Rode from Quetzaltenango to San Juan La Laguna. It took about 2 hours and the first half was all easy 2 lane highway in actually pretty good shape. Then I turned off on a small country road. It was an amazing ride but steep. I tried doing some engine braking for the first time on the moto because of how steep it was and I was slightly concerned about the brakes. The views were spectacular. When I had San Pedro volcan in my view I felt overwhelmingly happy as it towered above and stared down on me.
Having been here before I didn’t love lake Atitlan the first time, but I’m happy to see it with a fresh perspective. Last time I was here I was incredibly sick and withered down to the bone and the place I stayed was super disconnected from everything. This time I’m staying at Eco Hotel Mayachik and I love it so far. Beautiful gardens.
San Juan La Laguna
Street art
After eating I headed down to the port to take a boat somewhere else. My plan was to head to San Marcos as I hadn’t fully explored it my last time here.
On the boat over to San Marcos there was a girl with a dog sitting next to me and we started to talk a little. She had been staying there for 7 months already so I asked her for a suggestion of something to do. She recommended walking up to “Eagle Nest” so once we arrived I headed on up there. The way was nice and steep and there was a really cool route to get out there including walking under some thick vines.
Once I arrived the place was amazing. It was very well put together and very hippy with a huge platform for yoga that has an amazing view. But I immediately started to get the same vibes that I always get from these places that if you don’t look and act hippy you don’t belong. I can’t help but always feel that it is it’s own modern day exclusive religion that scams its own members. Yoga was $20 per person! You know how much that is worth in Guatemala?! It really blows my mind. I tried talking to a couple people there and I just found them to be so cold. I don’t fully know how to describe these strange cults.
Eagle’s Nest
Anyways, I was sitting there drinking a chai latte and enjoying the view when I got a message from Gail, an old friend who I knew could possibly be in Guatemala but also totally forgot was there. She had seen on Instagram I was in the area.
She also wildly happened to be in San Marcos as well. I headed down to “Unicorn Unborn” where I ran into her on the walkway.
Running into an old friend
San Pedro Volcano. I hiked this beast a few years ago
We walked down to the water and just talked about life and what has happened in the last 4 years since we had seen each other last. She had had some profound experiences and I’m sure I did too. While talking she told me I had already missed the last boat back at 630 because I was told it was at 8. The only other way back would have been a 2 hour walk in the dark along some sketchy roads so I planned to stay at Unicorn Unborn for the night. We went to eat at a comedor, then a taco joint that gave me 6 tacos instead of the ordered 2, but I still got them down.
I had some awful sleep and woke up early at 6am. I went out to the kitchen area where a hippy dude happily told me he made extra broccoli smoothie for me. I had no idea what that meant until I smelled it and realized he literally just blended water and broccoli and put it in a cup. It was the single nastiest sh*t I’ve tasted in my life.
Once he walked away I threw the whole thing in the bushes and headed to the dock to reunite with Donkey on the other side of the lake.