The Proper Way to Roast Marshmellows... Lake Atitlan is Beautiful... The First Pangs of Car Trouble... Back to the Islands...

Before leaving Antigua, there was one last thing we had to do... You see, it had been a while since we had had marshmallows and when the craving hits, well, you just have to. Luckily, there just happen to be plenty of active volcanoes in Guatemala just waiting to help you out should you find yourself in a similar predicament. In my case, I made the trek up to Pacaya - the most active volcano in the country - with Michelle; we had a hunger to kill. Unfortunately, Thai was still feeling the effects of the fried chicken from before, so she decided to hang back.
After an hour of hiking uphill, we came upon an expansive field of cooled volcanic glass, the remnants of massive eruptions over the past decades. We crossed the precariously craggy landscape following the waves of heat emanating from just beyond the next hill. All of a sudden, the heat took us by surprise. It was coming at us from in front and, we eventually realized, from under our feet! Between the thick plates of already cooled rock, there were vents through which active lava could be seen coursing below the surface! And then we saw what was on the other side of the hill... An active flow bubbling out the side of the mountain! The heat was unbearable even from 40 feet away, but for those of us with marshmallows on the mind, it was a necessary speed bump. After loading up a stick with three of the tasty treats, I ventured out to within 4 feet of the flow and held out my hand. I came back triumphant, but lacking some knuckle hair. I wish that photos could communicate the feel of standing that close to liquid rock... Michelle had to move away when she discovered that her calves were burnt and her shoes were melting! Oh, but I do love me a good marshmallow... Yum.
With our craving in check, we headed West towards Lake Atitlan - the next typical stop on the Guatemalan tour (seriously, Guatemala is beautiful, but the tourism circuit is practically set in stone - Tikal to Coban to Rio Dulce to.....). While most of the foreign traffic finds its way to Panajachel, there are many cities on the lake that hold their own charms and perks. In our case, we had heard from a friend in Antigua - remember the one that got pistol whipped? - that we had to visit San Pedro. The town was much smaller, but it had a great atmosphere. We got a couple rooms in a hotel with a lake view and explored the waterfront which is strewn with all sorts of funky restaurants and lounges catering to the tourist traffic. In fact, while it was a wonderful break from the local food, the area was a bit overly foreign. So much so that there were visible signs of tension between the tourist area and the surrounding town. A couple of block from our hotel, a larger wall was scrawled with the words ¨Gringos go home!¨ Nothing happened to us or anyone we knew while we were there, but we definitely remained alert.
I haven´t even mentioned the rain! Our first night in Guatemala also brought our first encounter with the wet season. Ever since, we have been treated to showers at relatively frequent intervals. And they usually bring rolling thunder and lightning with them. Our first night in San Pedro, we sat on the roof of our hotel and watched a storm come in over the volcanoes that surround the lake - the clouds slowly creeping over the hills, only visible intermittently with the flashes of lightning back lighting the entire scene. It has been a nice change, but it has definitely increased the surrounding humidity.
When we were ready to leave San Pedro, we also had to say goodbye to Borja who was on his way to Cuba before starting his job as a mountain guide in Nicaragua later in the month. So, with teary eyes and a slightly lighter load, we began the steep climb out of the valley. Unfortunately, we didn´t make it very far before the Corolla (whom Michelle has lovingly named Fanny II, after her former Corolla which she took off a bridge!) began to sputter and the battery light came on. We pulled over, found that the engine was tremendously overheated, and flagged some one down for help. Eventually, after hitching a ride back into the nearest town and getting in touch with a mechanic, we discovered that, not only was our car over heating, Fanny also had a bad alternator. So, with no other choice, we left her with the mechanic and made our way back to San Pedro for another two nights. Michelle, who had become quite smitten with Borja, tried to keep her smiles in check while I groaned about the inevitable bill for new engine parts...
In the end, the mechanic was able to reconstruct a working alternator from available pieces which was much cheaper (and faster) than ordering a new one altogether. On our second attempt, we made it out of the hills and headed towards the border of Honduras with plenty of daylight.
Unfortunately, around mid-day, with 4 hours left to the border, Fanny got grumpy again - this time overheating in the middle of nowhere. After several stops to add water and allow her to cool down, we were able to eek into the small town of Sanarate. Now, I doubt that any foreigners have ever stopped in Sanarate, and they might not ever again. Nothing but teeming streets of markets and kids playing soccer in the open squares. And the staring! I have been stared at before, but something about this town made it exceptionally uncomfortable. Literally ALL eyes were on us anywhere we went. Although we did manage to have a great time one evening when we found a local pool hall and played a few games.
Of course, Fanny had to break down late on a Saturday so we had to wait until Monday to talk to a mechanic. When we did, though, we quickly found that we were horridly low on transmission fluid. In the end, we got away with a working car for only the cost of two liters of the stuff and 4 dollars in service. And thank god too, because we were seriously inches away from abandoning the car and going by bus.
So, with that out of the way, we were free to hit the border. Getting into Honduras was a bit of work, but it was really more costly in time than sanity. We got through with relatively limited trouble and began heading towards the Caribbean coastline where, we heard, there were a few islands to visit where Thai and Michelle could get certified to scuba dive quite cheaply. We stayed our first night in Santa Rosa (de la something) before making it to La Ceiba on the coast the following evening. From there, we caught a boat out to Utila, a small island that specializes in diving. I´m telling you, if you ever want to get certified, come here! I´m serious! For $270 you get 4 1/2 days worth of classes that include 5 dives, 2 fun dives, and accommodations at a hotel within walking distance of the dive center! That is nearly half of what I paid in Maui and I definitely didn´t get my room paid for at the same time! I even decided to get my advanced certification because of the price. We are taking classes at Utila Dive Center which has been ranked number one in the world by PADI. You just can´t beat the value or the quality. Both Thai and Michelle plan on doing their basic and advanced classes back to back so I´m going to wait and join them after they are done with the first. Then we will be able to take the second class together which includes deep diving, wreck diving, night diving... even underwater photography if you want! I can´t wait. Right now, I´m just lounging around the pool waiting. Oh well, it gives me plenty of time to update this thing, I guess.
As of now, we only plan on completing the advanced certification. Although the idea of completing the Rescue and Dive Master courses and seeking jobs as scuba guides does sound appealing... Who knows. We´ll have to see how we feel next week. It is a lot of money, but that would be one hell of a way to support ourselves in South America, don´t you think? Well that´s all for now. All the best to everyone!