Hiking Atitlán Volano
The past year has been a big one for us and adventures. On December 2, 2020 we hiked up Acatenango. In January 2021 we hiked up Toliman volcano. In April…
Circumnavigating Lake Atitlán
It seems that the pandemic has brought out the adventurers in us. In July I bought a SUP (stand up paddle) board. In December we hiked Acatenango volcano. In January…
Hiking Tolimán Volcano
In early December we hiked Volcán Acatenango, near Antigua, Guatemala. The day we hiked up happened to be Mark’s 68th birthday. For my 61st birthday at the end of December…
Hiking Acatenango Volcano
For all of 2020’s many challenges, the year gave me a chance to cross something–besides “survive a pandemic”–off my bucket list: watching the sun rise from the summit of Acatenango…
Paddleboarding on Lake Atitlan
When I moved to Lake Atitlan in 2011, one of my first purchases was a kayak. I went out as often as the weather would permit, exploring the little bays…
How Did You End Up In Guatemala?
When the world isn’t being ravaged by a pandemic, my husband, who goes by the name Marco Solo, and I play music in Panajachel. At least once a week, someone…
Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó
Each of the villages and towns around Lake Atitlán has its unique personality. Over the past year, the town of Santa Catarina Palopó has been adding to its personality with…
Annona Time at Lake Atitlán
We’ve started seeing the first annonas of the season in the Panajachel market. Oh, how we love a good annona! And how we detest a bad one. I tried my…
Happiness in a Pickup Truck of Rambutan
We were on the way to the Panajachel market when we brought the motorcycle to a sudden halt. “Ooooh,” we said together as we gazed at the back of a…
Christmas in Guatemala (Boom!)
Guatemalans love to celebrate pretty much everything with loud, booming blasts. Christmas is no exception. In preparation for the annual Christmas Eve blast-fest, vendors are lined up with stall after…
A Walk Through Chuk Muk
On October 5, 2005, a landslide cause by the torrential rains of Hurricane Stan buried the village of Panabaj, part of Santiago Atitlán, under tons of mud. Hundreds of people…
Lake Atitlan’s Fall Colors
While my friends in the northern U.S. are posting photos of the beautiful changing colors of fall, I’m watching our own changing colors with delight. We’re almost to November, my…
Legends of Cerro de Oro and The Little Prince
French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was taking off from the Guatemala City airport in February, 1938, on his way to South America. The airplane, accidentally overloaded with fuel, crashed…
Kayaking on Lake Atitlan with My Coffee Mug
One of my favorite things about living on the shore of Lake Atitlan is that I can hop in my kayak at any time, getting nice exercise while taking in…
A Few Choice Words for the Medfly?
At a time when the Zika virus is grabbing headlines, I haven’t thought much about mediterranean fruit fly. Recently, however, these signs popped up on the highway around Cerro de…
Our Morning Swim in Lake Atitlan
It’s hard to describe the beauty, peace, and rejuvenation experienced during our morning swim in Lake Atitlan, but something is compelling me to try. The surface of the lake is…
Respecting the Forces of Nature: A Kayaking Lesson on Lake Atitlan
“It’s a beautiful morning. Let’s kayak over to Casa del Mundo for breakfast.” Those were my words as I looked out the window at the windless surface the lake. What…
Solar Power in Guatemala and the Best and Worst in Customer Service
For the first time in the eight months since our solar power was installed, the system is humming along, generating power and selling back to the grid. Our experience with the…
Solar Hot Water and Customer Service from Hell
“I’m going to face the solar thermal the other way” Kyle said. “If anyone sees pictures they’re going to say ‘that’s not how it’s supposed to be done.’ But I’m…
Life in Guatemala: Having a Blast
You know you’ve acclimated to life in Guatemala when you no longer wonder why there are so many firecrackers going off. Yes, almost always, someone is having a blast of…