I let the humans off of boat work so they could do a little sight seeing. They did their best to fit as much as they could into one week.
Why one week, you ask? Well that is exactly how long friends are coming to visit from England.
Perhaps they are less the human’s friends than they are my ‘fan club’.
They had T-shirts made with all the destinations they had visited me at. How cool is that?
Unfortunately I could not join the humans on this road trip. So I went on a holiday on other cruisers boats. It was nice to see how ‘the other half’ lived. I spent the week convincing them I was undernourished, totally neglected and could not possibly sleep on a cold floor.
What do you expect….I am a terrier!
As I am not coming on this trip, and you deserve a change too, I have asked my ‘fan club’ to guest write this blog for your education and enjoyment.
ANTIGUA
Antigua, Guatemala (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtiɣwa ɣwateˈmala]) (commonly referred to as just Antigua or la Antigua) is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 1773 Guatemala earthquake struck the Central American country of Guatemala on July 29 and had an estimated epicentral magnitude of 7.5 Mi.[1] It was followed by numerous aftershocks which lasted until December 1773. The series of all these earthquakes is also referred to as the Santa Marta earthquake(s) as it had started on the feast day of Saint Martha.
With an intensity of approximately VII (Very Strong) to VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale,[1] the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of Antigua Guatemala, which was at that time the colonial capital of Central America. About 500 – 600 people died immediately and at least another 600 died from starvation and disease as a result of the earthquake.[1] The event had significant impact on the number of religious personnel in the area, especially the Mercedarian Order, with the count reduced almost by half and a similar reduction in the amount of income received.[2]
Move of the capital[edit]
Spanish authorities had previously considered moving the capital to a different location after the devastation of the 1717 Guatemala earthquake and decided after the 1773 event not to rebuild the city again. Thus in 1776 the capital was moved to the new city of Guatemala of Asuncion, known today as Guatemala City.[1]
We are not worried!
LAKE ATITLAN
First stop and accommodations PANJACHEL
Panajachel is easily accessible from Antigua or Guatemala City, most buses and shuttles end up here and all the boats to Lake Atitlán’s surrounding villages leave from Pana’s docks. As a result, Pana receives loads of tourists of all kinds – Guatemalan day-trippers, package tour groups and backpackers all pass through here. The original village is located up on the hill, whereas the main street towards the docks, Calle Santander, seems to be constructed exclusively for tourists. One market stall lines up next to another, and there are plenty of restaurants and hotels, including an all-inclusive resort right by the lake.
Local Maya Market town of SOLOLA
Sololá Laguna Atitlan, Guatemala
(Pronounced: Soh-loh-LA, La-GOO-nah Ah-teet-LAHN, Gwah-te-MAH-lah)
Sololá lies along an ancient Maya trade route between the hot Pacific beach lands and the chilly mountain highlands of Guatemala. All the traders meet here in this Maya town for Friday’s Market Day, one of the highland’s best
Boat trip on the Lake to SANTIAGO
Santiago – visit Maximon, buy souvenirs
The town of Santiago is the largest and most ‘native’ of all the towns around the lake. Located on Atitlán’s southern shore, Santiago is best known for being home to Maximon, Guatemala’s folk saint. As soon as you get off the boat, the local children will offer to bring you to Maximon’s house (he moves house every year). Make sure to bring donations: rum, cigarettes or simply cash are favorite offerings of Maximon.
In addition to the favored saint, Santiago offers great views of volcano San Pedro if you make your way up the hill to the church which sits on the end of a big, empty square. The church inside is lined with wooden saints who are dressed in new handmade clothes every year.
Visit a town only accessible by boat SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz – dive, hang out under the radar
Santa Cruz is a small village between Jaibalito and San Marcos, and can only be reached by boat, which keeps visitor numbers low. A few hotels dot the shore, and the main village stretches up the hill behind them. There’s not much to do except hang out, relax or hike in the surrounding hills. Santa Cruz has the only PADI dive center on the lake for those who choose to dive Lake Atitlán. Hotel Isla Verde offers salsa classes on Fridays and daily movie nights.
.
