Down the hill, through the enchanted forest, past the holistic center....

These were the directions from a cheerful 7 year old as we arrived in San Marcos la Laguna and attempted to make our way to the hostel. We had a dreadful trip from Antigua to San Marcos. Lessons learned--when you ask someone if the bus goes to San Marcos and they say yes, they actually mean the bus goes to a town where you will switch to another bus, then ride on the back of a truck, then take a pick-up to get there. The best part of the day was when I heard our last driver gave me a price and then whispered a cheaper price to a little kid in the car. Busted.

San Marcos is kind of a hippy commune built onto the edge of beautiful Lake Atitlan. At some point someone decided it has a special spiritual energy, and so has become a center of classes and opportunities for meditation, yoga, and falafel. I went to a talk one afternoon by the owner of the hostel on Mayan cosmovision and learned that my next Mayan birthday is April 16 and I was conceived on a day with lots of creative energy. There is a complete separation between this touristy area and the Guatemalan town farther up on the hill. Eli and I generally ate our meals in town, and people seemed surprised and a little confused to find us there. Not really my scene, but the swimming and views of the lake were spectacular. Other highlights include teaching the caretaker at the hotel how to play Uno, watching some workers cut down a tree with a machete, and a delicious chicken dinner.