Have You Heard From Laura?

Some of you are well aware that it’s not pretty when I get motion sickness. Today was not a pretty day. According to “The Book” (Lonely Planet), it would take 8 to 9 hours and 4 buses to get from Panachel at Lago Atitlan to Coban, our destination north. We left Casa del Mundo at […]

 363 We have transfered down the lake just a bit to another place. Casa del Mundo is a hotel built into the cliff on the north shore of Lago de Atitlan. It´s an amazing place! The views are face south towards all the volcanos and also west toward the sunset. There is a wood fired […]

 344 We spent two beautiful days at Isla Verde. Unfortunately, I´ve been sick with a cold the whole time. Fortunately, my bed and little bungalo are very comfortable. Ooh, what a nice mattress! Strong hot solar showers too.  My bungalo bathroom is open to outside. Like a little private bathroom garden. Food is OK, they […]

We decided on the chicken bus for the Saturday morning journey to Lago Atitlan. We first took a minivan to the the ´bus terminal´ in Xela. The bus terminal is located in a great market. The best I´ve seen in Guatemala so far. The bus terminal consists of a thousand old american school buses. We […]

Klaus arrived yesterday. I met Klaus in Chile 4 years ago. We randomly kept in touch via email, and decided to travel together around Guatemala for these 3 weeks. Klaus is a happy and melo guy and a superb travel partner.  The Sakribal field trip today took us to a Navidad Posada.  This is a […]

The Sakribal field trip today took us to some natural hot springs.  We took a local bus (aka old american school bus) to the little town outside of Xela and then got off and walked about 30 minute through many farms and along a river and also next to a formidable sewage treatment plant. The […]

After spanish lessons I walk home to Sandra´s house for lunch. Lunch is served at 1pm and is the main meal of the day.  Sandra serves traditional Guatemalan food which is rice, black beans, meat at plenty of bread and tortillas. Beverage choices are hot tea, instant coffee, and orange ´drink´. Sakribal arranges a daily field […]

Lunes 17 Dec There are a few methods of transit in Guatemala. mas caro (expensive) – taxi caro (minivan & less expensive but quick) – direct shuttle normal (what the guatemalan take) – chicken bus I was in a hurry to get from Antigua to Quetzaltenango (aka Xela) to study Spanish for this week, so […]

337  I left San Francisco Saturday morning after 3 hours of sleep. On the flight to Dallas, I met Solon, a grad student a UCSF, also on his way to Guatemala. Solon is a second timer and is studying Spanish to help him in his new career as a nurse practitioner. Solon was a little […]