San Pedro, Lago de Atitlan, Western Highlands, Guatemala
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
I wimped out of the 3 chicken buses from Antigua in favour of an overpriced direct shuttle. Felt bad for not being a "real" traveller but felt I deserved it after spending the whole night before with my head in the toilet....suppose cold sweats and projectile ejections of bodily fluids fulfil my real traveller quota enough for one week. I was a bit surprised on arriving on San Pedro though, I thought it would be much prettier but the phrase "concrete jungle" immediately sprang to mind when I stepped off the bus, although it did have a reassuringly spectacular lake setting. San P is the second most touristy town around the lake (after middle aged American and partying guatemala city youth favourite
Panajachel) and every you go are teeneaged gringos in bandannas, half starved looking long termers with dreadlocks selling bracelets in the street and signs in hebrew advertising falafel specials. The party atmosphere was great, with reggae blasting out of many bars until 1 a.m, but again it felt like a complete tourist orientated town with the few Guatemalans around working in the service industry. Met up with Lauren and the French girls from Antigua, and along with some Israeli boys and a German couple, treated ourselves to some bottles of wine ($15...gaah what was I thinking!!!) and the local speciality, falafel. Mmm, v good too. Still, think IŽll be off soon in search of something mroe authentic.
