San Marcos, Lake Atitilan

This is one of the main streets in San Marcos. The fences are built from local grasses or weeds, and some construction here uses a little wood. Most houses and other buildings are hand-made bricks or concrete.




















The front porch of Posada Bosque Encantado. Each of the three rooms have two beds, a table between the beds made from local rocks or other materials, a small table and two chairs, a wardrobe for hanging clothes. Each one also had a loft and hand-made railings, with a couple of mattresses and lots of wool blankets. The sink and countertop were built as one piece, from local rocks. The shower stall was also local rocks, with a barrel of water in the shower for the times that there is no electricity.  Terry built the hotel, and made the furnishings mostly from local materials.  Even the beds were hand-made, but with store-bought mattresses.

Then entrance, from one of the two 'main streets', into Bosque Encantado. I love the mud wall, with bottles embedded. Locally made stained glass!
















This is the main street coming from the pier...just a few feet up from the lake. The wall on the right is a german hotel, we heard they had a good restaurant, but we didn't get there. If you look carefully, you'll see three plastic water lines running close to the ground, pumping water from the lake. Those lines eventually get buried under the stone pathways.

Our hostess, Terry, left the day after we arrived, to make a trip to Xela. She has apparently 'adopted' a Mayan family, and built a house for them at her hotel. Cecilia had her husband have three children, and take care of the hotel and garden. Terry and their youngest son, who is about 4 years old and trilingual (the local Mayan dialect, spanish and english) were making the three hour trip by car, for some shopping that is not possible here. She's a very calm woman, with lots of white hair, who has spent the past 20 years here learning about the Mayan religious ceremonies. Terry was one of the first gringo's to buy land here, and she bought a huge piece of jungle that adjoins the hotel. She invited us, on her return, to come see the treehouse she built and lives in. We can't see it from 'the street', the jungle is thick here.

We spend the day just lazing in the hammock, walking through the jungle streets and meeting a few other people who are held hostage by the peace and calm of this little town.

We met Josh, a young Brit, and Kate, a young Canuck, passing out fliers advertising a party tonight to raise money for a local primary school. It will be held on the grounds of a hostel on the opposite side of the village, about a 5 minute walk. I'm going to like this place!