I'm on a Boat (feat. Bodds and G)

If only T-pain were here because our first full day in Panajachel, Guatemala found us waiting in line to get onto a boat party.  Pana is a fun, somewhat touristy town on a giant lake surrounded by two volcanoes.  There are plenty of "gringos" and people who speak English and form a small community that was powering this aquatic adventure.

Dancing, imbibing, and jumping off the deck (not necessarily in that order) ensued.  We made plenty of new friends, with whom we hung out for the rest of the day and night.

The following morning was a slower start than normal due to our good time the previous day, but we still decided to follow our original plan and attempt to hike one of the slumbering giants, named San Pedro, that overlook the lake.  After a quick breakfast, we hopped on a public ferry shuttle across the lake to the volcano.  Once again on land, we tried to begin the hike, but ended up at dead ends or in family farms.  After a few interactions with the locals, we were pointed in the right direction and hiked up the road to the information station where the official trail began.  Turns out it costs 100Q (about $8) to climb up the trail and without much cash support, we were unable to oblige.

San Pedro

Instead we continued up the highway, gaining a lovely vista of the lake and its surrounding towns.  On the way down the road, we collected bottles on the side of the road and fallen avocados.  Avocado bowling was born.  Many bets were made and bounces of the ripe, caloric fruit provided a needed excitement to counteract the disappointment of not being able to finish the hike.   To further enhance our trip, we ran into a group of local children with, what else, but a FRISBEE!  We immediately began throwing it with them and playing.  We turned into an amusement park for the kids.  They climbed on us, begged us to spin them around, and generally had an amazing time.  Greg even put one on the roof (with permission from Madre) to retrieve the lost disc  They were adorable and so much fun.

The future of Ultimate Frisbee in our arms

Finally, we caught the tail end of a local soccer game and bumbled around the town searching for our original point of entry.  Alas, we were too late and had to catch a new boat back to Pana.  The rest of the evening was a welcomed relaxing night.