Land of volcanoes

PANAJACHEL, Guatemala - Mexico ate my dust around lunchtime. I'm now sitting pretty on the balcony of Mario's Rooms overlooking a dark and empty Santander Street, hungry rain dogs howling up the block.

I stayed in San Cristobal for an extra day just because I had hardly done anything with the constant downpours (it's the rainy season, you know) and something about that town just makes a traveler enjoy being there, even in solitude. I met a poet from Chicago named Quinten Kirk outside what became my favorite cafe (the city is full of them thanks to all the coffee plantations on the outskirts), Cafe Yik; ate some pad thai served up by a Mexican-born Indian Hindi; walked up the side of a small mountain; and commissioned a van to take me to Antigua, Guatemala today.

I was picked up at 8 am and took the van with eight other random travelers who had all booked tickets to random spots across north and central Guatemela. On the way Matt from England and two Hollanders were talking about a place we would pass three hours prior to Antigua called Panajachel, on Lake Atitlan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_de_Atitlán), and how gorgeous and fun it is. When we got here I told the van driver to just drop me off in the middle of Panajachel, and that's what happened. I think I spent 9 hours total traveling from San Cristobal, with about an hour of that being checking in and out at the border. My hotel/hostel/hospedaje is just called Mario's Rooms, and that's really all it has, aside from this balcony, where I may or may not be picking up the wireless service of another nearby business.

A few things I can already note in difference between Mexico and Guatemala:

1. I don't feel as safe here, and most of it I think has to do with Panajachel. The more I read the more I learn this is the most touristy town on the lake, and that explains why I can't walk five blocks without 12 different people following me either trying to sell me everything you could imagine or trying to con me out of my lunch money. I really can't stand being such a huge target. I came here for a cultural experience, not for the locals to treat me like a piece of meat wrapped in money. I finally had enough during dinner when this old Mayan woman (yeah, probably the least deserving of the persistent salesmen to get pissed at) wouldn't leave my table and started wrapping her scarves around me. I slapped the table, leaned in, looked her in the eyes and said "Dejame en paz, por favor!" or, "Leave me in peace." She looked pretty dejected after that so I said "I'm sorry, good luck." I can't wait to just get out on the lake tomorrow.

2. The beer here is not as good as it is in Mexico. This is pretty simple. Gallo, one of the most popular beers, meaning Rooster in English, is god awful. Cabro, another one, meaning Goat, is tolerable.

3. Mexico was cheaper, which is surprising given its relative stability compared to the government and economy here.

4. I do like Guatemala already, even though I keep bringing up Mexico like the girl that got away.

It's very late. Even the dogs have gone to bed. Buenas noches.