Dear All

Merry Christmas from Guatemala. I am at a place called Panajachel on the shores of Lake Atitlan. It is an amazing place – a lake surrounded by hills and three volcanoes. It is now well into Christmas Eve here in Guatemala and I wanted to tell you something about how I have been spending my day.

My group has 12 people plus a guide – if I haven’t told you already, the group is an international bunch – US, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Cyprus.

We all set off for a short boat ride across the lake to have breakfast at a hillside café (La Casa Del Mundo) – it was a beautiful place with a wonderful view across the lake and set amongst bright and coloured flowers and trees. After breakfast, I went swimming in Lake Atitlan – a bit chilly but beautifully clear and clean water.

After soaking up the sun for a while, we then clambered back into the boat and headed directly across the lake – sailing towards the volcanoes – which look very imposing as they tower over the lake with clouds swirling about the craters. They are active I think but were quiet today at least.

We then visited a small place called Santiago … and came across the local market, where it seemed much of the local population was doing their shopping. The people from the villages have a very distinctive costume. Men wear stripy knee-length trousers, bright shirts and a ‘cowboy’ style hat. Women wear woven wrap-around skirts with a brightly coloured belt and woven blouse. In their hair, they have brightly coloured scarves. The colours vary, depending on which village you come from. Needless to say, the market was an array of different colours….

Our next stop was a another village further around the lake, where we visited a small weaving workshop to see how many of the local handicrafts are made. We got to try out the loom and also try out the local costume – I was taken with the hair scarves and have bought one as a souvenir.

Our final stop was a ‘hot spring’ on the edge of the lake. The boat stopped about 15 metres from the lake shore, from there we had to jump – or in my case fall very inelegantly – into the lake and swim to the rocks on the lake side. Once there, you had to find a suitable rock to sit on – you then had the very strange sensation of hot water from the springs bubbling up through the rocks and cold water from the lake – bizarre! Climbing back onto the boat was an equally inelegant experience but I did it!

Then it was back to our hotel to get clean and dry.

I have been out to watch the town prepare for Christmas. About an hour ago, we heard sirens sounding and lots of car horns beeping. It wasn’t the town on fire but Father Christmas riding around on the local fire engine, followed by a procession of tiny tuk tuks. All the tuk tuks were covered with Christmas paper and other decorations, with presents fixed to the roofs – it was an amazing sight. A few minutes later, a group of children processed down the street – every now and then they would stop and let off fire crackers and fireworks to much delight and noise.

I am now sitting in an internet café, listening to very loud versions of Christmas songs in Spanish – it is currently jingle bells but my favourite is the version of O Come All Ye Faithful.

For Christmas Day, we are going to visit a local town which is famous for its Christmas procession and amazing market – it should be another amazing experience. After that we will travel down to Antigua, where the tour leader has booked us to have Christmas dinner at the city’s English ‘pub’, so I will have my Christmas dinner after all. We are also doing secret-Santa so we will have presents to open with dinner too.

So that is Christmas in Guatemala. I hope you all have great Christmas celebrations too.

Lots of love

I spent Christmas 2005 on a trip exploring Mexico, Belize and Guatemala – a small group adventure with Intrepid Travel. Based on the Christmas email I wrote, it sounds like I had an ‘amazing’ adventure. I vividly remember Christmas dinner – it wasn’t quite like being at home but I won’t forget my first overseas Christmas. And I’ve still got my secret Santa gift – a Mayan-design purse that I still sometimes take with me on my travels.

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, December 25th 2005.