• San Pedro Guatemala – Backpackers Paradise

    San Pedro Guatemala is a very difficult place to get to but it is worth every minute of the trip.  We rented an SUV in Guatemala City.  The trip including a lunch stop was about 3 1/2 hours.  Upon arrival, I felt like I had been teleported to an alternative universe due to the contrast between the surrounding area and the town itself.

    Overlooking Lake Atitilan, San Pedro Guatemala

    Overlooking Lake Atitilan, San Pedro Guatemala

    The town is an isolated spot nested in the Mountains on Lake Atitilan. The roads into San Pedro are steep, narrow, and dangerous.  The last hour of the drive took us through mountainous 45 degree roads dotted with foot deep potholes.  We saw quite a few “Chicken Buses” navigating the roads and it appeared they were close to tipping over on some of the very steep roads.  Livestock on the roads is common. To avoid driving to and from San Pedro many people travel to Panajachal on the opposite side of the Lake and catch a taxi or bus from there.

    Map of Lake Atitilan Guatemala

    Map of Lake Atitilan Guatemala surrounded by towns and connected by ferries

    Guatemala City is a large, loud, busy, city with people willing to kill each other on the highways to gain an extra 5 seconds of time.  From there, we drove into the hilly and then mountainous rural areas where the average family struggles to make ends meet.  San Pedro is unlike anywhere we have been in Guatemala.  It has a mixture of the following residents and visitors:

    • International travelers from every continent in the world, many with backpacks and a high percentage of 20 to 30 year olds
    • Ex-Patriots and hippy types who had moved to San Pedro often on a temporary basis but never left
    • Retirees from around the world who love the perfect climate and breath-taking scenery and decided to live there
    • Local Guatemalan citizens, many who have become more westernized due to growing up with international travelers and working in the tourism industry.  Many speak english.
    • Guatemalan citizens that are like the citizens in any other rural area of Guatemala
    Approaching San Pedro

    Approaching San Pedro

    San Pedro is located on a volcanic lake which is 1100 feet deep but the elevation at the surface of the lake is over a mile high in elevation.  The temperature tends to dip no lower than 50 degrees at night and no higher than about 80 degrees in the day year round.  We wore shorts, t-shirts and sandals most of the time.  The scenery, as you will see in our photos is incredible.

    What to do in San Pedro

    The downtown area near the lake (where the fun crowd hangs out) is a cobweb of alleys, narrow streets and walking paths.  Many of the streets are too narrow for an automobile so don’t bring one if you can help it.  Most people get around on Tuk Tuks, motorized 3 wheelers that transport locals and tourists for a small fee.  Ask upfront for the fee before going for your ride.  Fifty cents is a good average for a trip across town.

    Tuk Tuk on San Pedro St.

    Tuk Tuk on San Pedro St.

     

    Everything in San Pedro can be reached by walking or taking a Tuk Tuk ride (pronounced toook toook).  There is an overabundance of restaurants and bars.  These tend to be very laid back tiki hut type places and just about all are open to the breezes.  I don’t think anywhere has climate control.  It’s just not needed since the year round climate keeps the temperature between 50 degrees at night and about 80 degrees in the day.

    Alegre Bar Near Lake Atitilan

    Alegre Bar Near Lake Atitilan

    The prices are very cheap.  You can drink beers and cocktails for 15Q to 20Q which is equivalent to about $2 to $3 US.  for lunch and dinner, you rarely need to spend more than 70Q or about $10 US for a meal and good meals can be purchased for much less if you are on a budget or avoid the tourist places.

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  • Recommended International Travel Bookings Site

    Money Magazine recently had a good article on “booking sites” and brought to my attention, the site Vayama.com   If you are planning an overseas trip, you should check it out.  We are looking for an eastern Africa safari type trip (assuming Ebola does not move into that area) so I used the site and was quite pleased.  I went on to try out different traveling scenarios in Europe and southeast Asia.  Vayama Logo

    Vayama will give you multiple options of airlines and give the lowest price for each.  You can filter it by number of stops and price it in the currency of your choice.  You then pick the airline and deal of your choice and drill down further.  In addition, Vayama gives direct links from other discount booking sites and allows you to transfer your proposed itinerary directly there.

    For example, I searched for a flight from Barcelona, Spain to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and was given 18 airlines with their lowest price.  The lowest was Emirates Airline at $833 roundtrip.  I was then given the option to go directly to Priceline and three others.  Priceline beat the $833 price by one dollar on the same airline. Funny how that happens.

    Vayama is a fun site to play around with.  It has a category called deals where you pick your city or region and a choice of trips are displayed.  They go on to describe some of the highlights of the region.

     

  • Favorite Adventure Travel Shoes

    Here’s a suggestion for those of you looking for the perfect shoes for adventure travel to tropical climates.  Keen sandals have served us well in Egypt, Vietnam, Panama and the Galapagos Islands.  They have a thick tennis shoe type base, toe protection and a canvas web type top to keep your feet cool.

    Keen Travel Shoe

    Keen Travel Shoe

    Both Stephanie and I have walked 20+ miles in a day on rough terrain and in coastal wet environment with these sandals.  They’ll last you years.  If you travel light, this can serve as your only shoes.  You can wash them out when they get a little stinky and they are ready to go a few hours later.