Weekend in Panajachel, Guatemala

[Alan M]

Weekend in Panajachel

This is a fairly full account of the weekend but don’t feel that you have to read it, or all as it is also by way of a record for my own purposes. but it does have some cycling news as well in the 4th and last paras

I finished school at lunch time on Friday and felt quite tired after the week. I was not a little troubled by continued lapses in memory of verbs particularly in the past tense, so necessary for effective conversation.

After a quiet afternoon which I cannot recall that well, except a nice coffee in a hotel garden and a nondescript evening meal, I decided to hit a couple of bars! The first, although quiet and including happy hour, (hora feliz) was a little boring so I read my book at the bar and consumed a couple of cuba libres (rum and coke) for Q18, or about $2.40. I then went to the Circus Bar!!!! and had a beer. This bar has music and the musicians who were mostly good and play for tips – it is also a restaurant and does a fair trade in dinners for tourists. The bar area was occupied by a motley group of hardened ex patriot drinkers, mainly from the US and they were already well oiled so I watched with interest and saw the bar man adding drinks to their bill as I expect he figured that they were in no condition to recall or argue effectively. Anyway I left by 9.30 and was asleep by 10.30, only stopping to have some banana bread which is particularly good here.

The next morning, Saturday, I met a group of newly found amigos and amigas for a ride round to Santiago, about 50 Km. This is a long ride because conditions are tough with hills a plenty. On the ride round we had some of the most spectacular views of Lago de Atitlan and its 3 Volcanoes. We also saw many workers carrying avocados and firewood, mostly small men bent almost double by the weight of their load which was attached to their back and head by makeshift frames and harnesses. There were also many pick-up trucks packed with as many as 20 Mayan locals speeding round bends. There was also the scent of fermenting coffee in the air – the coffee, now ripe, is being harvested and it is part of a 5-stage process to bring the beans to market.

At around 10.00, (we began at 7.00) we stopped for breakfast in St Lucas at a hotel in front of the lagoon and I enjoyed Frijoles (black beans) cheese and scrambeled eggs with fresh orange juice and coffee. Just before this I had received and impact puncture which, as normal, I repaired by the side of the road. It seemed unusual to my friends who would normally flag down a passing pick-up truck and drive to the nearest village to find the mechanic that mends ‘picturas’ for only Q3 or about 25p! By lunchtime we reached Santiago and loaded our bikes onto a boat and retuned to Pana for coffee at Crossroads a café owned and run by Ila, a S African and her husband Mike from the US. I think that this probably counts as one of the most memorable cycle rides that I have experienced and at the end we High Fived which is obligatory among US sports people! I had a quiet evening recovering but thoroughly enjoyed the day.

On Sunday, after being woken by fireworks at 6.am, (somebody's birthday and a tradition round here) I had been recommended to go to Casa Del Mundo, a hotel about half way across the lake and on its Eastern Shore. This is an beautiful setting carved out of the side of the hill with a tropical gardens and many places to sit either on the hillside or near the water’s edge. I spent a very restful morning and afternoon, had a couple of swims in the water and enjoyed a lunch of burritos, fruit salad and a banana, strawberry and yoghurt liquado. I took the last boat back to Pana at 5.30 and met some of the people that I cycled with the previous day for a bonfire, coffee, toasted marshmallows and tomales, reaching home and completing my homework before going to sleep.

Not a bad weekend and I have at least 2 more rides lined up.

The first, next Sunday is the Vuelta de Lago de Atitlan which is a local ride around the lake, about 60Km, firstly with a breakfast, boat ride to the beginning of the ride, then ride half way round, then another short boat hop followed by the last bit of the journey and a BBQ. It is an annual event and this is the 9th for mountain bikes only but it is mainly a ride on road - more news presently.

I trust you are all doing OK and will see you in about 3 more weeks all being well

Cheers



Alan

[Andrew G]

Sounds like a fascinating trip, glad to hear your doing your homework, and of course I expected you to be getting a few bike rides in.
[quote]I then went to the Circus Bar!!!!

[Alan M]

seems fine Marco but not total immersion the weather is especially fine at 24 degrees most of the time and sunny so classes in the garden

[Mark Leedham]

Alan

It sounds like you are having a great time, learning the language, eating and drinking plenty and getting the miles in. Look forward to the next installment of your travels.

[Alan M]

Thanks mark, returned home yesterday and have a bad cold and have lost half a stone or more but otherwise OK - you will find my vuelta report and several envious responses somewhere back among the posts. Hope to be about this w/e for a sedate ride round the lanes

Cheers

Alan