Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1

GUATEMALA


88 wanderlust.co.uk September 2019


farmerwhowisheduswellinCakchiquel,one
ofthemanyMayadialects.
TheyhavebeengrowingcoffeearoundAtitlán
for over 100 years, and we stopped off at a small
community-run finca. Here, coffee farmer Walfre
walked us through the whole organic process, from
plucking the ripe red berries, to shelling, washing
and drying the beans in the sun.
Our penultimate descent – with a break for lunch



  • meant crossing the river via another, even more
    dramatic hanging bridge. We then scrambled
    upwards for our first view over shimmering Lake
    Atitlán, before heading down through terraced
    fields of flowers and vegetables to the lakeshore,
    where the group parted and we said our goodbyes.
    Set in a vast caldera, Lake Atitlán has seduced
    many a traveller, including the oft-misquoted
    writer Aldous Huxley, who always protested that
    he had never described it as ‘the most beautiful lake
    in the world’. Early the following morning, from my
    vantage point on the terrace of Casa Palopó, as the
    sun highlighted the velvety green curves of Tolimán
    volcano and fishermen in rustic boats drifted silently
    across its cobalt-blue expanse, it was hard to see why
    Huxley would ever deny such a thing.
    The lakeshore is fringed with Maya villages,
    each with its own distinct character. The largest
    is Panajachel (or Pana), the transport hub, with its
    main street lined with handicraft stalls, bars and
    restaurants, while Santiago Atitlán has a strong
    indigenous culture and is home to a roving
    Maximón, who moves to a different house every
    year. Of the ‘La Laguna’ towns, San Marcos is


‘Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó


is aiming to turn the village into


a monumental piece of art’


Free download pdf