finding time to write
January 6th.
Finding time to sit and write isn’t easy. Between school, researching, navigating, hiking volcanoes & exploring it’s not easy to find uninterrupted time to write. More often than not, each blog entry is written over several days, with multiple trains of thought, so I apologize if entries sound disjointed. This morning I received an email from WordPress stating our site has had 167 site visits in the past 7 days. More traffic than I realized, so now I’ll make an effort to update more pages, once I work out how to do that. I’m finding the only time I can get to myself is early morning, so I’m tapping away at 5:30am while everyone is sleeping.
We’re camped in the carpark of a cute hotel kind of place with a pool for the kids. It’s hot and they have energy that needs burning off. We arrived yesterday afternoon after crossing over the border. Southern Guatemala is notably different from the more indigenous North. The roads are new and smooth, personal properties are swept, clean and tidy. There is still an amount of garbage, but unlike Mexico construction is completed, there isn’t rebar sticking out of every house roof.
Starlink
Our first order of business is to buy ourselves a Starlink. We have had enough of struggling to get connectivity. Along the highway through Mazatenango city we pulled into a very new and modern shopping area. Polar opposite of our experience in the North in 2020. It was meant to be and buy the last Starlink Mini in store. Tim spent an hour registering online & setting up an account. Cheaper than back in Canada. $200 USD for the hardware and $85USD p/month for unlimited plan that will cover us all throughout Central America and ensure the kids won’t miss any school deadlines. Worth every penny!
Back on the road, we cover ground easily as we make our way to Antigua. It doesn’t feel like the same Guatemala we spent three months in 5 years ago. The Southern roads are smooth and flatter, unlike the north that is all mountains where 60km can take a whole day to drive! Fewer topes (speed bumps) and a more modern way of life. Not sure if it’s just this part of the country as we didn’t come this far South last time or if the past 5 years have been more prosperous.
antigua
Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and my new favourite place! A small & captivating city known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and thriving tourism industry. Founded in 1543 as Santiago de los Caballeros, Antigua served as the capital of Guatemala until a series of devastating earthquakes in 1773 prompted its relocation. The city is celebrated for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture, cobblestone streets, and stunning colonial churches. Antigua’s culture is deeply rooted in its Mayan and Spanish heritage, which is evident in its colourful markets, traditional textiles, and festivals.
Today, Antigua attracts visitors like us who come to explore its historic ruins, climb nearby volcanoes such as Acatenango, and savour its coffee, grown on surrounding plantations. Its mix of history, art, and natural beauty makes it a must-visit destination in Central America.
Carefully navigating the narrow cobblestone streets we make our way to a free campground on the West side of the city. It’s free and safe, which we like, but it’s not very nice. After two nights we move over to ‘Vegamundo’s’. A campground full of other travellers, with character, clean bathrooms and swimming pool. Just 10 mins walking distance to the city, it’s perfect.
Vibey Antigua
With many charming boutique hotels, vibrant bars, exquisite restaurants, and unique stores, all set against a backdrop of colonial splendour. Every street oozing with culture & history. Peeking through doorways, hidden behind walls are beautiful hotels, carefully restored colonial mansions, with lush courtyards. I catch a glimpse into how the other half travels. There is a thriving bar scene that ranges from rooftop venues with volcano views to cozy spots serving craft cocktails and local beers. The night life I’m told is a lot of fun, but I’m too old for the clubs now and am very happy with my GnT back at camp.
Restaurants are a blend traditional cuisine with international flavours, offering everything from street food-inspired dishes to fine dining experiences. Eclectic stores & markets selling hand woven cloth, artisan chocolate, and locally sourced coffee.
One night we left the three kids at the campground and went out for dinner. They were just as excited about us going without them as we were—perfect! Why Not restaurant couldn’t have been more than 150 square feet, housed in a 500-year-old building. The staff consisted of one chef, one cook, one bartender, and a server who spoke impeccable English. The walls were covered in graffiti made with black Sharpie markers and adorned with old instruments. The tables and chairs were comically small, leaving 6’6” Mario struggling to fit his knees under the table.
We were three couples: Mario and Wenke, along with their friends—now our friends too—Uli and Rita from Germany, who are traveling in their fabulous custom Toyota Land Cruiser. Upstairs, we huddled together in the mezzanine, which we accessed via a near-vertical ladder with a knotted rope for support. The cozy upper floor squeezed in six tiny tables, each crowded with at least four large North American or European-sized adults.
The six of us shared a table, enjoying a delicious jug of sangria and delicious food. My head spinning to take it all in—the lively atmosphere, the incredible food, and the great company. It was a memorable evening of culture, laughter, and a feast for the senses.
ACATENANGO VOLCANO HIKE
January 10th
Hiking Acatenango Volcano was on our “to-do” list during our last trip. We originally planned to do the overnight hike independently, carrying our own food and tents. However, after talking with others at the campground, we decided to lighten our packs and rent a tent at the summit. Mario, Wenke & Klaas joined us.
The day before, we drove up to the trailhead and camped overnight to try and acclimate to the altitude. The hike covers 8 km (5 miles) each way, with a total elevation gain of 1,550 meters (5,085 feet). It’s estimated to take about 5 hours up and 3 hours down—a grulleing climb made tougher by the need to carry overnight clothing, food and at least 3 litres of water per person.
Our camp host, Albaro, proudly told us about his farmland, passed through 3 generations. He grew up on the side of the volcano, growing vegetables and now supplementing income by offering car parking for volcano hikers at 150Q p/night. He happily organized a yurt-like tent for us, we would take our own food. We packed carefully, taking only essentials to keep our loads as light as possible. A tour company in Antigua had quoted us $130 USD per person for guide, tents and food. But Albaro arranged it for just $25 USD per person for just the tent, we don’t need a guide. Entry price was 50 quetzals each. Setting off at 8:45am we wanted to beat the crowds and not get trapped along the barb wire fencing at peak times. Even with minimal gear, the packs felt heavy—water is unforgivingly weighty.
The trail itself was steep and crowded. Climbing, we trudged along at a slow, steady pace, one small step after another while descenders came barreling down, barely in control. The first couple of hours were punishing, every step was up. Hiking poles were a must, my arms were getting an equal workout. Mario hired a porter, 16 year old Johnathan, to carry their water and clothing since they didn’t have proper hiking packs. He’s strong and very fit. Wearing jeans and sneakers, no poles or waist belt on the flimsy 30yr old 60L pack he is lugging. He walks with ease, from what I could gather, he hikes the volcano five to six times a week, carrying up to 30 pounds for just a few dollars each trip.
After five hours of climbing the steep trail we arrive at camp. The views from our area were breathtaking. We made it! The tent is plenty big enough for us all, cots with mattresses and deck chairs.
Erupting volcano
As night fell, Fuego put on a spectacular show, erupting every 20 minutes or so. Lava spewed high into the air, rocks flying, and the ground rumbled. Clouds of grey smoke puffed into the sky, added to the drama. By night, the temperature plummeted to 2–3°C (35–37°F), we were warm with down jackets, pants, hats, and gloves. The wind blew hard all night long, flapping the canvas.
Altitude does funny things to the brain. Our bodies were exhausted we hit the rack around 9 o’clock, but couldn’t sleep. Jaxon and I took melatonin which helped, it still took a long time to drift off. Around 1 a.m. I’m half woken a big explosion, not long after fully woken by Charley tugging on my feet, asking for melatonin as she was also unable to sleep. The cots were semi-comfortable, at best we managed to rest.
Tim was up at 5 a.m. to catch the last eruptions before daylight stole the grandeur. Fully dressed, I crawled out of my sleeping bag 30mins later to watch the sunrise also from a higher vantage point. Surprisingly, my legs weren’t as sore as I had feared— the ibuprofen was doing its job. Breakfast was Wenke’s homemade sourdough bread, cream cheese, salami, prosciutto, tea, and coffee. The wind was still strong, so we bundled up against the cold as we prepared to leave, beginning our descent around 8:30 a.m. Our descent was fast too, down in just 2.5 hours. Like us the day before, we passed hundreds of hikers on their way up, enduring their own private hell, one step at a time. We’re all down in one piece, what an adventure!
Oh, and those white dots in the night photos of the erupting Fuego. They are people hiking up to get a closer look! Crazy people!!
strolling through antigua
Jan 12-15th. Back at our lovely campground the next few days are spent recovering, our legs are shredded and walking is very difficult. We empty our packs, clean up and have our laundry done. Kids spend the mornings doing school work and playing all afternoon.
Wenke & I take a walk into town in that cool morning temperature before the sun climbs too high. The streets are quiet, it’s peaceful and tranquil. I just love Antigua, everyone should come and spend a week here, there is so much charm and character. Spontaneously we stop for a coffee at a charming cafe that turns into an hour, enjoying breakfast of eggs benny, avocado toast, latte’s & fresh fruit. Oh what a treat, I never do this, and love it, relaxing time with a girlfriend.
We take our time walking back via the main archway, it’s such a beautiful town. The lazy afternoon passes quickly doing I don’t know what. Mario is a great cook and makes us all a yummy dinner of gnocchi with tomato & Boursin cheese sauce. We eat outside, drink wine and plan our next steps over a bottle of wine. They are keen to join us in South America and travel together. But first are returning to Mexico where they will store their truck and fly back to Germany for 5 weeks to visit family. They are booked to ship out of Veracruz to Colombia where we will meet up with them in a couple of months.
It’s the 15th, and today we are sad to be leaving beautiful Antigua, all the other travellers we’ve met, and sad to be saying ‘adios’ to Mario & Wenke. They are making their way over to Lake Atitlan and we are turning int the opposite direction. Tonight we are camped right at the border.
Tomorrow morning we’ll cross the border into El Salvador.
