Definitely still exhausted from my previous day’s excursion. But this morning was pretty gentle on me. Picked up my laundry, went in search for breakfast and an internet cafe. I managed to find one at “Internet Cafe”, what an appropriate name. With a strawberry & pineapple smoothie in hand I caught up on my blog and messages from home. Finally though it was time to move on to San Marcos.
Before I left my hotel I ran into the Japanese-Czech couple who I helped my first day here. They were talking to a guy whose name I want to say is Michael. A German fellow who lives in Mexico City teaching at a German University there. When the couple asked me where I was off too, Michael chimed in that it was the hippie hangout with narrow streets. Apparently when he went there someone walked up to his friend and told him that “he had a broken aura”. I was definitely getting nervous that San Marcos would be terrible. But I pressed on, I went to the Pana dock and was fortunate enough to have a boat leave right away. I did enjoy the views from the lake of the surrounding volcanoes though. Very impressive.
The dock in San Marcos definitely looks more like someon’s private property than a city dock. But considering San Marcos is only a 3,000 person town and the proper docks were destroyed by the rising lake water, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. Although I wanted to head to Hotel La Paz, I found the signs for Hotel Aaculaax easier to comprehend (i.e. visible) and therefore I found myself headed in that direction. The cheapest room was definitely not as cheap as my San Pedro room and felt like there were cheaper options available elsewhere. So I left my bags in search of an alternative. I did find Hotel La Paz, but the dorm was empty. For some reason I was actually pleased to head back to Aaculaax for a night because it had a really tranquil atmosphere.
After finally setting up in Aaculaax I made my way to fill my stomach with some good food. I stopped at a little place called Blue Lilly which advertised hummus and I was hooked. The Blue Lilly was as empty of patrons as it was beautiful. I was greeted by Moo, the owner Cathy’s little black puppy. Absolutely adorable. I enjoyed Cathy’s company while I ate my falafel wrap while she told me her story of how she ended up living in San Marcos for the past 3 years. By the end of the conversation she had already invited me to meet up with some of her friends for a drink. Por que no?
We walked to her friends house which was just outside of town. It was a stunning place where expats gathered apparently for their few weeks (or months) hanging out by the Lake. I just could not get over the beautiful views they had in this place. Absolutely stunning view of the three volcanoes, including my favourite San Pedro. At this ladies afternoon I met some very interesting people. Including a fellow Canadian, a freelance writer, a retiree, an Aussie, and the two ladies currently renting out Aaculaax.
It was definitely a strange, yet exhilarating moment to realize that I had just arrived in San Marcos, yet found myself surrounded by new and interesting people. It was definitely interesting to here how the remainder of the group winded up here, where they had traveled, and what they thought of Guatemala. We also discussed the local gossip, a general hatred of Walmart, chicken buses, scorpions and spiders, and where to buy spices in Guatemala (the answer is a store called “Superb” in Guatemala City).
When things started winding down, we all headed back to San Marcos for a drink at Ganesh. If you ever stop here in San Marcos (which I highly recommend anyway), a must see is Ganesh’s Collective. The bartender, Brad, alone is worth conversing too. A former lawyer, now bartender, he entertained me all night with his jokes about living here, calling me Annie (thanks to my curly locks), and betting on how many glasses of water I could drink (a lot apparently). He also flavours his own vodkas, some of them include: lemongrass, five pepper, sun dried tomato, pineapple, ginger, cinnamon, and many many more. Although I didn’t taste any, I was assured that it was the best of the best vodka. Also if you get a chance ask him about his experience in Circle in Los Angeles.
Finally around 10:40pm, it was time to make my way to my temporary home. The short walk home seemed all the more terrifying when the only light I had was from my camera. However it was definitely adequate enough and I managed with no problems. When I reached my room I felt like I had a successful first day in San Marcos and fell into an easy sleep listening to crickets and frogs.
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