Lago de Atitlan

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The buses in Guatemala are all the old Bluebirds we rode in elementary and middle school in the States except each one has a random theme depending upon the driver's specific tastes. My personal favorite being the Rolling Stones and Dragon Ball Z combo bus that took us out to Ponachel on our way to Lago de Atitlan. It was an extremely bumpy, white knuckle ride crammed in with the beautifully round-bodied locals. Really who knew how fast those busses could fly after they take the governors out of 'em? For the most part Guatemalans have a certain bus code they abide to. Some of the rules include a basic code of silence, cramming as many people as possible on the bus and buying tons of remarketed products from Agua Pura to Pollo Compero (Their version of KFC) to a traveling vitamin salesmen with a whole "Cures All schpeel." Also, Guatemalans LOVE to litter on the bus and always have to check and see exactly where it landed outside on the ground. From there, we caught a water taxi across the lake to the Santa Clara village where we were staying. A very spiritual place, the lake itself is an odd teal blue, formed by a crater and surrounded by volcanos. Santa Clara is a sleepy village with access only from the lake.

It was an extremely bumpy, white knuckle ride crammed in with the beautifully round-bodied locals.