It was weird to return to Xela 30 years after my first visit as I do not usually like to return to cities. And although Xela is a bit rustic, I found the familiarity comfortable. But visiting Lago de Atitlán was almost like discovering a new place, despite a few visits on my first trip to Guatemala and then again with Matthew. My earlier trips included small, not particularly clean hotel rooms without a view. This time Marco drove Logan and me there. No chicken bus. No walking. No searching for an empty room.
It turns out that returning with money provides a totally different experience. I wouldn’t say one was better, but our view this time was really nice.
Loved our rental
Loved our rental!
Logan demonstrating that the stairs may not be up to code.
Oddly, Xela has barely changed in the past 30 years. Taco Bell is now one block from the park, which is not an improvement. But otherwise, nothing has been updated or repaired. Sidewalks continue to crumble, restaurants I recall remain, women are still going about their day in traditional clothing, and the streets remain full of exhaust, dirt, and trash. In other words, perfect vacation spot for Logan and me.
The Central Park
Random streets near our house
Drive to the country with Marco when I had Covid
Logan loved this Asian restaurant because it had the most uninviting entrance. It says “ABIERTO” but is locked and you have to ring a bell to get in.
But inside was nice. Amazing old building with incredibly high ceilings and architecture.
Street often have many shops that sell the same product. Our route to the town center led us down cemetery plot street.
Barbie was big in Guatemala too
Logan at school
You always have to watch your feet when walking down the sidewalks
Sometimes they get oddly high while remaining narrow
Marco in his mini-cooper. He is over 6’4″ but manages to squeeze in.
Logan, Simon, Domingo and I watching our nightly show.
Our last hike in Xela was up El Baúl. When I was in Xela 30 years ago, I didn’t climb it because three tourists were raped on the path in separate incidents, and everyone advised that I avoid it. Of course, back then, I could roam the cemetery by myself, and the locals now freak out at the suggestion.
Logan, Marco, and I set off from the park, gathered snacks while making our way through the city, climbed up to the lookout, and chilled. Well, Logan and I relaxed while Marco chatted up the park caretaker for an oddly long duration. It made us understand a bit more why we can never go down a street or into a restaurant without someone he knows stopping to talk to him.
“Blanco” followed us from the city up to the view point.
We hiked past the view point to another trail where Marco used to ride his motorcycle.
Since Logan and I hate shopping and can only eat so much food, on our second day at Lake Atitlán, we headed to our preferred location, the woods. Reserva Natural Atitlán has a butterfly house, hiking trails, and monkeys!
During our first week here, Marco took us to see his two studios. He has been working on one large painting for over a year, although he was supposed to have completed it in six months.
Marco and I at one of his studios.
View of Cerro El Baúl from his studio.
More paintings in progress in his other studio.
Marco cooking us chilaquiles de güisquil in our apartment.
Logan has been taking class in the morning and traveling around with students from the school in the afternoon while I go out in the morning and take class in the afternoon.
After our first week in Xela, I stopped taking morning Spanish classes so that Logan (aka Ellie) could hang with the youngsters without her mother. I spent my time exploring the city and taking little trips with Marco.
One morning, Marco and I drove to San Martín Sacatepéquez and then hiked to Lake Chicabal, a crater lake in a volcano sacred to the Mayans. The morning we visited, two groups of women were performing ceremonies, chanting/singing on opposite sides of the lake.
We parked quite a walk from the entrance because the cobblestone street was too steep for the Mini Cooper to handle. We declined the 50 quetzal ride up the hill and set off on foot.
View as we headed to the visitors center.
Visitors Center
As I wasn’t far out from my Covid diagnosis and Marco was feeling oddly weak, we hopped a truck up the muddy mountain road for 10 quetzals each. A very good decision, as it would have been quite a hike up.
We arrived at the viewpoint a bit late, as the fog had already started to roll in. If you get there early enough, you can see three other volcanos in the distance. When a local learned Marco was from Xela, she made fun of us for not coming earlier. But I had not been in the mood to get up early enough for the view.
We then hiked down to the lake and had an early lunch.
We hiked the whole way back, discovering a long up-hill portion we didn’t notice the first time.
Our first field trip with our language school was to a nearby town. We took a local (aka chicken) bus though the countryside to Zunil, which lies in a small valley surrounded by green peaks. We visited San Simón, a Mayan saint that likes to smoke cigars and drink. He moves from house to house each year. This is not the one we saw but it is pretty similar.
We then headed to the church because you always have to visit the church.
We also visited a women’s cooperative. And here are some pics of the countryside on the way and in the city.
The school planned a Saturday outing to a volcanic sauna, “30 minutes walk from the school.” Despite the altitude, Logan and I were fine with a walk/hike of whatever length. However, I hung back with a 20-something lawyer who did not sign up for the trek up the mountainside that no one would call a 30-minute walk. On the positive side, the scenery was beautiful. And my knowledge from Peru that picking up rocks when angry dogs run at you came in handy. Worked like a charm. Didn’t have to throw anything; I just held them up.
Views on the way and back.
Logan in the sauna… turns out, not an easy photo to take.
We live right across from the cemetery. I was happy for this location because when I was in Xela 30 years ago, I would often take walks alone in the cemetery for a bit of green space. However, everyone tells me that I am not allowed to go alone now. We have to go in groups in the morning to avoid being robbed. So, Logan and I took Marco with us for a stroll. It’s still worth a visit.
After the cemetery, we walked to Marco’s daughter’s house to pick up his car. We then drove to Salcajá and on to Totonicapán (below), where I shadowed a nurse for a month when Matthew and I came to Xela 20 years ago.
Our world trip ended five years ago. We spent the following summer on Victoria Island, and then the pandemic came… This summer, Ethan spent a few weeks hanging out in Mexico City, and Logan and I are now in Xela, Guatemala. Matthew, sadly for us, decided to stay home due to not wanting to bleed out while traveling in developing nations on blood thinners. Given my multiple paranoias, I support his concern. Also, on our first day of class, my teacher’s daughter was in a bus accident on the highway, and her head broke the window glass. So, probably a good decision on his part.
Thirty years ago, I stayed in Xela for seven months. Marco, a friend from that time, picked us up at the airport. I was thrilled that the windy mountain highway had been increased from two lanes to four since I was last here. But we were still frightened at times by the speed of his driving and the fact that he did not sleep the night before and had to stop for a nap on the side of the highway. However, I learned that if I said I was going to vomit, he would slow down.
We took the long way to Xela and passed by Antigua for lunch.
Where Marco took many photos of us…
I thought we would arrive in Xela around noon, but we pulled up after sundown. The last time I was in Xela, I had a tiny, dark apartment with only a bed. This time, our apartment is the swankest place I’ve seen in Xela.
You can never tell what lies behind the walls on a street. Our street is an average street for the area.
And the house next to ours (view from our bedroom window), appears to be less swank.
