Hotel Aaculaax Review aka Lush Review

We didn't have reservations when we arrived in San Marcos on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, but we had a few accommodation ideas in mind. Our first stop was Hotel Aaculaax (aka Lush). The super fancy, manicured grounds and abundance of impressive design details had me doubting it's affordability immediately. However, because we were possibly the luckiest people alive they had 2 budget rooms available. Lush (as I think they prefer to be called now) had a beautifully decorated spacious room for Q120 ($16USD) and another smaller oddly shaped, but still atmospheric room for Q100 ($13USD). We scooped up the bigger room and were pretty impressed with our score. The room was a warm yellow and decorated with a combination of glass and tile mosaics, 3D stained glass, funky wood furniture and rock slab shelves. It was one of the most unique rooms we've ever stayed in. The bathroom, shared between the 2 rooms, was practically a piece of art. With so much colour, murals, stonework and stained glass, I can safely say that it is the only bathroom that I have ever taken a panoramic picture in. Bonus- it was always super clean. There was a huge, beautiful terrace entwined with vines, flowers and rustic wood. The tables were slabs of huge trees and the chairs had thick, colourful woven cushions. Tropical birds and hummingbirds flitted around the spectacularly lush, dense gardens constantly. Honestly, it was a little slice of lake front paradise and I can barely believe that we cheapos got to stay there.

There were more expensive rooms too, which would definitely be worth the splurge, if you were so inclined. The main difference between our room and the expensive ones- was the view. If I were to pick one bad thing about Hotel Aaculaax it would be that there isn't a general area to relax with a lake view. While the gardens are gorgeous, we're all really here for the lake. My guess is that this luxury is reserved for the people willing to fork out the cash. Fairly, I suppose. We met an awesome couple from Alaska who were nice enough to show us their fancier room (about $50USD) in which their bed was set into a huge bay window (that opened!!) with a spectacular view of the lake. It's hard to imagine a nicer place to wake up. The more expensive rooms (which go up to $100 USD) had balconies and huge windows, all which had (I'm assuming) I-have-to-sit-here-all-day type of views. Many of these rooms are actually apartments, so if you did splurge for a fancy room, maybe you could save a few bucks and cook dinner for yourself, although its hard to imagine wanting to tear your gaze away from your view for that long.

Speaking of beds- ours was super comfortable, which is a luxury in itself, and the pillows had nare a lump in them, which is practically impossible to find in our experience. And the wifi was by far the strongest and most reliable we've seen in Central America. Oh the perks of staying at an adult hotel!

The staff were friendly and spoke English. You could get beer (a bit expensive) at reception, and breakfast (also expensive) on the lovely terrace. You can't reserve the cheaper rooms in advance, so its really a game of luck if that's what you're looking for. However, if you are considering the long haul, Lush offers the 8^th night free if you stay 7 (at least for the cheap rooms). We would definitely stay here again if we were lucky enough to find ourselves back in San Marcos La Laguna.

San Marcos La Laguna: Hanging with the Hippies

San Marcos on Lago de Atitlan in the Guatemalan Highlands is a meeting point for what the Lonely Planet calls 'global seekers'. The town certainly has it's fair share of hippies and crystal healers, reki whatevers and dread-locked travellers attempting to find their spiritual something or other while wearing a uniform of raggy woven hippy pants and oversized sharp looking wooden earrings. Oh and if you're seeking kindred souls who like to chant and beat drums down on the dock at sunrise. And sunset. And any time their spirit animal encourages them to do so- you'll find that crowd here, too. I've personally had the pleasure of overhearing such characters claim to have memories from “before the dinosaurs” and discuss retreats that they were going on where they would survive soley for weeks drinking some sort of magical potion, rubbing healing stones and meditating. Pretty much any new-age, hippy, healer thing you're into- your kin are in San Marcos.

The whole scene we found pretty entertaining, right up until the point that it became super annoying. However, it was slow(ish) to wear on us and by that time, we had fallen in love with San Marcos La Laguna, holistic obsession and all.

We had taken a shuttle from Antigua to San Marcos. Somehow it had been cheaper to get a shuttle all the way to San Marcos than just to the main Lake Atitlan town of Panajachel (Pana). We paid Q70 (about $9 USD) for the shuttle, and I'm sure we could have gotten it cheaper if we had shopped around as opposed to choosing the convenience of just booking it through our hostel. It took about 3.5 hours to get from Antigua to San Marcos, the last part of the ride being a pretty steep and narrow road that winded its way down the mountain.

San Marcos is quite unlike anywhere else we've ever been. It is connected by road to the outside world, which isn't the case for all of the lakeside villages. North of the road and climbing the mountain is where the local Mayan people mostly live, in boxy concrete houses clinging to the steep landscape. South of the road, is Bohemia-ville. There is one main, narrow stone pathway with the majority of restaurants and shops. Snaking off from the main path are other small pathways of packed dirt or stone that wind their way through fincas with large coffee plants, avocado trees, large estates, hotels and holistic centres. The pathways are lined on each side with either tall bamboo fences, thick jungle or stone walls. No matter where you're headed, its a pretty atmospheric wander.

The views from San Marcos are spectacular. The sun, the clouds, fisherman and wildlife provide a constantly changing foreground from which to frame the town's lakefront volcano vistas. I could have sat on the dock from sunrise to sunset (which I sometimes tried) just trying to capture all the lake's costume changes.

See the light on top of the Volcano- that's LAVA

As you can maybe imagine, early morning and late afternoon are when Lago de Atitlan can really take your breath away. I thought that we had seen a few good examples of just how majestic the lake could be between the soft yellow sunrise, bright blue sunny afternoons and fireball orange sunsets. And then the Volcano Fuego started burping and we were blown away again. We were sitting on the dock watching the sunset over the lake when we noticed red coloured clouds in the far east. We originally thought that it was the setting sun throwing its glow across the sky. But then, as the colour drained from the sky and dark settled in, we could still see red clearly against the blackened eastern sky. We saw the outline of a perfect cone, and bright red intermittently shooting up from the cone that looked suspiciously like lava, but still, although all evidence pointed to an erupting volcano, we couldn't believe our eyes- because who gets to see an erupting volcano? We asked some locals to clarify. 'Si, Fuego!' They confirmed, barely giving it a second glance. What!!?!!? And then we couldn't tear our eyes away. Volcano Fuego is one of the 3 volcanos closest to Antigua and not all that close to Lago de Atitlan, but the distance didn't at all take away from its impressive spew of red hot lava into the night sky. The next morning there was a warning from the US government in regards to Fuego's activity, warning its citizens that the volcano was throwing rocks, lava and ash an impressive 5000ft into the air! No wonder we could see it from all the way in San Marcos!

At the far west of San Marcos is the small but worthwhile nature reserve Cerro Tzankukil (Q15). It is easy to while away half a day on its pebbly trails that lead to various viewpoints, contemplating life on a shady bench overlooking the vista or jumping off it's new wooden platform into the crystal clear lake. The gardens were well kept and full of flowers, birds and butterflies. I was much more impressed than I expected to be and found the reserve to be worth the admission price (which is rare).

If the eccentric hippies, spectacular views, narrow pathways and erupting volcano hasn't sold you on San Marcos than I have one last secret that most definitely will: chocolate chip cookies. Now, we certainly are not the type of travellers who search out Western food when we are abroad. We would, in fact, almost always choose local food over what we could get at home. We were just innocently walking past the Restaurant Fe when we saw their cookie display from the street. And then we just went in for a quick look, and then just a taste- and then we had to leave San Marcos just to put a healthy amount of space between us and the chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were perfect in every way. Huge, thick, soft and heavy on the chocolate chips. Most of the time (especially outside of North America and Europe) I find that baked goods are very rarely as good as they look behind the glass. As a self-proclaimed cookie expert (J: cookie monster) I am happy to announce that this is absolutely not the case with Restaurant Fe's chocolate chip cookies. Maybe, just maybe, although I'd have to taste a few more just to be sure, these cookies just might taste even better than they look.

Where we ate:

Comedor Susy- a small restaurant on the main square serving up big portions of local food at a

reasonable prices, always with a smile. She was closed weekends when we were there.

Cafe Horus- just steps out of town in the direction of San Juan (2mins up the hill from Moonfish Restaurant) is a tiny little spot with 4 tables and a nice view. The portions are big, the family is friendly and the food is just slightly cheaper than in town.

Restaurant Fe- We just stopped in for the cookies- about twice a day.... although their wood fired pizza looked scrumptious.

Where we stayed: Aaculaax (aka Lush). This amazing place is going to have it's own post with as many pictures as we can fit in.

San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlan

San Juan La Laguna is meant to be the village on Lago de Atitlan that all other villages aspire to be.

Getting off the boat at the town dock, however, we were met with a barrage of touts, taxi drivers and tour guides all jostling for our attention. It was the same on our way out of the village when a taxi driver came up to us without provocation and blatantly lied about the boat schedule, trying to convince us that we would be stuck in San Juan for hours if we didn't take either his private boat or taxi. At least it was entertaining for us, knowing that he was a liar and watching the public boat pull up behind him as he insisted that our situation was hopeless. Very un-mellow like, opposite from the Lonely Planet's description. It was not a good first or last impression.

Thankfully, the further we got from the dock the more we liked San Juan. The main road up to town was lined with stalls selling colourful, beautifully woven fabrics and handicrafts. It was like the appetizer for the town itself. San Juan has smartly created its own tourist infrastructure that highlights and presents the townspeople's traditional crafts to visitors. You can go on a tour and see women weaving and coffee production for around $10USD. We just wandered up into town and made our own tour. All the shops that sell the handicrafts will proudly explain (in Spanish, but with props that make everything very easy to understand) that the textiles they sell are made by hand, according to tradition and that all the material is dyed with natural products like plants or tree bark. There are associations of women who weave at home and then deliver their work to the

shop they're associated with. At some shops the scarfs have tags with the name of the woman who made it, a unique product number and a price. Unlike almost anywhere else, prices are
non-negotiable. The quality of the products are exceptional and reflect the enormous amount of time and skill that goes into making each item. In many stores there is a woman weaving away, showing you just how much time and work goes into the craft. Its very impressive. Another aspect of the San Juan shops that is unlike elsewhere is the complete lack of pushy sales tactics. Its the opposite from the goings on just down the road on their dock. Its a relaxing, un-rushed, no-pressure shopping experience. The women know the quality and worth of their work and don't push the sale. Their attitude only makes you want to support them more. Genius.

San Juan, in addition to the alluring crafts, is a nice town for a stroll. The streets are clean, the buildings all look bright and freshly painted and the town walls act as a canvas for talented local painters. San Juan really is unique on the Lake Atitlan village circuit and worth a few hours of yourtime. Just do yourself a favour and don't linger near the water! That being said, while you're busy ignoring the taxi liars, you can marvel at the buildings half covered in water along the lakeshore! The lake's rising depth is by far the most noticeable from San Juan's dock. One house that is still inhabited right on the water's edge has a new water feature- the lake- creeping into the front yard!

Guatemala's Lago de Atitlan

Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala's Western highlands, is even more spectacular in real life than it was in my imagination. A sparkling lake hemmed in by 3 volcanos, mountains and steep cliffs is jaw-dropping no matter which direction you look. Villages are nestled into the nooks along the shoreline and climb up the lake's steep slopes. The weather is near perfect, in our opinion. Warm and sunny but not too hot during the day and slightly chilly at night. Whether you want to hike, explore the villages or just relax in a hammock, life on the lake is a delight.

The local Mayan towns that surround the lake are all built high above the lake's water level. Every village around the lake its a steep hike up to the town with tuktuks waiting at the boat launch to take locals up. Studies show that the lake's depth has risen and fallen over the course of the centuries, so the locals with generations of knowledge know that building on the water is risky. Often, this land is sold off to foreigners. The risks of building so close to the water has never been as apparent as after Tropical Storm Stan in 2010. The lake rose 5m in 18 months! One theory is that landslides from the storm blocked drainage channels. Paths were washed away and some of the town's docks had to be rebuilt. Now you see trees standing off shore that have slowly drown since then and, most obviously, in San Juan, houses and the old cement dock sitting half covered in water! Its a disturbing, fascinating sight. One positive is that now, the sunken bars and houses offer interesting underwater sights for

Lake Atitlan scuba divers!

Warning: The ever changing vistas, colourful sunsets and the many different species of birds, along with the different vantage points from the various villages can lead to the whiling away of many lakeside hours...or days. Other than its gorgeous setting, what makes Laguna de Atitlan extra special is just how very unique the villages that surround it are. The party in San Pedro, which is only a quick boat ride from yoga in San Marcos might as well be a world away. The tranquillity of Jaibilito, inaccessible by road is unmistakeable and feels completely detached from the artisan weavers in nearby San Juan. We spent a week on the lake, staying in San Marcos La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna and Pana. We visited the villages of San Pedro, San Juan and Jaibilito as day trips. One could easily find themselves squeezing a few more days out of their itinerary for the lake and it's outings, especially because there are so many great places, with very different atmospheres to spend the night.

Useful Stuff: Getting around by boat (lancha) is very easy. Don't believe the scam-o-ramas in San Juan when they tell you that another boat isn't coming for an hour or two. However, if you are going to San Juan, tell the Captain because they won't necessarily stop there if no one is getting off or on. Actually, it makes sense to always tell the Captain (or his helper) where you are going to keep everything as smooth as possible. There are boats to all the villages all the time. (Exception: Santiago Atitlan is on a different route) We never had to wait longer than a half hour, and even then, you're sitting on a dock on the water with a beautiful view- so its not that rough. Take a quick look at the map so you know what direction you're headed and everything becomes very clear from there. If you are walking down towards a dock and a boat is pulling out, point in the direction you want to go and the Captain will

pull back in if he's headed that way. There are lots of people on the docks who will direct you to the correct boat, although with the captain and his assistant calling out the direction, its easy to figure out on your own. As a general rule it costs tourists Q5 per stop. (I'm sure its cheaper for locals.) However, if going between San Marcos and San Pedro, it will be Q10 even if you don't stop at San Juan. And apparently San Juan- San Marcos is Q10 even though its also only one stop. Other examples are Pana- San Marcos or San Pedro Q25, San Marcos- Santa Cruz Q15, Jabilito- Santa Cruz Q5, Santa Cruz- Pana Q10. Just hand the man correct change and keep walking before he decides to up the quetzals. While it only happened once to us, we know its not an uncommon occurrence for tourists.

Here are some pictures from the few hours we spent in party-centric San Pedro:

Casa Mazeta Review

Casa Mazeta, in Juayua, El Salvador is a chillaxed hostel with 3 private rooms ($25 USD/night) and 6 dorm beds ($9USD pp). Each room sports its own unique, fun flair. There is a beautifully kept garden (great work, Carlos!) with plenty of seating, hammocks and even a turtle! There is also a large communal kitchen and indoor sitting area with instruments and lots of movies for a relaxing evening in. Cooking classes are offered ($1pp + food costs) and, of course, the (practically) Famous 7 Waterfalls Tour ($12-$20pp, depending on the number of people). Owner Suzanna is charming, friendly and a wealth of local knowledge. The sheer amount of information in English is one of the main thing that sets this wonderful hostel apart. Its rare that you get to experience a small town in such detail without speaking the language, but the helpful hints and binder of information makes this possible at Casa Mazeta.

We stayed in a room called La Pina. There was a giant pineapple painted on the wall, so there was no confusion as to which room was ours. The room came with a private courtyard and 2 hammock swings as well as a small wood slab table. The shower and toilet were in the courtyard and set up in a kitshy style that matced the rest of the hostel. The bathroom privacy wall was made of empty wine and rum bottles (you can see J sitting in the toilet area in the pictures below). The open air shower next to the toilet had a few fun details throughout.

Casa Mazeta has 2 super friendly dogs, Chiquta and Billy. Both, along with probably a couple other dogs like to accompnay you on the Waterfalls hike. Its probably because they know that there's a picnic lunch at the end and they hope you'll drop something! Either way, they're fun and always greet you with happily wagging tails when you return to the hostel. Lucky, the adorable, palm-sized kitten is the newest addition to Casa Mazeta. Who doesn't love a cuddly kitten? Here they all are in the photo to the left, saying goodbye!

Casa Mazeta has a homey feel. You can curl up on a pile of pillows and watch a movie, hang in a hammock, or sit at a wrought iron table in the middle of the garden. When we came back from a day out, it really did feel like we were coming home, even if it was a temporary home. The happy dogs, the welcoming space...Maybe a part of it was also the decoration. The number of details add up to one very atmospheric space. Caza Mazeta has souvenirs and knickknacks scattered about that you can imagine picking up while you were travelling.The space is colourful and bright with impressive wall murals. Beer, coffee and filtered water are all on the honour system, so you can go to the fridge and grab a beer- just like at home! Unfortunately, it was only actually our home for 4 nights, but with so many reasons to go back, I'm sure we'll make Casa Mazeta our temporary home again sometime soon! We would definityl recommend making Casa Mazeta your home too when you're in Juayua.

Juayua, El Salvador: Food for Thought

Juayua, El Salvador is on La Ruta de las Flores. Its known for it's food festival that is held every, single weekend. Seeing as our priorities and Juayua's are pretty much insync, food being constantly at the forefront of both our minds, we knew before we even settled in that we were going to love Juayua. Throw in an amazing hostel, a 6 week old kitten, and some hiking and we were ready to make a commitment. Well, the kitten didn't do much for Jonathan- and despite the fact that I was the one chasing Lucky(the kitten) around trying to give him all my love, Lucky constantly chose to cuddle up with him every night. Anyways, I'm pretty sure I was Lucky's second favourite out of the two of us, at least.

Unfortunately, bad timing made it so we weren't even in Juayua over a weekend food extravaganza. And yet, still food was one of the main highlights of the four nights we spent there. Pupusas being the star of our personal food tour. Esmeralda's Pupuseria made a plate sized pupusa called "Pupusa Loco" which had pretty much every ingredient that  goes into pupusas. Well, it had beans, cheese, squash, la rocca, spinach, pork AND chicken.

Juayua is a charming, walkable town with bright all murals and super friendly people. In fact, I don't

think we've ever encountered such a welcoming town. Walking past people on the street we were always greeted with a smile and a hello. Without fail. Sometimes even the tip of a hat! People seemed genuinely happy to have tourists in their town. We met a El Salvador native who fled to the USA during the war at a pupusaria one night who shed some light on the situation for us. 1 The people were just super friendly in general, but 2. El Salvador gets a really bad rap, particularly in the US media and it scares most foreigners off. While everyone we met (who spoke English) are quick to say, that yes, of course if you were wandering around the outskirts of San Salvador (the Capital) looking for trouble, you'd be pretty quick to find it, but otherwise El Salvador is no more dangerous than it's Central American neighbours. The townspeople are happy that maybe, just maybe, the image of their beloved country is beginning to improve and tourists are starting to come back and visit. Salvadoreans are a proud people and would, it seems, love to share their country's beauty (and amazing food) with the world, if we'll only let them. I know we'll be back!