Guatemala - Antigua and Lake Atitlan Part II - March 2012

San Marcos on Lake Atitlan - Part II

My main purpose for going to Guatemala: Joyce Maynard's Writing Workshop on Lake Atitlan. Once a year, she conducts outdoor workshops from her beautiful home overlooking the lake--an amazing place to improve your writing.

Panajachel docks where we boarded boats

Lake Atitlan is located several hours away from Antigua--on very curvy roads. Two vans carried our group of twelve or so writers from the city to Panajachel where we transferred to boats for the remainder of our trip. Along our route, we passed several men carrying wood on their backs to, well to their homes, I guessed.

When we arrived at the Panajachel docks, the skies changed from sunny to stormy. The boats, loaded down with writers and their luggage, pounded against the rough surf.

Joyce Maynard greeting writers to her home
 on Lake Atitlan

Every evening, writers dined on Joyce's patio overlooking the lake

First stop: Joyce Maynard's home. Boat taxi's are the main means of transportation between the villages and each personal residence has its own dock.

San Marcos dock

My accommodations were at Pasada Schumann in the little community of San Marcos, about one mile down a dirt road (or one boat dock away) from Joyce's home. Writers could walk or take a boat taxi to the workshop each morning.

My accommodations in San Marcos

Pasada Schumann is the first hotel next to the lake when you exit the San Marcos dock. Seventeen little boys greeted us, eager to carry our luggage for a dollar or two. The only problem. It was unclear who actually took charge of my 23' rolling suitcase. Every child had their hand out saying he'd brought my bag. What confusion! When I ran out of dollar bills, I gave a few of the toys I'd carted along to donate to the children of San Marcos.

The luggage carriers and me

The main walkway from the dock to town and
to Pasada Schumann

It is hard to accurately capture San Marco on the page. Most of the town is accessed by dirt paths. The main path from the dock to the town is concrete and stone.

One of the local girls allowed me to take her picture

Shops selling vegetables and flowers and textiles line the paths. Handmade signs direct you to other hotels, businesses offering massage, kayak rentals, acupuncture. Life is simple here. Accommodations are simple. Food is simple. People here believe this place has healing powers. After a week, I believed it. The natural beauty is peaceful and soothing and a person quickly forgets any back-home troubles.

one of the restaurants in town with sketchy wifi

outdoor market on the main path from the dock

San Marco signage--along a dirt path

Compared to the U.S., the residents of San Marcos live without a lot of luxuries. You see shoeless old women and children, kids kicking cans instead of balls, and families that walk everywhere because they don't own a car. But you also see churches so full of people they have to stand outside to hear the sermon.

the road to Joyce's house--
I walked this every day

view during my walk to Joyce's

Every morning and afternoon, a rutted dirt road was my access to the writing workshop. I passed by the most breathtaking volcano and lake views. Once, I took a morning swim with Joyce and another writer.   Another day, I paddled a kayak out onto the lake, enjoying the windless afternoon on water smooth as glass.  

view from restaurant on the lake

lush gardens at the chocolate shaman's house

Keith, the chocolate shaman

one of the more "improved" side
streets of San Marcos

Signage for La Casa Del Mundo--located in Jaibalito,
another village on the lake

view from the top of La Casa del Mundo

last morning on San Marcos watching the sun rise
(I've never done that before!)

Mid-week, Joyce offered an opportunity to visit a chocolate shaman. I'd never had a personal encounter with one and thought, What did I have to lose? It will be an adventure!

And it was. First of all, his property was gorgeous with greens and flowers and ferns and shrubs. Second, you get to drink real--without processed sugar--chocolate. How great is that? A little bitter, but he adds raw sugar until the drink is palatable. Anyway, I think everyone should visit a chocolate shaman once in their life. Now I've checked that off my list of potential life adventures.

one mailbox in the
entire town

I also squeezed in a massage and a trip to a nearby village. I chose Jaibalito because I wanted to tour La Casa Del Mundo. What a special place. But that special place has at least a thousand rock steps to the very top of the property. (Well, maybe not a thousand, but it sure seemed like it). Once I reached the top, the views were magnificent. I didn't stay here, but the grounds were gorgeous, and the villas looked inviting. You should check out the reviews on trip advisor. But from my quick visit, I wouldn't hesitate to pick this property as a future travel destination--as long as you don't mind a hundred-million steps!

I like to mail a postcard from every place I visit--as a future reminder and souvenir. When I asked residents where I could find a mailbox, every person looked confused,
shrugged, turned away.


One hotel manager directed me to another hotel--because he said, "I think they may have a mailbox." I found this odd until I learned that no one does any business by check. Mail is used only on the rarest of occasion since all transactions are done in person, in cash--even when it means taking the boat taxi to another village to pay your utility bill. Everyone wants a receipt. Smart. But when I wanted to mail something, it was difficult to track down the one, lone, mailbox in the entire village. But I found it.

On our final morning, we had to be at Joyce's at six a.m. to catch the boats/vans back into Antigua. Normally I'm not up early enough to take a picture of the sunrise, but this morning I stood on the dock and captured the sun rising on Lake Atitlan.

I will never forget San Marcos.


If you would like to see my entire album of my Guatemalan travels, please click here and you will be taken to Shutterfly.