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 1.
Looking down at Lake Atitlan from its rim of its forested bowl 2200
meters above sea level. One descends 700 meters to the lake’s
surface from the town of Solola along a switchback road carved into
slopes. |
 8.
An icon from the Iglesia Santiago Apostol in
Santiago Atitlan, where government assassins gunned down U.S. priest
and human rights activist Stanley Rother in 1981. Guatemala’s
bloody 38-year civil war ended on December 26, 1996. |
 2.
Hotel Atitlan from a distance. Note the unfortunate green hotel in
the background. Walt, James and Pam settle in. |
 9.
A wizened, walleyed guide led us to the secret Santiago
sanctuary of Maximon (pronounced mosh-ee-MON), a syncretistic hybrid
ofJudas Iscariot, Alvarado, and the Mayan god
Ma’am who likes tobacco, booze and money. |
 3.
Denise and Dano take a picture of us, and
we take a picture of them. |
 10.
James. David, and Marie "ziplined" 1,000
meters down cables suspended high above the lake’s jungle-upholstered
slopes.Click
here to see
a video of it. |
 4.
The hotel grounds feature elaborate gardens and several
aviaries. One of its "pet" guacamayas stalked and pecked Pam. |
 11.
We left Atitlan on November 26 for Antigua, after a side
trip north took us to the famous market town of Chichicastenanga. |
 5.
The lively lakeside town of Panajachel is a popular destination for
young backpackers and hippies. |
 12.
Chichi’s labyrinthian market fills a huge town square that
was once the site of a Mayan village. |
 6.
Feliz Cumpleanos, Iago! Here we celebrate James’ 50th birthday
in the hotel’s excellent restaurant. |
 13.
Chichi's Iglesia Santo Tomas is a magnet for worshipers of both Catholic
and Mayan gods. |
 7.
A launch took us to the jungle retreat of Anando le Boeuf,
a retired set designer turned amateur architect and erotic
sculptor. |
 14.
After a lovely lunch at Cafe Katuk near Iximchi, we returned to Antigua
and checked in at the Meson Panza Verde, another modern interpretation
of Spanish colonial architecture. |
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