Guatemala Part Four

Friday 29/Saturday 30th - Friday finally arrived ! We hadn’t been in town since Sunday and the larder was almost empty. Sue hiked over to Jaibalito after breakfast to get a loaf of fresh baked bread then we hailed a boat from the dock and headed off to Pana. There were hundreds of children playing in the paved schoolyard but very few tourists in town. We spent most of the time wandering through the markets looking for some hand-made pieces to take back with us. In addition to the scores of stalls, women and children of all ages walk the main streets laden with embroidered cloth and other items. They will even walk into the restaurants while you are eating in order to make a sale. They are persistent but not aggressive and will leave if you say “No, gracias” of if you show no interest. We booked our shuttle to La Antigua for Sunday at 10am as we would not be back in town before then. After lunch, we made our way up to the grocery store and purchased a few staples to get us through until Sunday morning.

Once back to the villa, we sat and enjoyed the view and a glass of wine. In the water below, the fishermen were back to empty their nets. They come twice a day - once before 6am and again around 5pm. The tiny hand made wooden boats seem to be no match for the waves and the men are constantly bailing to keep them afloat. The task is always the same. Paddle out to a floating marker - pull up on the rope until the anchor weight can be placed on the boat’s floor - start pulling the fine meshed netting in, occasionally pausing to remove a tiny fish and throw it in a bag. Continue pulling in the hundred feet of netting until all the fish have been removed. All the while paddling with one hand and bailing every couple of minutes. Then slowly feed the netting back into the water while paddling across to the spot where you want to drop the weight. Paddle back to your village with your catch. Not an easy life by any means.

After dinner we watched as the full moon rose over the lake. The sight was spectacular. Light shimmered off the water and illuminated the surrounding shoreline. We now realize why Aldous Huxley called this “the most beautiful lake in the world”.
Saturday was spent getting ready to leave our quiet little retreat. There were things to put away - clothes to wash and pack - good-byes to be said to neighbours. And one more time to sit on the balcony and enjoy Lake Atitlan.