We did a lot of travel in 1978, probably because we had just retired and had the time. The first trip was to Central America and the Yucatan, which we had been planning for quite some time, and the second was to Munich (#14) and Eastern Europe (#5), which we hurried to plan when friends invited us to accompany them on their VW bus trip behind the Iron Curtain.
It is January of 1978 as we fly Pan Am from Los Angeles to Guatemala City. The plane isn’t full at all and a lasagna lunch is good. It is clear and warm in Guatemala City, but not hot. There are people everywhere on the streets with many street vendors . We walk around downtown before going to the Mesa Redonde for supper. The typical plate is very good, and there is nice music from a marimba, bass, and drum.
After a noisy night we move to a room at the back of the hotel, hoping it will be quieter. A Grayline tour takes us to new luxury residential areas, a nice hand crafts market, to Aurora Park to see a relief map of the country, and to the beautiful government palace. We spend the afternoon making arrangements to travel to Tikal, and to stay at the Posada Belen when we return to Guatemala City, and then we rest and repack to leave for Lake Atitlan early in the morning.
We are up early to catch the bus for Lake Atitlan at 7:45, after a breakfast of fig newtons we have with us. The bus is 1st class and comfortable and the ride is interesting. There is a stop for an hour for road construc-tion where the natives flock to the bus to sell their wares. At the road junction leading down to Lake Atitlan we change busses, then have a long wait for a taxi to take us to the wharf for the 20 minute water taxi ride to the quiet paradise of the Posada Camino Real. After soup and a sandwich in the dining room we shower and rest in our beautiful large room with a great view of the lake and volcanos. There are only two other guests at the posada; the owner is nice, and the Mayan waiter is a darling. We have a good supper in the attractive dining room and enjoy the window wall view of the lake.
We set our alarm for 6:45 so we can be ready to leave at 8:30. The boat goes to Panajahel & picks up 6 more people then crosses the lake to the Santiago Sunday Market. There are many tourists; the native children are beautiful, but well trained to ask for coins to take their pictures and persistent in selling souvenirs. The market is very colorful and has good looking fruits and vegetables. It is then another very pleasant boat ride back to Panajahel and a very good lunch at the fabulous new Hotel del Lago. We have to hurry the lunch in order to catch the bus to Antigua.
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