Quetzal Trekkers, a not-for-profit company that is run by volunteers (in our case a German, a Belgian and an American guy). They usually come for three months to Xela, to offer their guiding services for free. And Quetzal Trekkers donates most of the money to a school in Xela.
Record Hill
Time for Record Hill! Time for the coolest and toughest guys to show how quick they were on the steepest ascent of the entire trek. The three Aussies stepped to the front of course. But when the rest of the group finally caught up with them on top of the hill, 30 minutes later, they were still not able to speak. Record Hill took its victims, and it would take another couple of hours before the three blond boys would be laughing again.
We were treated to ice creams in the meantime. And lunch. And an endless stream of hills, culminating in the ‘corn field of death’: a rather steep and inconvenient, but short, ascent to the village of Xiprian. Where Don Pedro was waiting for us: since more than ten years he has been hosting groups of trekkers on this popular hike.
Sunset with volcanoes behind the mountains was our reward. And a quick shower. Before a campfire and marshmallows and some beers were quickly bringing us into the proper mood for another 9pm bedtime. But as the weather prediction promised a minimum night temperature of twelve degrees, I dodged the big living room of the group and opted for a night outside, close to the remainders of the campfire. Glorious with a capital G. Brilliant with a B.
Lake Atitlan
So here we were. At 4.30 in the morning. All sleepy-eyed, walking in a long line along the big road, in the pitch dark. Making our way through Santa Clara la Laguna. Taking a right turn, to a small path, that wasn’t leading anywhere, it seemed. Until the meadow opened in front of us. And to the left, shining in the moonlight, was Lake Atitlan. With Fuego, the volcano that had taken several hundreds of lives the year before during an unexpected eruption, spewing its orange lava into the sky occasionally in the back.
This even caused the Australians to hold their breath (and their mouths). To crawl into their sleeping bags for some warmth. And to just enjoy the sunrise in the next two hours. Nature was simply producing a staggering show. With the lake that was formed by the countless surrounding volcanoes as a stage. And the sun as its most important tool, kissing the villages around the lake awake.
Police
Two police officers had been guarding us during the show. Just a precautionary measure, our guides assured us: in more than ten years of treks, nothing had happened. But as tourism is a major stream of income for Guatemala, they try to make it as safe as possible.
Down in the bay we could already see San Pedro La Laguna, our final destination, known for its hippie-like life and dirt-cheap costs of living. And yes, those two are connected 🙂
What remained was a ninety minute descend, partly through coffee plantations. The dark-red fruits were hanging everywhere. And whilst we were admiring some of them, a scream sounded behind us. And then two minutes of silence…
Shaken and scared
Our Danish companion had slipped and fallen. She was obviously shaken and scared, though thank God not seriously hurt. But nonetheless a useful reminder that walking narrow natural paths on steep mountains is not without its risks.
A ridiculously sweet coffee was our well-deserved reward. And then, after a short drive on a lorry, finally a dive in Lake Atitlan. Slowly getting used to civilization again. And slowly saying goodbye to all those twenty-two people who had been perfect strangers two days earlier…
Hiking from Xela to Lago Atitlan in pictures
How to book a tour
There are several tour companies offering to organize the tour to Lake Atitlan (and other popular treks, such as Santa Maria and Tajumulco). The indisputable market leader is Quetzal Trekkers. They leave to Lake Atitlan twice a week, often with the maximum of 20 participants.
But if you are with a small group yourself, or prefer to join a smaller company, there are other options. They though usually only offer the tour for a minimum of three people. If you remain in Xela for several days, you can register your contact details so they will contact you when other people show interest as well.
Some of the companies:
– Monte Verde Tours: one of the few companies that does a one-day trip to Tajumulco. Lake Atitlan is done for groups of three persons or more
– Altiplanos: on 6a Calle east of Parque America, they also offer most regular tours
– Quetzal Tours: another small company offering tours since 2011
– Quetzal Trekkers: the biggest one. They are located in Casa Argentina. Knock at the door and wait until someone opens, then proceed down a small stairs all the way to the back. Tours can be booked online as well
You can find more pictures here.