THE JOURNEY

Stepping off the dock in the town of Tzunana, I looked around wondering which way to go. Usually, the boats stop at the dock of my desired destination, Maya Moon Lodge, but since my driver (or whatever you call the guy controlling the boat. Sailor maybe?) was lazy, this boat did not. Therefore, my current location in the town just prior. Noticing my confusion, another passenger came up and asked where I was going. I told him and he replied, " Maya Moon? Yeah, that's real close. Just walk down this road for about ten minutes and it'll be on your left." I thanked him and set off.

Soon, the road morphed into a steep, rocky hill.* Tropical green trees stood all around me while giant volcanic mountains loomed on the horizon. I snapped a few pictures but kept moving. Five minutes passed, then ten... Then fifteen. Still, I saw no sign of any type of guesthouse. Maybe it was further than the guy thought? I continued.

*(Why not give Connecticut a shout-out)

Twenty minutes...

Twenty five...

Still nothing. Could I have missed it? On the horizon, the sun was just starting to set, when suddenly I heard something. The rumbling noise was fast approaching, and around the bend a small red motorized rickshaw (known locally as a tuc-tuc) appeared. I waved to the driver and he stopped. He couldn't have been more than ten years old, but who am I to question child labor laws. He asked where I was going and I replied, "Maya Moon."

"Diez Quetzales," (about $1.50) he said and beckoned me to get in.

Knowing that my poor sense of direction would probably never find the place and that this was my only hope, I disregarded all preconceived notions of safety and got in. The driver spun the tuc-tuc around and we began to backtrack (apparently I did pass the place). Soon, we came up to a door hidden among the overgrowth, leading down towards the water. I paid the driver, opened the door, entered, and was greeted by a friendly brown dog.

THE PLACE

I didn't quite plan for it, but this magical place became the center of my trip to Guatemala. Prior to arriving, I knew nothing about it, other than that it was recommended by my friend Quincey. Trusting her judgment more than mine, I made a booking and hoped for the best. Once I finally got there, saw the view of the lake and met the dog, I absolutely knew she was right.

Located along the dirt road between Tzunana and San Marcos, this secluded place rests within tropical trees on the side of a steep hill overlooking Lake Atitlan. Everything there is made of wood and stone, and seems as if it was constructed by hand (I never checked to see if this was true, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt). It's away enough from the towns for you to avoid the waves of white tourists with dreadlocks (who have invaded San Marcos is full force), thus allowing you to enjoy the natural beauty of the area and go for a swim in peace and quiet.

The whole place is set up in such a way that allows visitors to see amazing sunrises over the volcano-lined horizon on the opposite side of the lake, which completely blew my mind. I could attempt to describe it, but I think a picture here would do it more justice.

On top of that, the facilities and staff are amazing. Everyone I met who worked there was super interesting and incredibly helpful with anything you could possibly need. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks can be ordered everyday from 8am-10pm, and the eating/bar area is set up right alongside the water (as seen above). During my stay, I had breakfast twice and dinner once, which, despite being more expensive than local spots in the town, were absolutely worth it. Everything was extremely fresh and served warm. Therefore, I highly recommend avoiding staying overnight in the more well known San Marcos and San Pedro and instead coming to this awesome secretive spot. Hopefully you'll be better than me though when it comes to finding it.

Tracy the chef, bartender, and person with the most awesome arm tattoo (and as asked, this picture is currently made into a cartoon)

SHOUT OUT

Here's to a great forging of friendships! Quincey as well as Kurt and Marlena, who valiantly battled the many spiders that snuck into the dorm room! (Funny coincidence though, we never saw any more spiders after they left.)