Belize & Guatemala

Following a wedding in Napa, Madison moving in, and a fun trip out to Port Orchard for 4^th of July, it was time to kick off the rapid-fire portion of the Gap Year (five trips in five months): starting with Belize. 

Madison and I caught a red-eye flight out of Seattle and were luckily upgraded to first class! The comfy seats unfortunately did not correlate with great sleep and we arrived in Dallas weary eyed at 4AM.  We had plans to spend the morning with Madison’s friend Jon that were spoiled due to Covid so instead we caught some sleep on some reading chairs in a hidden area upstairs.

Decently better rested, we hopped on our next flight to Belize City. The flight was uneventful, we got through customs easily, and were at our departure gate to San Pedro in less than an hour, leaving us two more hours to kill.

Our 15-minute flight to San Pedro (our first destination) was amazing. The plane fit 10 people and Madison and I were right up front with incredible views of the turquoise water! Upon landing we were greeted by Caribbean heat as we scrambled to find an ATM, then cab, to get us to our hostel.

We checked in and dropped off our bags before heading off to the nearby waterfront restaurant. It was time to unwind with tacos & drinks. (And jalapeno poppers as a gift from the table next to us.) 

With a ton of adventures ahead, we returned for a lowkey night by the hostel pool accompanied by our books, nachos, and mojitos. As our energy dwindled, Madison decided a moonlit stroll was in order. Shortly into our walk a huge gust of wind knocked my brand-new hat into the pitch-black water. As the hat floated mockingly on the surface ten feet away, Madison and I both debated retrieving the hat vs just buying a new one. We had no idea how deep the water was or what lurked beneath. Finally, I lowered myself slowly into the unknown depth of the water, praying it wasn’t too deep and … it went to my knees. Madison laughed hysterically as I walked three steps, got my hat, and returned triumphantly. 

The next day started with coffee, as most days with Madison do. 

Following proper caffeination, it was time for our first intentional water activity of the trip: paddle boarding. We geared up, threw on our sunscreen (more than we even imagined we needed) and dragged the hostel’s boards the 30 feet to the start of the waterfront. 

We took off and immediately saw two rays swim right under me (making yesterday’s descent into unseen water seem much stupider). Consistently paddling against a hard inland current, we took the occasional break to jump in and admire the sea-life, testing our masks and snorkels for scuba in the process. The rest of the time was filled with paddling, me falling into the water (once) resulting in more Madison laughter, and a dead go-pro battery. A couple hours later we returned, slightly burned despite all the sunscreen.

Post shower & drying off, Madison found a spot to read and I, after resting, headed to the hostel bar. Lo and behold my old high school classmate Sarika was there! Such a small world. We briefly caught up and I introduced her to Madison before we went our own ways for the day, with plans to reconnect later in the trip. 

After a light late lunch, it was time for the main event of the day: The chicken drop. Cheering for a chicken to shit on one of a hundred squares that you randomly pick out of a bag for a chance to win 50x your investment. We arrived at Wahoo’s, the bar hosting the event and bought tickets for one of the rounds. We then headed to a great restaurant Madison found in town for a lobster dinner. (It was lobster week after all.)

Then it was time. We cheered along with a crowd of nearly a hundred people as the chicken was brought out, shaken, and then blown on the ass for good luck. Yells and music fill the air as the chicken slowly moved around, occasionally settling on a number. After five minutes it happened. The lucky shit. Just not lucky for us. Following a good laugh, Madison and I headed back to our hostel for a good night’s sleep and to get mentally prepared for the next day: Our first real scuba dive. 

No alarm and a slow morning was just what the doctor had ordered. We found a wonderful smoothie stand for breakfast, with Madison talking to the owner’s daughter as he prepared our drinks (showing her teacher skills transcend language barriers). Then after a quick stop for coffee (obviously) it was time to gear up for our first day of scuba!

We checked in and Madison had sent them so much information that they didn’t need our dive books that day. (Which was good because we left them at the hostel) We got fitted for our gear, prepped our tanks and got on the boat. We were joined by our hostel mate and dive master in training Usama, two kids who absolutely didn’t want to be there, and an Asian woman who was utterly incompetent in the water. 

The first day dives were partially focused on training: buoyancy control, mask flooding, recovering the respirator, ascending and descending, etc. But we also had plenty of time to enjoy the sensation of breathing under water. In our two 30 minute dives we were able to see rays, flounders, and so many tropical fish. It was an absolutely surreal experience.

After diving, we made our way back to the hostel where we proceeded to feast and ruin our appetites for the night. I ordered wings and fried lobster balls, Madison got a juicy bacon cheeseburger.

Following the obvious food coma we joined Sarika, Usama, and some of their friends at the hostel for some drinks and conversation. 

Then came AJ. 

This dude sucked. He may be my least favorite person ever. In five minutes, he managed to insult and hit on Madison multiple times, brag about how rich he was, pretend to be a surfer, and just act like a complete tool. It was insane. 

Madison and I hid in our room hoping he’d leave. And we did get a few more AJ-free minutes; but when he returned, we called it a night.  Or at least that was the plan, I ended up staying up super late finishing Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Whoops. 

6:45 AM Alarm. Ouch. Madison and I grabbed our scuba gear (including dive books this time), swung by our now traditional coffee shop for smoothies along with Madison’s caffeine. Energized, we made it to the dive shop ready for our first deep water dive.

For this dive, our boat entered the choppy unprotected waters beyond the cove. Madison and I back rolled off the boat to start the dive and nausea immediately hit me as the waves churned around us. While I struggled above water a remora fish looked up at us with curiosity, even trying to eat Madison’s snorkel a couple of times. 

The rest of the first two dives were again focused on skills: entries, emergency respiration, neutral buoyancy, compass navigation, and full mask removal. We both passed with flying colors and got to enjoy some free time on the dives as a result! 

After returning to the shop to exchange oxygen tanks it was time for an exploration dive, the final stage of our certification. 

It was incredible. We got to see an amazing ecosystem of life: Nurse and Reef Sharks, schools of tropical fish including wrasse, parrotfish, and so many more. Madison and I were in tune communicating underwater and finally felt like scuba divers. Time flew. Back at the shore, certifications were handed out and the ceremonial scuba tank was signed by everyone.  

We returned to the hostel, cleaned up, and headed off to lunch at Caramba’s (our taxi driver’s recommendation). While the food was good, the overall experience was unfortunately only mediocre with poor service & communication by the staff. (Still… it was lobster so I can’t complain too much.)

Then a much-needed nap. 

Three hours of sweet, sweet sleep later it was time for Lobster Fest! The premier lobster event in San Pedro and the culmination of the city’s weeklong celebration of lobsters. 

On the way down Madison and I met a couple University of Colorado students and had a pleasant conversation with them before arriving. We ate well, snagging a lobster roll, fried lobster ravioli, and some beers to enjoy the festivities. 

After an hour, the slightly trashy crowds, long lines, and inability to pay with credit card got us to our breaking point and we made our way back to the hostel, grabbing ice cream on the way.

Another morning dive meant another early morning. We headed to our usual coffee shop only to find it was closed. Classic Sunday. Fortunately, we found another spot to get Madison her needed caffeine (and some breakfast smoothies) before leaving in a rush to get to the dive shop… accidentally forgetting to pay the bill in the process. Whoops! After being chased down, clearing things up with the kind barista, and paying, it was time for our first certified dives!

And they were EPIC!!! We visited two new spots and encountered tropical fish, tons of sharks and even an eel! The first dive also went all the way down to 100 ft which was a little scary (we are only certified to 60ft) but it was cool how comfortable we both were. 

After the dives, Madison and I were both starving and headed to our daily post dive meal and our first real breakfast of the trip. Avocado toast for me and shrimp benedict for Madison. Other than me leaving the table to go pee every 15 minutes it was a great meal.  (Seriously, diving made me pee so often, its wild)

After playing around with some go pro footage, we headed to Palaba bar for Happy hour before walking all the way down to Nash’s oasis, a recommendation from my high school classmate Ting Ting where we got some Lebanese food and more lobster. (The lobster was probably a mistake.) It was a nice, albeit small, meal. 

Madison, still hungry following the dinner, ordered chocolate cake and a pizza sized order of cinnamon sticks at our hostel. And after over an hour, they arrived! Thank God. Madison was ready to murder someone. 

The night ended with another AJ run in, but we quickly escaped back to our rooms. 

We started the next morning with day-old cinnamon sticks (perfection) and coffee for Madison before heading to the only bookstore on the island… in a hair salon. The owner started by selling books for locals, making a small commission on each and has accumulated a huge selection over the years… without ever buying a book. She even allowed us a couple free trades! 

Afterwards we swung by one of San Pedro’s disappointing beaches (small, poor sand, dead kelp smell) to read before heading to our final day of Scuba, grabbing some smoothies on the way.

Our dive was in the Hol Chan Marine reserve and it did not disappoint. Immediately after diving into the water, Madison and I were greeted by a photogenic turtle and proceeded to have a small photo shoot.  We continued the dive exploring the incredible coral walls, seeing more brilliant aquatic life and getting to swim through our first little tunnel! (Madison was much more graceful, as my tank grazed the rock.) We finished up the dive with another turtle spotting and then surfaced, ready to head to shark/ray alley for a snorkel adventure. 

It was aptly named. There were an insane amount of nurse sharks and rays (baiting helped) and we had a blast swimming amongst them. After an incredible few hours, we headed back to shore and then it was the usual: hostel, dry off, clean up, relax for a bit. Rinse and repeat.

Once rested we headed to dinner at Elvi’s kitchen. It was without a doubt the best meal we had on the island. We devoured our way through multiple courses and it still ended up being one of the least expensive meals we had as well. Definitely our favorite spot for food on the island. 

We headed back to the hostel happy and full, ready for a good night’s sleep.   

What do you do on a day in San Pedro without scuba? You go to the SECRET BEACH. (The least secret beach of all time.) 

Following a much-needed long sleep, we rented a golf cart and soon we were rolling (and bumping) our way down the road. Madison took over driving for a bit and immediately had us flying over a speed bump. She quickly acquiesced driving privileges back to me. 

An hour later we arrived, parked, and headed off to snag breakfast at one of the many restaurants and bars on the beach. Then it was time to relax, with drinks, a massage (that was more deep tissue than relaxing), and some reading by the water. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be a beach trip with Madison without a long swim. I threw on my goggles and unsuccessfully tried to keep up while Madison as she casually cruised along, taking time to admire the fish as I lagged behind.   

*Sorry for the lack of photos for this section! The stomach issues made it less fun to take and we didn’t have an underwater case for the Go Pro!

Waking up, I realized I was miraculously not hungover. Madison was unfortunately not as lucky. 

We slowly started the day, beginning the hell that is packing. Getting all the stuff to Belize was hard, getting it all to fit again was infinitely harder. Fortunately, we pulled it off and after a couple of hours were all checked out. 

Madison and I lugged our bags towards the ferry terminal, making one final stop at our favorite coffee spot (Lavish Habit) for Madison’s daily caffeine hit and a bite of breakfast.

Feeling slightly better, we trudged our way to the ferry only to learn that what we thought was an hourly departure had a 3-hour gap during lunch. Madison and I were left to spend the next hour and a half escaping the brutal heat inside the waiting room before finally getting on board. 

A 30-minute boat ride later and we had arrived. 

Caye Caulker was what we hoped San Pedro would be: Chill, Beautiful, Calm. (San Pedro was cool but it had trashy Florida Spring Break vibes.) Madison and I shouldered our bags and arrived at the hostel an hour before check-in. Obviously, it was time to explore.

We began by checking out the northern part of the island known as The Split. It was popping, with lively bars, an easy cliff jump, and a busy beach volleyball court. Vowing to come back later, we continued the exploration by checking in at the scuba shop for our night dive. Unfortunately, weather had other ideas and we were forced to audible to a day dive the next day – still exciting but not the night dive we were hoping for. After a final stop at the local ATM and we were back at the hostel enjoying the sweet, sweet, AC. 

Madison and I both took much needed showers before heading out to dinner to Dee N D’s Waterside Grill. This place is going to be in my dreams. The service was fantastic, the food perfect, the drinks smooth. Even the conversation with our neighboring table and staff was lovely!

Ending dinner with another credit card scare (It was still in my pocket this time) Madison and I strolled back to the hostel and headed to bed.

I woke up the next morning with an upset stomach (it started before the BBQ place; I promise) but nothing was going to stop me from participating in my last dive of the trip. Madison and I both popped a couple Dramamine pills before heading to the local coffee shop. Obviously. 

We arrived at the new dive shop, quickly learning it was much less teaching oriented than San Pedro. Both a bit overwhelmed, Madison and I managed our gear set up and on the boat with only a few points of confusion. Then began the long 45-minute boat ride to Spanish Bay. My stomach struggling with the chop of the water. I managed to get underwater just in time to beat the nausea. The Dramamine did its job. 

Sixty feet down we swam through the thriving coral reef, unlike anything we’d seen thus far. Then panic.

That night sucked. My stomach was wrecked, and I spent hours up with stomach cramps and running to the toilet. Not ideal at all with a five-hour shuttle ride coming up. 

Luckily, I managed to get a bit of sleep before our 6:00 AM wake up call. Madison and I rushed out to try to grab a quick coffee and bite before our ferry to Belize City. The “Go Slow” Motto of the island wasn’t on our side, and we were both stressing about missing our departure as we waited over 20 minutes for a bagel and toast. The food managed to arrive right before our cut off time. 

We walked down, waited for the 30-minute delayed ferry (of course) and then got crammed on the most uncomfortable ride ever. Far from each other due to the lack of seating. Madison even had a guy sitting at her feet. 

Luckily the ride was only an hour and after a quick bathroom stop by the bathroom and baggage claim we were in our shuttle to Flores! The ride was pretty uneventful. Madison and I listened to some audiobooks, tried to sleep, and had a couple of snacks. My stomach luckily decided to forgo the opportunity to sabotage the trip which was courteous.

The only interesting part (in my opinion) was crossing the border. Where we changed busses, operators, and had to wear our masks for the first time that trip. 

After five hours we arrived in Flores, a small island in Lake Peten with colorful buildings and stunning views all around the lake. We walked the short distance to our hostel, made very difficult due to the cobblestone streets that were in worse condition than nearly every trail I’ve hiked in my life. We then escaped into the most beautiful hostel room of the trip thus far. (Madison addition: There was also a jungle in the hostel, and a dining room restaurant with turtles and lizards! The bed had a canopy with a tapestry. So cool!) We relaxed and napped for a little bit and then headed out for food, settling on a café that does all day breakfast. Our meal was delightful.

We made our way back, booked our tour for the next day to Tikal and watched Kingsman. The perfect restful day. Then we learned Madison’s sister had a bad car accident. The night quickly changed as Madison scrambled to get more information. Fortunately, she was relatively ok (Now fully recovered). 

We woke up the next morning at 4 AM, tired due to lack of sleep and still on edge from Emily’s car accident. We got ready quickly and made it down to the lobby for our prompt 4:30 departure. The guide got there at 4:40. Honestly the whole departure was a bit of a shit show. We had to switch buses because they had the booked too many people and then wait on other people who had lost their tickets. Not ideal. 

Anyways, after an hour on the bus we arrived at Tikal National Park! Home to some of the most famous Mayan ruins in the world and a variety of animals as well. 

After grabbing a morning coffee we began the tour with our guide, a Mayan descendant with an impressive knowledge of the history of his people. He was able to tell us about many of the different trees, wildlife, and buildings with a passion that made the trip infinitely more enjoyable. We saw toucans, coatis, spider monkeys, oropendolas, and turkeys! 

The forest itself was a cacophony of sounds, with howler monkeys and bird calls preventing silence from ever settling on the trail. It was a surreal experience and one that is hard to describe with words. 

On the tour we visited the main monuments of the park, climbing up different ones and enjoying the various views. The most notable moments were getting to hold a tarantula for the first time, facing my arachnophobia head on; as well as getting to tour around the Plaza Mayor, the central plaza surrounded by the two largest temples. 

Despite the heat and humidity it was a wonderful and educational experience and the crammed bus ride back was much easier than the ride there. 

We got back at noon and immediately showered and napped. Two low sleep days in a row had us feeling rough and we needed a break. 

We returned to functional humans by 4 and headed out to dinner, this time to a restaurant overlooking the water. We had a decent meal and dessert accompanied by a stunning sunset. And Madison threw her Mojito all over the table by accident. Pretty comical. 

We walked back, with a detour to the community center/church at the top of the island where nearly a hundred people were gathered watching basketball and listening to music before heading back to the hostel for a 12-hour sleep. 

My stomach was still not feeling great, and I spent the morning catching up on writing blog posts and eating slightly stale saltine crackers. Madison, with her functional stomach, went downstairs to grab a smoothie bowl and coffee from the hostel. 

At noon my stomach felt good enough for an adventure and we decided on Jorge’s rope swing, a family business with rope swings and cliff jumps into the Lake.  We grabbed some snacks (saltines and Powerade for me) and headed to Maracuya restaurant to rent some kayaks to get there.  

While we waited for the kayaks to be pulled out, their butterfly sanctuary awaited. Hundreds of different butterflies fluttered around, a whirlwind of blues, reds, and oranges. It was such a wonderful surprise and we ended up staying a bit longer even when the kayaks were ready. 

Then the paddle. One functional kayak for Madison. One kayak with no back rest for me. The 0.75-mile paddle over was a test of my core strength and my abs were burning by the time we arrived. 

Upon arrival my only reaction was “Wow.” We had the whole place to ourselves. 2 rope swings, 2 cliff jumps, a covered lounge area and beautiful sunshine. We were like kids again. Swinging off the rope swing and taking tons of videos (and even a photoshoot). We had an absolute blast. Just as we were finishing up the dives, we were joined by two Belgian women at the spot and shared some brief conversation as well as a cool Iguana sighting. 

We settled into the hammocks, got our books out, and started reading just as the lightning started. Then came the pouring rain. I ran down to make sure the kayaks were still stable, flipping them to prevent too much rain from getting in. Then began the waiting game. 

Finally, around 3:45, we had a small weather window to paddle back, and we took advantage of it. The views paddling back into the city encouraged and distracted us and we made it back just as the rain started again. 

We cleaned off and headed down for a dinner at the hostel: curry for Madison and a plain crepe with bananas for me. Honestly the best “safe” meal I could’ve eaten. 

We got back to the room, packed up, and called it an early night. 

Another travel morning! Madison and I arose early to finish packing and made our way to Flores airport. We were told to get there an hour and a half early for our flight. (That was an hour earlier than needed). 

We walked up to the gate, dropped off our bags, and then waited 45 minutes for security to open. The flight to Guatemala city was uneventful with the exception of my water bottle not properly adjusting to the air pressure change and leaking in the overhead compartment. Luckily none of my gear got too wet. 

An hour wait at the airport café and a two-hour shuttle ride later and we were in Antigua! Instantly we knew we had made the right decision to skip Guatemala City. The buildings were beautiful and pastel colored, volcanoes and mountains formed the backdrop for the city, and tons of beautiful churches added to the charm. 

We dropped our bags off at our hostel front desk and then decided to have a steak lunch as my stomach was feeling much better. The meal was delicious, the drinks perfect, and Madison and I left completely content with the experience. We got checked into our hostel room (the first one with a shared bathroom unfortunately) and started trying to plan out the rest of the trip.

Not wanting the entire day to be based around travel and planning, we decided to head out to a brewery for a night cap. When we arrived at the brewery, someone asked us if we were looking for the speakeasy and pointed inside. 

A secret speakeasy in a brewery? You don’t have to tell us twice. We walked through a red telephone booth (after needing a little help finding it) and entered Ulew: a cocktail bar with no menu. Madison and I imbibed two drinks and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. Towards the end of the night when we were planning to leave, one of the bartenders came over and said to spray this elixir on our tongues and then to kiss. Who were we to disagree? We did the spritz, both our mouths tingled, and we shared a kiss. It was a surreal experience but the fitting end to our unexpected time at the bar.

We ambled back, enjoying the nighttime views of the city and taking pictures under the famous Antigua Arch before heading to sleep. 

After an entirely too long but necessary sleep, Madison and I headed out for another day of adventure the only day we knew how: Getting coffee for her. 

We headed to Café Cafe Guatemala and ordered an absolutely delicious meal of eggs, toast, cheese, fruit, and French press coffee. For twelve dollars total! The coffee was so good that not only did I try it, but I had over two cups (which if you know me is doubling my lifetime coffee consumption). With my stomach feeling nearly 100%, everything was looking up. 

Then it was time to explore Antigua, starting with the famous city markets. We were greeted by a pickpocket attempting to steal from my (fortunately) empty pocket and after escaping him we proceeded to get thoroughly lost in the narrow, labyrinth-like covered market that spanned much further than its deceptively small entrance. 

Following that adventure, we headed to the Plaza Mayor, the main square of Antigua, and explored the temporary outdoor bookstore. We had planned to sit in the plaza to read for a while when I was aerially assaulted by bird poop, and we elected to grab a quick bite instead. And wouldn’t you know it, one of the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world was in Antigua. Surprisingly not an oxymoron. 

We arrived and were greeted by a stunning outdoor plaza with a fountain and a beautiful view of Volcan Agua. I had a small bite. Since neither of us wanted to waste too much stomach space on McDonalds, we headed to another café for a proper lunch (and a few fun games of chess and Madison even won one).

Then it was time for a walking tour. Our guide took us through the city center, explaining the history of Antigua’s founding (The 3^rd Spanish capital after the Mayans burned the first and the volcano ruined the second) as well as the interesting symbiotic ties between Catholicism and Mayan religion for the people of Guatemala. We saw quite a few churches and historical buildings. Along the way we also got to see the Jade Museum where we learned more about the different types of Jade and how it played a key role in Mayan times. It was more a promotion to buy some jewelry than informative. 

We finished up the tour learning more about the corruption of the Guatemalan government and how the marriage culture in the country led to a lack of college education before returning to the hostel for a brief respite.

My appetite was returning and soon we were off to dinner: my 4^th meal of the day! Our choice was a rooftop pizzeria with a beautiful view of the sunset. We ordered some Hawaiian wings, a unique pulled pork and salsa pizza, and some drinks. (I now know I don’t like Mezcal.) It was another fantastic meal. 

Our plans to go out were stymied as I was hit by a massive food coma and the night ended much earlier than expected. 

I woke up feeling great! My stomach was officially healed. Thank god.

We took advantage of our free morning to have a slow start to the day and check out another coffee shop in town. It was no Café Café Guatemala, but it still had good coffee & bagels. 

Then our chocolate making class. It was everything we could have hoped for. Aka, sweet chocolate heaven. We began by making some chocolate to take home with finished chocolate and a host of different toppings. I went for half macadamia and half chili salt bar. Madison went with truffles, a different mix with every bite. 

Those were placed in the freezer to harden and the actual class began. We learned the process to harvest, dry and ferment the cocoa beans; although we couldn’t do this part ourselves as it takes multiple days. 

Then we took previously fermented beans and roasted them as a group on a large metal tray, followed by peeling them when they had cooled off (much harder than it looks). Our teacher then made us the Mayans drink of choice: using the nibs of the chocolate, hot water, and honey to make a chocolate tea.

Next, we grinded each of the beans into a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. Taking this paste we added chili powder, honey, and hot water to make xocolatl, the Aztecan version of chocolate drink and my personal favorite (partially because I mixed it for the class, pouring the concoction between two large clay jugs and praying I didn’t spill a drop).
 

Finally, we finished the class off with modernization, learning about the tools to make the processes more efficient and had our final taste – European hot chocolate: chocolate drink, with milk, sugar, grinded chocolate, and some spices. We all took a turn mixing (and chanting), celebrating with a toast to our successful efforts.  We received our handmade chocolates from the freezer, and I proceeded to eat my whole bar right away (with a couple bites of assistance from Madison). 

Now that we had had dessert, it was time for lunch. 

We walked to our walking tour guide’s recommendation: a local restaurant with inexpensive local food. While the ambiance was great, the food itself was bland and tough. (The free lemonade did help make up for it a little bit.) 

On the way back we took what I was told would be a quick stop at a local market. I finished shopping in five minutes (got my pin) but quickly learned that for some people, shopping is actually a fun part of traveling. I learned that tidbit over and over again for 30 minutes until Madison had found everything she needed. Back at the hostel, Madison enjoyed her now fusion of chocolate truffles to go along with her shopping haul.

At six we shook off the cobwebs and went salsa dancing! We took a two-hour private lesson and boy did I need the personal attention. When an instructor mentions “he has enough on his plate” while teaching your girlfriend more advanced moves you can probably guess who the better dancer is (If it wasn’t entirely obvious already). Still, we had an absolute blast smiling and laughing nearly the entire time. By the end I even got my hips moving more than I expected (or is probably safe) 

Waking up early the next morning, we weren’t too upset with the chill night, especially with a long three-hour bus ride to Lake Atitlan ahead of us. 

We packed our stuff ready for our 8AM pickup time and were met with three different bus companies outside the hostel. We navigated the confusion and were off, listening to the Harry Potter audiobook along the way to distract Madison from her car sickness. Luckily, we made it to our hotel uneventfully!

Damn… that is all there is to say about the beauty of this hotel (there are lesser things to say about other aspects; but the views and gardens were sublime). 

As we weren’t able to check in right away, Madison and I dropped off our bags and started exploring the gardens, taking photos of all the flowers, views, and buildings the hotel had to offer. 

Soon, skipping breakfast caught up with us quickly and headed back down to the central area for lunch at the hotel (overpriced and under portioned) and were finally able to check in and head to our rooms for a nap. 

Yes, another nap, we were relaxing and taking it easy this trip and it was wonderful! 

Dinner and dessert was up next and it was once again underwhelming and expensive, but with the sunset views nothing could bring us down. As it got dark we went back to the rooms to hang out and watch some tv & movies. 

After all the travel and exploration of the last two weeks it was a perfect mental reset to prepare us for the last three days!  

Quick aside, The room had one plug… ONE!!!! For two people. God this hotel is lucky it was beautiful.

A full buffet awaited us the next morning at the hotel, which while still leaving some to be desired, was the best meal we had during our three days there. 

Then, photoshoot time! I broke out my DSLR for the 2^nd time this trip and Madison and I wandered the gardens playing photographer for each other, laughing loudly as we tried to pose the other person. Madison even got one or two good photos of me! A much-appreciated improvement. 

At eleven it was time for our first Atitlan adventure – a boat trip out to San Juan A La Laguna to explore and check out a new part of Lake Atitlan

The boat ride over was… rough. Central American boats don’t seem to have a dampening effect and we felt the impact of every wake we hit. Thirty minutes later we arrived, sore and ready to explore. 

San Juan was packed and hot! We made our way up the main street, stopping to take pictures of the umbrella’s hanging above the street and some other views along the way. Trying to escape the crowds, we headed beyond the main tourist strip and stumbled upon the city’s church, a unique architecture that blended Guatemalan and European styles. Madison and I went in to admire the stained-glass windows and do a daily prayer (Nathan and my tradition from Spain). Fortunately, this helped us get on God’s good side as Madison’s phone wasn’t taken during the five minutes it was left in the church.

Continuing on, we came across a brightly painted street with a community basketball court abutting it (more photos were taken, obviously). Then it was time to find the stingless bee museum.  

It was whack. Like absolutely whack. You walk a tenth of a mile to an unmanned store front with no guidance on seeing the bees. Madison and I waited for a second before turning around and returning to town for coffee (and a chocolate shake for me). A much better use of time.

Another bumpy boat ride back left us eager for chill time by the hotel pool. All I can say is there are worse ways to spend time than sitting in an infinity hot tub overlooking the massive Atitlan volcanoes. 

On the way back to the room we were greeted by a ton of photogenic parrots, and I quickly ran to grab my camera and took a ton of photos. 

We dried off and decided to finally escape the overpriced hotel restaurant, walking up to the nearby town of Panajachel for dinner (snagging a tuk tuk halfway to save us the sketch walk. 

After finding nearly everything else closed, we settled on Guajimbo’s and had a peaceful meal accompanied by wonderful live music. Following the meal, we swung by the local hostel to see if they had any events we could join (they didn’t) or snacks (they did) and finished the night with a tuk tuk ride back to the hotel.The next day started early with a 7:30 trek back to Panajachel to meet our Coffee tour guide. After meeting up we made our way…. back to San Juan. Shit. Somehow the public boat we took this time was even less comfy that the boat the day before. 

Along the way, our guide gave us some information on the surrounding towns while Madison and I both prayed that we wouldn’t be doing the exact same thing as the day before. 

While there was some overlap, it still ended up being worth it. Our guide took us to a completely new area for the La Vox coffee tour. 

The tour itself was incredible, we got to see acres of coffee plants at all stages of life and learn about the sustainable ways that co-op was making money for indigenous people. Then, upon returning to the central processing area for all co-op members we learned about the process and machinery used to turn the coffee seeds into beans, ending with the roastery room. I wish I could share the smell of that place in words, but the best I can do is: As someone who doesn’t love coffee I would live in that room. 

To end the tour, we sampled the coffee and learned their distributions include multiple US coffee shops, including Blue Bottle (so you know it’s good).

Feeling famished, we went back into the main town and had breakfast at a small waterfront café recommended by our guide. We chatted, hung in the shade, and had to wait on a woman using the lone bathroom stall for over 20 minutes. Like damn, we need to pee!

Finishing up the tour, we swung by the Women’s weaving Co-op where we learned how cotton is processed, dyed, and woven by hand. Madison even got to try her hand at it (while I attempted to translate everything for Madison as the workers only spoke Spanish).

We boated back across the lake (Our last one, thank god) and headed up to Panajachel to shop for a bit before returning to the hotel.  

Then, after a brief rest, we headed back to the pool. We played a bunch of childhood swimming games, soaking up (figuratively and literally) our last night at the hotel. 

We dried off and walked the annoying mile into Panajachel for dinner where we settled on a nice Japanese restaurant. With the banter of the neighboring table’s bad first date as background noise, Madison and I had an entertaining meal. We left with our stomach’s full (especially after stopping for gelato) and laughter in our hearts.

Ugh, the start of the end. Madison and I woke up and packed everything up, heading down to breakfast to await our noon shuttle to our hotel in Guatemala City. 

After eating and dropping our bags off, we explored the grounds a bit more. Sitting on the dock and taking everything in, the mixed feelings about the end of a great trip hit us both. True happiness of getting to share an experience like this together, and a comfortable sadness that while reality was only a few days away we were ready. 

We headed back up to the hotel, met our van, and after an annoyingly long period to get our bags were off. A brief conversation with the family in back and more Harry Potter filled the drive and an hour sooner than we expected we were at our hotel!

We checked in, headed to our room, and immediately returned down for food at the restaurant. And we ate! Pizza, salad, beer (a giant one), dessert. Our plan for two meals quickly evaporated as our stomach filled. 

As the city itself wasn’t that safe, we spent the rest of the night in the room with movies, tv shows, and the rare feeling of total contentment at the end of a trip.