Cambiamos nuestros planes.

Buen dia a todos.  Beinvenidos de Lago de Atitlan!  Esperamos esta correo electronico los encuentra bien.  Queremos darlos nueva informacion sobre nuestro viaje.

 

Rapidamente...  (No es possible para mi, pero mi esposa insiste!)

 

We have changed our plans quite a bit from our original idea -- mostly because WE CAN!  Xela, our school, and our host family were all great.  But for a plethora of reasons, we have decided to move on a little earlier than originally planned. 

 

1) 5 hours a day of classes is INTENSE to say the least -- not unexpected, but more than we hoped it would be.  Between school and homework, there wasn't enough time to actually learn what we were being taught.  So we are taking some time off from formal schooling, practicing as we travel and studying on our own. 

 

2) Schools have an inherently transient feel. Most students stay for two or three weeks.  We met wonderful people, but they kept leaving us!  And, they kept telling us stories of places we should visit.  So we are...

 

3) Xela is COLD. I mean, it's not upstate NY winter cold, but this is the most beautiful time of year back home and we don't want to spend it all bundled up!

 

4) A few weeks back we booked a room at La Casa Del Mundo, a paradise-like hotel on Lake Atitlan.  Check the map again on the blog, but it's about three hours West of Xela -- halfway back to Guatemala City.  The hotel was AMAZING.  Seriously, it was heavenly.  We will post pics and things when we have a faster connection, but just try to imagine private, comfortable beds (and wonderful pillows!), all 15 rooms with gorgeous views of the volcanoes across the lake, gourmet food served family style for dinner, hammocks, kayaks (and cliff diving!), patios from which to swim or sunbathe.  I'm almost tearing up just thinking about how nice it was!

 

As all of these things piled up, we realized it made sense that after our anniversary on the lake we will just stay in the area to relax, read and study.  While there are conveniences we miss from Xela, we are very happy with the change.  The weather here on the lake is amazing -- warm days and cool (not cold) nights.  And you just can't beat the views.

 

Our first stop after paradise is in the small lake town of San Marcos La Laguna -- a small hippie town known for its convergence of "free spirits" and thought to have a magical spiritual vibe.  There is plenty of vegetarian food, yoga, massages, meditation, holistic healing centers, composting toilets, and, fortunately for our stomachs, Ramen Noodles (which, along with Coke and Pepsi, are EVERYWHERE!).

 

That said, a quick walk through town confirms its peacefulness and tranquility.  We might be here awhile!