Ok we’re running late on this blog, it’s time to catch up!
So after our rough ride of Acatenango, we came back to San Marcos on lake Atitlàn for about ten days.
There we rested and let Mary recover from her mountain sickness symptoms, we managed to catch up on Leo’s schoolwork, we explored a few villages around the lake, we jumped, we swam, and we even did some paddle board with Leo 🙂
San Marcos is really the hippy capital of Atitlàn! It’s a nice quiet village packed with (rather rich) hippies, yogis and other gurus of various brands. But all in all, if you can bear with the Hare Krishna and Pachamama vibe, it’s a nice base for exploring the lake. It’s midway between Panajachel and San Pedro, and even offers a view on the Fuego when the sky is clear!
From there we took a boat to San Pedro, which didn’t impress us much; bigger, more busy, packed with hostels.. we barely stayed, and walked to the next village, San Juan.
San Juan is much prettier, with lots of colourful painted walls, handicraft and art galleries. The famous umbrella street is very cute, and the dock looks fabulous at dusk!
Except that if you see it at dusk, it means you’ve already missed the last boat to go back! 🙃 So we went looking for a tuktuk to take us back to San Marcos. (Actually a series of tuktuks; each one operating only between his village and the next)
Another day we went hiking the other way, towards Santa Cruz. But we only walked three fourth of the way, to Jaibalito, where we stopped at Casa del Mundo and we found it so nice that we ate and spent the afternoon there, watching the lake and playing chess with Leo. But it was too windy that day to jump in the lake.
Another day, we started the hike the other way round. We took a boat to Santa Cruz, and from there, we did the short hike back to Casa del Mundo. This time we could jump and swim 🙂 And we played some more chess ♟️
Another day we rented a paddle board to go explore the lake on our own with Leo. At first paddling against the wind was quite a challenge, but eventually the wind stopped and it was much easier. We went up to a big rock that we could climb on and jump from, and watch the boats pass by. Without wind, Leo is able to stand and paddle on his own 💪
The Reserva Natural of San Marcos is also a great place to hang out, sunbathe and picnic by the lake. It also has a 10m platform, and various rocks of different heights to jump in the water ❤️
In San Marcos, we met with Claire, a traveling violonist from Canada who even plays gipsy jazz, and with Storm, a clarinetist from Israel, who tells stories with her music. We jammed together and even participated in an open mic at a bar called La Vida 🙂
Last but not least, we celebrated my 49th birthday on Atitlàn! Mary and Leo had baked a surprise cake, we got some wine and invited our hostel neighbours and musician friends to share the cake and celebrate with us. It was a lovely birthday ❤️
Sunrise on Atitlàn Morning yoga in San MarcosAn angel in San JuanEvening in San JuanUmbrella street in San JuanBeautiful dock, but we missed the boat!Water jumps in San MarcosHiking Atitlàn Playing chess in Casa del MundoSunset in Casa del MundoSunset from the boatPaddle boarding on the lakeMary in Santa CruzFootball in Santa CruzLeo in Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Hiking around Atitlàn Bathing in Casa del MundoCasa del MundoShuttle boats on the lakeMore jumpsMore jumpsWar paintings
We arrived in Panajachel, on the banks of lake Atitlàn and, by one of these magical coincidences (and the help of Zenly to notice them!) we bumped into my ex-colleague Colas, and his friend Thomas also traveling in the region.
Along the lake in Panajachel Meeting with Colas, Thomas and Stephanie
We got there on a week end so we could witness the outdoor mass and religious bands on the bank on the river on Saturday, and on Sunday we went to the big market of Chichicastenango.
Singing prayers by the lake
It took us 3 different “chicken buses” to get there and as many to get back. After buying an embroided guatemaltese dress impossible to fit in her overweight backpack, Mary solemnly promised this was the last thing she’d buy until the end of the trip!
A mix of Mayan traditions and christianity in ChichiA sleepy drunk man and the Chichi marketWomen in traditional dressStreet scene in SololaMan waiting to cross the street Mary admiring the embroidery workThe colourful cemetery in the distance Cemetery of ChichicastenangoOmnipresent throughout their life, the famous brand often accompanies people in the after world!
The next day we visited the natural reserve and flew over the jungle on big ziplines crossing the valley and offering a spectacular view on the lake and the volcanos! There’s also a mariposarium where we saw big butterflies and their fascinating transformation from worm to winged beauties!
Ready and equipped for the ziplinesA coatis Transparent wings!Freshly baked!
So far so good and the next day we were moving to our next chill spot around the lake, in San Marcos.
That’s when Colas said they were going to climb the volcano and we should all do it together. So we said yes of course!
I saw a few volcanoes around the lake and thought it would be a cool hike 🙂
But he really meant the Acatenango volcano, near Antigua, 3 hours away, and we had to sleep in Antigua to leave early in the morning, and stay overnight on the volcano to get back down the next day.
So we barely had time to check in and leave our stuff in San Marcos, then return to Panajachel with empty backpacks to catch the last bus to Antigua, where Colas had booked another hostel for us. The next morning we were on our way to climb the mighty Acatenango.
This hike is notoriously not a casual walk in the park; it’s a 5 hours steep walk straight up over 1500 meters of elevation, up to 3600 meters in altitude.
We were mostly worried for Leo; the poor baby, it’s a tough walk for a 10 year old kid!
Well, the poor baby walked straight up with Colas and Thomas, telling jokes along the way, while Mary and I were painfully lagging way behind, all the hiking groups passing us one by one!
I had cramps in both my thighs and Mary got sick with the altitude; feeling headaches and nausea 😦
We reached the camp an hour after everyone else and poor Mary went straight into the tent to try and sleep.
At least, she didn’t miss much of the view; it had been foggy the whole way up and the camp was inside a big grey cloud so we could barely see the landscape!
The wind was raging and the temperature was below zero. Only once in a while, the wind would manage to clear the sky for a split second and we would get a glimpse of the Fuego just next to us. As I was desperately waiting behind my camera viewfinder, I was quick enough to capture some of these brief instants of clarity!
There was an optional extra hike in the night to get closer to the Fuego. At this point, with the night falling, the dark cloud surrounding us and the wind and rain slapping our faces, it looked very much like a suicide mission. Nonetheless, a small group of intrepid hikers, including our friends Colas and Thomas, went disappearing into the heavy fog.
After 3 hours, I was ready to report them missing, when we saw them come out of the darkness, pale and exhausted. But they actually saw it! They were lucky enough to walk out of our big cloud and get a real view of the erupting Fuego.
Even the strongest hikers of the group said it was probably the hardest walk they had done.
When dinner was ready, I encouraged Mary to try and eat something, to recover some strength.
I the middle of the night, the nausea became too strong and she vomited everything. She didn’t have the time to open the tent! We tried to clean up as we could with 2 rolls of toilet paper!
The next morning, we were supposed to wake up at 4am to climb a bit more and see the sunrise from the summit, but the clouds were still there and the wind was still raging, so that part was aborted.
Mary was still feeling sick in the morning, but she was able to walk, so one of the guides accompanied us to descend ahead of the group, so we’d have time to walk slow.
Walking down was a lot easier than climbing, but still it was very steep and slippery, and after a couple of hours quite straining for the legs.
We made it alive down the volcano and returned to Antigua with the rest of the group. After a good bye lunch with Colas and Thomas, we took the shuttle back to Panajachel and the boat from Panajachel to San Marcos, and finally crashed miserably in our bed!
By chance San Marcos is a good place to relax. It took another 3 days for Mary to get rid of the nausea and finally feel better.
About an hour into the walk. A guide is carrying Mary’s backpack.Colas volunteered to carry Leo’s backpack all the way up!First break Alone after everyone has passed us!Last stretch Clearest view of the Fuego for about 2 seconds!The valley uncovered for a couple of seconds Trees in the fogLeo is rewarded for his walk with a hot chocolate Glimpse at an eruption between 2 clouds The sun is setting behind the fogThe campsite at duskThe dogs are curling to protect from the windThe guides cooking the dinerThomas and Colas returning from their extra mileThe Fuego as they saw it, the intrepid bunch!Another brief morning appearance And a little smoke puff from the eruption !The camp in the morning Courageously walking back downWe all made alive! 🙂Now waiting for the bus in the cold windLeo under the colored lights of the boat taking us back to San Marcos
Sadly leaving our friends in Puerto, our onward route to Guatemala was taking us once again to San Cristobal de las Casas.
12 hours in the bus, by night.
We had already stopped by San Cristobal over a month back, while visiting the Chiapas. It was raining the first time so we were glad to come again and get a better feel of the city vibe! It is indeed a lively and colourful place.
Speaking of lively, we went looking for a live music place to spend the evening. It was Wednesday night, not the most happening day of the week, but we ended up in a place that advertised an open mic evening. We were there early and barely anyone was there. I borrowed a guitar hanging on the wall. That’s when a girl came up to me asking if I wanted to participate. As I was about to politely decline, I heard my self answer « sure, why not! »
I had no idea what I could play for them, so I went for my old french classics: « Ou va-t-on » by La Tordue. Which, as Rafa later suggested, turned out to be an appropriate parallel with our journey around the world!
Then, for the one day of rest we had between two loooong bus rides, we cleverly decided to visit the “nearby” canyon del Sumidero. The tour turned out to be 2 hours in a bus to get to the mirador overlooking the canyon, followed by 2 hours by bus to get down to the canyon, followed by 2 hours stuck in a boat that felt like a floating bus, followed by 2 hours by bus to get back to San Cristobal.
The canyon itself was certainly lovely, but i hate these kinds of tours; I don’t know why I keep falling for these traps
By then we were more than ready to go to bed and wake up at 6 for our next shuttle, taking us to Guatemala and the shores of lake Atitlàn.
After maybe 5 hours, the shuttle dropped us at the border and we walked into Guatemala. Stamping our passports went like a breathe and we waited a bit for the next shuttle that would take us to Panajachel.
That’s when things got a bit more complicated. Apparently the normal road was blocked by protesters and we had to make a detour through the mountains. So instead of reaching around 5pm, we reached past 10pm, after 16 hours of winding mountain roads in a shuttle bus.
San Cristobal de las CasasRéflection of a church in a puddle The traditional beetle picture Beautiful fireplace in our guesthouse Father and son in the bathroom mirrorSuperstar on stage!Canyon del Sumidero Canyon del Sumidero Canyon del Sumidero The Christmas Tree waterfallCanyon del Sumidero Canyon del Sumidero A crocodile 🐊 on the bank of the river Welcome to Guatemala 🇬🇹 Never ending bus ridesFirst view of lake Atitlàn the next morning
Besides celebrating the Dias de los muertos, we had primarily come to oaxaca to meet with our friends Rafa and Bere, so after the festival, they invited us to their home in Puerto Escondido for “a few days”.
They have a beautiful house a few meters away from the beach, in La Punta, a famous surf spot on the southern side of Puerto.
They designed the house themselves, and it was built over a period of 10 years while they were living in Paris with regular trips to Puerto.
Built on slanting ground, the house spreads over 4 different levels and features an inner courtyard with a pool and an open living space and kitchen on the top floor, under a traditional palapa roof made of palms, with a view on the sea and the sunset !
By the time the house was ready, Airbnb had become a thing and tourists started pouring into town, so they caught the wave and what was supposed to be Rafa’s music room was converted into a studio apartment for rent. It’s been fully booked ever since!
Bere and Rafa made us feel right at home, and after 2 months of moving around non stop, we felt we could finally rest a bit. On top of that, the temperature in Puerto made us feel a bit lethargic and the pool was a benediction !
Puerto was a great break from a long series of touristic spots. It is a touristic spot too, but here we had an actual social life with friends, birthday parties and routine activities.
To gather the Oaxaca crowd once more, Mary organised a big Indian lunch. We cooked veg kurma, cabbage sabji, dahl, rice and kheer 😋
In spite of the heat, our stay in Puerto was quite sportive! We tried surfing, bodyboard, skateboard and a bit of hiking in the back country. And Cyril and Laurence, whom we met the week before in Oaxaca, are Thai boxing teachers (with Cyril holding 2 world championship records!). They were so good at sharing their passion that we started taking classes with them 3 times a week.
From the Oaxaca crowd we also became friends with Ludo and Olivia, Gonzalo and Laura, and Simone, a surf champion from Venezuela, creator of the Volt beachwear brand.
On Saturday, Bere and Rafa took us to the Manialtepec laguna for a lovely boat excursion by the sunset. We had a bonfire and marshmallows on the beach, and on the way back, we jumped in the water in complete darkness to witness the amazing bioluminescence phenomena; small algae that produce light and make the laguna ressemble a river of diamonds 💎. Fabulous 😍
The next day we celebrated Ludo’s birthday in the shade of palm trees on the Agua Blanca beach.
Our hyperactive host Rafa also had an exhibition of his work in an artsy gallery / restaurant. For the opening, he invited me to play a duo gig with him 🎸
Rafa also introduced me to his good friend Mao; a talented musician and composer who owns a bar in La Punta. We jammed in the middle of the night in the closed establishment, accompanied by a few shots of mezcal.
After 10 days in Puerto we thought it would be wise to let pur hosts breathe a bit and resume our journey. At the same time, it felt too short and I didn’t feel like leaving. That’s when Mary had the great idea of falling ill! The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and we decided to postpone our departure by a week.
Mary soon got better and we enjoyed the company of our friends a bit longer 🙂
We also took the opportunity to squat Rafa’s workshop and learn the basics of pottery. Leo made a few sculptures and Mary managed to make her first bowl.
“Sexy black” salsa night out with Bere and GwenIndian cooking and wine with Bere and Olivia Cyril, Simone and LaurenceLeo enjoying the poolNilo and Leo on the Manialtepec lagunaRafa’s exhibition Concert with Rafa for the opening of his exhibition Me pretending that I can actually surf!Rafa’s bruise for teaching me how to surf! (His arm got caught in the leash!)Collectivo ride with Ruby to the cascada de ReformaCollectivo ride to the cascada de ReformaCascada de ReformaRafa’s workshop The pottery classMary working on her ceramic bowlMary modeling for Volt surfwearTraditional dances from the Oaxaca villages
It’s quite a challenge to sum up this incredible festival in a blog post and only select a few photos!
Like many I had seen the animation movie Coco, and honestly I think it’s a very good introduction 🙂
In France, like in most countries I know, cemeteries and other memories of the dead are for mourning sadly. “All saints day” -or other forms of celebration of our ancestors, like pitra paksh in India- is celebrated quietly and solemnly with prayers and contemplation.
The mexican version is very different and very poetic; Mexicans once a year receive a visit from their loved ones traveling from the after life world.
Cemeteries transform into a sort of joyous “train station” where the families await their ancestors visit!
Each house has an altar with the photos of the family members and food and drinks for their travels (most often coca cola, mezcal and corona!)
For 6 days, all over town, people dress up with masks and makeup while bands march with drums and wind instruments.
Concert stages are set up in different plazas, including in front of the cemeteries.
Sitting around the tomb of their families, people chat, drink, laugh and play music to celebrate the family reunion.
As they rightly say, a person only truly disappears when there’s no one left to remember them.
We’ve just spent one crazy week in Oaxaca and a single blog post will not be enough!
This story starts 3 years ago, when we went on vacation to Cuba.
In the airport in Paris, while we wait for boarding, Leo starts playing with a little kid.
The parents, Rafa and Berenice, are a very friendly franco-mexican couple, on their way to Mexico, with two days of stop over in Havana. We sympathise and hang out with them until they leave.
We’ve kept in touch since then and always said we would visit them in Mexico; and now is the occasion.
They live in Puerto Escondido but had planned to come spend the week in the city for the Dias del Muertos festival. They came with a group of friends and we tagged along.
So after 2 months of traveling mostly on our own, we met with a super friendly crowd and Leo finally had lots of children to play with. ❤️
Rafa and Berenice are both artists and make beautiful jewellery and pottery. You should check out their work on instagram: @gotadetierra and @lunaticart.
On top of that Rafa is a talented musician and on our second day in Oaxaca we already played a gig together!
Aside from this most of the week was centered around the festival, but that’s so many photos that it’ll be for another post!
Rafa and Bere in their jewellery standNilo and Leo re-friended after 3 years!Bere and Mary after makeup Finally a real party with friends!OliviaBereLaurenceCyril GonzaloJam session at the hotelSkate session with JuliaLeo carrying ThiaThia trying my guitarRafa’s artwork
Just facing Cancun is the beautiful Isla Mujeres with its famous super fine white sand beaches and turquoise waters.
Supposedly a preserved area for wildlife and coral reefs, we found it to be quite build up for tourism with hotels and taxis all over But the sand and water were indeed fantastic!
Bloooooooo!Leo juggling with a coconutMuscle men in action!Sunset love 💕
By all means, the highlight of our stay in Tulum was our discovery of the famous Cenotes.
Crystal clear water in a preserved environment that used to be sacred places where the Mayans would come to perform sacrifices.
We could see turtles swimming next to us and bats coming out of the cave and flying over our heads.
And Leo was bold enough to jump from the scary 5.4m high platform!
Our funky bungalow Cenote ZemwayThe tightrope walkerThe Tarzan ropeSwimming with turtles 🐢😍Mary is elegantly taking the light before leaving the Cenote
After Tulum we moved up north to Playa del Carmen.
It’s funny how beaches of the world have their little peculiarities. A bit like Indian beaches have cows and camels, mexican beaches have mariachis looking to entertain families 🙂
We quickly returned to our favorite attraction and found Cenote Azul, a bit south along the coast.
Before the crowd kicks in, the place looks like a little paradise, with luxuriant vegetation, turquoise blue waters with lots of fishes, iguanas 🦎, blue birds 🦅 … We thought we’d stay for a few morning hours but we spent the whole day there.
It does get pretty busy quickly and Sendeven crowded in the afternoon, but with a nice friendly atmosphere and people encouraging each other for the traditional scary jump.
Another night in the bus to leave the Chiapas and reach the Yucatan peninsula.
Merida is bigger and richer than most other towns we visited. It is a lovely city full of fancy tasteful stores. Would be great if we could go shopping. But we can’t 🙂
We simply enjoyed window shopping and some live music in the streets.
Leo working hard on his homeworkLeo trying to have a conversation in spanish with a mute dummyLeo fascinated by a street artist while sitting in the typical Merida chairLeo caring for his looks while waiting for his crepeAnother use of the famous chairAn old hacienda Double trouble
Much to our surprise, it had been rather cold since we reached Mexico.
Palenque is a different story; this time we really entered the tropical forest, hot and humid and vibrant with tropical life.
We started with the famous Maya ruins of Palenque. It’s a beautiful site in the jungle, with monkeys jumping all around. More than the ruins themselves, I was fascinated by how Nature had reclaimed the space, with giant tree roots embracing the old stones.
We also visited two other Maya sites further down; Yaxchilan (pronounced “Jacques Chirac” with a Chinese accent!) and Bonampak (that we called Napoleon Bonampak to stay in the theme)
Yaxchilan is by far the best of the two, and can only be accessed by boat along the river that separates Mexico from Guatemala. (Pro-tip for french Free users: disable roaming there! Data is not included in Guatemala and I was charged 60€ just by approaching the border:/ )
Bonampak is a smaller site but it has preserved some nice painted murals.
I was surprised to learn that the peak period of Mayan cities was around 600 to 800 a.d., somewhere between our Clovis and Charlemagne. I think I imagined them much older. Apparently in those times, human sacrifice was still a popular thing. (Well, it still is in the US…)
For such short people, Mayans really had a knack for crazy high and steep stairs!Mary’s favourite treeRiding rio Usumacinta between Mexico and Guatemala More climbing!Moar climbing!
Last but not least, we went jumping in the Roberto Barrios waterfalls, and it was pure awesomeness 😍
(iPhone’s long pose magic)I believe I can fly!Sunset on downtown Palenque from our favourite burger place: Papita’s
Raahi - A traveling family 