Guatemala City

Our walking tour of Guatemala City was canceled this morning—the guide had twisted her ankle. We tried to find another, but everything was either fully booked, only in Spanish, or unavailable. To add to it, many of the major attractions were closed for the weekend, including the museums in the botanical gardens, which we would have loved to see. It all felt a bit surprising.

So we decided to explore on our own, walking from Zone 4 down to Zone 1, the historic district. Both areas are considered relatively safe, though many parts of Guatemala City are not. Along the way, we passed countless shops and locals going about their day, and at no point did we feel unsafe.

We did feel like we stood out. Scotty, because of his height, and me—maybe because of my hair color. Most people didn’t pay us much attention, though one couple stopped and asked, “Canada or America?” When we answered “America,” they smiled and said they were from Canada.

Our first stop—no surprise—was a panadería. We had visited one with the same name near the Holiday Inn earlier in the trip and remembered the pastries fondly. One thing that stood out: there were two armed guards inside. In fact, nearly every store seemed to have a guard at the entrance, usually carrying a gun.

Walking through the city felt very different from any U.S. city I’ve experienced. These are simply observations, as I don’t fully understand the culture or context behind them:

• Street vendors were everywhere, actively calling out to attract customers.
• The streets were busy and loud, filled with constant movement and conversation.
• Many disabled individuals were asking for money. (Blind, physically deformed, paraplegics)
• We saw a baby with a cleft lip, which reminded me of what our host in Antigua shared about a clinic there that helps treat cleft palates.
• Mothers carried their babies in beautiful woven slings—quietly and closely. I never once heard a baby cry.
• English was rarely spoken. At one pizza place, a young boy knew just a little. Not having Wi-Fi made ordering and understanding menus more challenging.
• Churches were full, and the people inside seemed deeply engaged in prayer—heads bowed, some with tears on their cheeks.
• People didn’t mind being photographed, as long as I asked first, especially for close-up shots.
• Children stayed close to their mothers, whether mom was running a booth or selling goods on the street.
• Very few women wore traditional Guatemalan dress. Most dressed modestly in long pants; I didn’t see shorts or dresses. 
• We saw a young woman stop to pee at an extremely busy intersection. 

This is the closed museum. Ridiculous that they’re closed on the weekend!!

We bought two of these small red bananas. They tasted slightly sweeter than our yellow banana, bananas, in the fruit almost had a pinkish tint to it.

Chickens in the market.

After watching the movie, we headed out for dinner to San Martin. This was the same bakery, where we got our pastries this morning. The menu was quite extensive and we were at a loss. We each ordered a combination meal and a drink only after I discovered it was Wi-Fi. Did I realize we had just ordered two tea drinks. Now that I had a translator I was able to request another fruit drink rather than tea I do like my sleep. Dinner was absolutely delicious, probably one of our better meals because it came with a fresh salad. We’ve been hesitant to order fruits or vegetables at the local stands and felt more confident in this chain like restaurant 10 out of 10 for this restaurant! 

Shuttle to Guatemala City

At the last moment, I jumped out of bed and headed down to the water for sunrise photos. The hotel was incredibly quiet at 6:45 a.m. I watched fishermen pulling in their catch, and one waved and called out “adiós” as he left—a perfect little sendoff.

Back in the room, Scotty had already packed, so I quickly got my things together and we went to breakfast. It was excellent. I had an omelette with avocado, cheese, and beans, plus fried potatoes with finely chopped peppers that I loved. Scotty had three large wheat pancakes with blackberry syrup and another syrup that tasted like molasses, along with fruit and two eggs over easy. We both had fresh juice that tasted mostly like watermelon. Sitting on the balcony, it was a lovely way to end our stay at Casa del Mundo.

We walked to Jaibalito to grab drinks for our shuttle, then spent some time relaxing back at the hotel, where we met the founder. An American who came to Guatemala in the ’90s, he built the hotel over time and now runs it with his son. He shared how they treat employees well, even building housing nearby so staff can stay during the week. It was interesting to hear how much thought he’s put into the place.

Soon it was time to leave. Our ferry back to Panajachel was quieter than usual but made several stops along the way. As always, I worried about timing—but we arrived with time to spare. A locked gate slowed us down briefly, and after rushing up the cobblestone hill with our suitcases, we realized we were at the wrong meeting point. Luckily, Scotty reached the driver and we made it onto the van just in time.

Suitcases travel on top of the ferry. This worried us some as the boats go fast, the railings are short in the front of the boat definitely goes up out of the water pretty high.

The drive wound up steep, twisty roads toward Guatemala City. At our Airbnb, the receptionist only spoke Spanish, so after some back-and-forth and a quick call with the host, we got our key. The unit is small but comfortable on the 17th floor. Surprisingly, we could still hear traffic below, but earplugs helped—I ended up sleeping a full nine hours.

Hike to Tzunun-na

The skies were a beautiful blue when we woke up—the first time we could really see the volcanoes’ terrain clearly across Lake Atitlán.

We walked up above our unit at Casa del Mundo and picked up the trail to Jaibalito—an easy 15-minute stroll.

 From there, we continued on toward Tzununá, which was definitely not as easy. It took us about an hour and a half (maybe more) to cover roughly three miles, climbing up and down the mountainside with some pretty steep stretches. Starting early was a smart move—we were able to pause in the shade and catch our breath along the way. There were incredible views and the path was pretty most of the time.

By the time we reached Tzununá, my knees were making their opinions known. We split up—Scotty powered on for another 45-minute uphill trek to a small waterfall, while I wandered through town, found a drink and grabbed a roll. This town is known to be less touristy, and I noticed a lot of Guatemalan’s heart at work in different tasks. It seems like every town has some sort of a municipal/community center with resources for the people. And as usual, there were many colorful, murals, and many tuk-tuks on the road.

We very wisely took a ferry back to Jaibalito—otherwise I might have staged a full-on protest right there on the trail.

For lunch, we headed to a German restaurant we’d heard about, Hans’ German Restaurant. We both ordered beef schnitzel—Scotty with fried potatoes (and more fried potatoes thanks to a translation hiccup), and me with sauerkraut. It came with delicious bread, and we each had a pineapple smoothie. It was hearty, filling, and such an interesting, unexpected spot. The owner, Hans, is German and has lived here for 25 years. The place felt like part restaurant, part community hub—dogs lounged under our chairs, a few ducks wandered by, and we even spotted a goat nearby. It’s clear he’s well loved in the village, employing locals and supporting the community in meaningful ways.

After lunch, we took the lakeside path back to Casa del Mundo—just a quick 10-minute walk and easily one of the nicest stretches of the day. We relaxed on one of the lower balconies before heading up for hot showers, then spent more time unwinding on our own balcony as the rain finally rolled in.

Weather-wise, we’ve been incredibly lucky—despite daily forecasts calling for all-day rain, it’s mostly held off until later in the afternoon, giving us full, beautiful mornings to explore

Santa Cruz, Guatemala

 Middle-of-the-night wake-up, courtesy of the cat—apparently convinced this was her room—so she got evicted after she threw up. I did wake up early a few hours later in time to catch the sunrise.  It was a bit overcast, so not the most dramatic morning on the lake, but still peaceful.

With rain not expected until later, we set out on the hike to Santa Cruz. I’d read a few dramatic warnings online about “machete-bearing bandits,” especially on the upper trail, but a quick check with reception reassured us—and they were right. The path felt safe the entire time. We passed several other hikers, and the only person with a machete was a local calmly trimming greenery. The trail itself was well maintained, rolling up and down, and took about 45 minutes.

Along the way, we passed the lively Free Beer Hostel—easy to spot with young travelers gathered on the docks, playing games and already into their beers up on the terrace. They also had a really unique little hut perched over the lake that you could rent for about $75 a night—tempting…

Santa Cruz itself felt refreshingly untouristy. A sign noted a population of 1,340, and it really did feel like we were stepping into everyday life rather than a destination. In the main square, we watched what looked like a PE class in action while a few vendors sold veggies and fruits- mostly to locals, it seemed. We found a small bakery, picked up a couple of sweet rolls and cold drinks, and had a simple breakfast back in the square, just taking it all in.

The walk back was easygoing. I stopped often (probably too often) for photos of the lake and the volcanoes, and to catch my breath!

Back at Casa del Mundo, we leaned into the slower pace. A couple of beers from reception, a quiet balcony overlooking the lake—one of what feels like dozens scattered throughout the property, each somehow just as stunning as the last. I had planned this whole trip around getting a reservation here since it’s so hard to book, and while it’s not typically our style to sit and lounge, it feels like the kind of place where you make an exception. So that’s what we’re doing!

The rain rolled in during the afternoon, giving us the perfect excuse to retreat to the room and watch “The Orphans” with Kitty making a forgiven return and curling up on the bed. By dinner, the rain eased just enough for us to head down. My avocado veggie sandwich with fruit was fresh and delicious, and Scotty gave a solid thumbs-up to his cheeseburger and fries.

Rain picked back up as we made our way to the room—ending the day the same way it began: with the sound of it falling, this time a little more peaceful.

Casa del Mundo Arrival

 We spent our last morning in Panajachel lounging in our Airbnb. After a típico lunch, we headed to the docks under overcast skies and a choppy lake. This time we had our suitcases with us—placed on top of the boat and, surprisingly, not even tied down. The boat was a little nicer with cushions and seat backs, and since I sat in the back, it didn’t feel quite as rough.

We arrived at Casa del Mundo and it truly is a beautiful hotel. The rooms are all unique, set at different heights along the hillside. We were in Room 11 and had to climb a lot of steps, but it was worth it. The room has Guatemalan décor, is quite spacious, and has a large balcony with a view of the volcanoes

The property itself is stunning, with winding stone walkways and incredible gardens. We explored a bit and made our way down to the swimming patio just as the rain started. It quickly turned into a downpour, and since our room was probably 100 steep steps up, there was no easy escape. Eventually, we had no choice but to run back in the rain.

We changed into dry clothes and, once the rain stopped, went down to the restaurant for a beer. We skipped dinner since we had a big lunch earlier. We ended the night watching a movie, and to make it even cozier, the resident cat came in and made herself comfortable on our bed.