Upon our arrival to Guatemala City, our professional driver whisked us away to the town of Antigua, located about 45 minutes from the airport. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua was founded in 1543 and has retained much of its colonial charm and character over the centuries. We traveled through the cobblestone streets to arrive at our hotel, the Casa Encantada, which means the Enchanted House. We were indeed enthralled by the welcoming atmosphere of the hotel, nestled inside adobe walls with a heavy entry door made of timber and iron. We easily imagined that we were cloistered inside a sixteenth-century fortress illuminated by candles around every corner. The private garden courtyard, lounge, and rooftop terrace with views of the surrounding volcanoes all added to the spirit of colonial hospitality.
The next day, we enjoyed a mountain bike tour of the valley surrounding Antigua. Our guide took us through several neighboring villages, and because it was a Sunday we had the opportunity to view village life at its peak of activity. At one point we saw several families filing into a church, dressed in fine clothing, to attend a baptism. In another village we biked through the town square where there was a common "tina" or large sink where the women of the village had come together to wash clothes and swap stories, while their children ran in circles through the nearby park. Our last stop was a coffee plantation outside Antigua, where our guide taught us a bit about how the local people grow and harvest coffee.
We spent the afternoon exploring Antigua on foot, shopping and hunting down landmarks such as the Central Park, Santiago Cathedral, and the historic Capuchinas convent. We enjoyed a dinner of pasta with wine at the Antigua Vinería, a tiny gem of a restaurant near our hotel. We went to sleep early in preparation for our climb of Acatenango Volcano, which at 13,044 feet of elevation is the third-highest peak in Guatemala.
The following morning, our guide met us at the hotel at 5:00 AM, and we began the one-hour drive to the trailhead. Although we weren't too talkative at that hour, we were glad to be on our way. After a light breakfast, we began hiking just before dawn. We hiked uphill for five hours, taking frequent rests along the way. The route took us through dense cloud forest which changed to sparse pine forest as we ascended. Near the tree line, all the pine trees were black from being scorched by lightning. We felt fortunate that there were no thunderstorms in the day's forecast! As we neared the first summit, the terrain changed to volcanic gravel under our feet, and all vegetation disappeared save for some straggly, tenacious bushes. After an arduous climb we arrived to the second and highest summit at last! We were the only people on top of the mountain, and we sat on the edge for a while looking down at the neighboring Fuego Volcano, very near to us. Acatenango is dormant, but Fuego is fully active and we were able to see and hear several small eruptions. For a while we heard nothing but the wind, and watched the clouds race by below us. We arrived back at our starting place exhausted yet joyful, knowing we had experienced something that few people ever get to catch a glimpse of.
The next destination on our itinerary was Lake Atitlán. Along the way we stopped at the market in Sololá, which is held twice per week in the middle of town. Everything imaginable was up for sale: CDs, shoes, baby chickens, spices, and the legendary textiles handmade in the surrounding Mayan villages. Upon arriving at the lake, we checked in at the beautiful Casa Palopó, an upscale boutique hotel with amazing views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
The following day we took a guided sea kayaking excursion along the shores of Lake Atitlán to the town of Cerro de Oro, or Hill of Gold. From there we hiked for about one half hour to the top of the hill where we found a sacred Mayan site. Modern-day shamans, hired by people in the community to intercede with the gods, use its stone altar to make burnt offerings and request help for such things as healing or success in business. After our hike we caught a "flete," or a pickup truck taxi, down to the town of Santiago where we enjoyed a delicious typical lunch of beans, tortillas, cheese, fried plantains, and guacamole.
We were reluctant to leave Guatemala when the time came, but we had enjoyed ourselves so much, we knew we would return.
The Guatemala Highlands are a wonderful experience if you have a week or less to travel. If you have 10 days to two weeks, add a visit to the magnificent Tikal ruins, then end your trip with a stay on one of Belize's beautiful islands.
To plan a customized trip to Guatemala or elsewhere in Central America, call Melissa a TravelPOINTS 303-938-9165 or 1-800-626-3483, www.travelpoints.com.