It almost didn’t happen
During the days leading up to my visa break, I felt like extending my ticket and not bothering with the trip to Guatemala. I was enjoying the rest and just couldn’t get myself to put an itinerary together and figure out details like where to stay, how to get there, and how long to stay in each place. Luckily, there are keen travel bloggers who put these things together, all you need to do is find those blogs.
Another fortunate thing is that I don’t like wasting money. Since I have booked the trip, I must go. In all honesty, I would have done myself a great disservice if I didn’t.
I was told that Guatemala City had nothing to offer but the city girl in me still wanted to explore. As much as I hate to admit it, the blogs convinced me, so apart from walking around the block and stopping for coffee with a French girl I met, I pretty much headed straight to Antigua.
Antigua reminded me of Cartagena: colourful and colonial. Just not as hot with a somewhat confusing grid system, which I enjoyed getting lost in despite the cobbled stones and high pavements. Restaurants and cafes had the most beautiful terraces. This place was home to the prettiest McDonald’s I have ever seen.
Speaking of restaurants, I was keen to try some local dishes and I must say the food here did not disappoint. The typical breakfast included eggs, fried plantain (the ripe one) and fried beans. I normally don’t like beans but I have to say Guatemalans have a way with them. On a Google search, I saw a picture of a dish called Pepian which reminded me of a soup from home, so I had to give that a try and it was delicious.
Antigua also tends to be the starting point for those who want to go on the Acetenango hike. I say those as if I wasn’t one of them. I heard a lot about this hike and wasn’t sure whether to do it or not. Seasoned hikers have spoken about how difficult it was and the blogs seconded that. I thought to myself, I am already here and my ego wanted to be able to say yes when I was asked the question and to relate to conversations about it since it was the main event. Darn you FOMO..
I was anxious the day before because I hardly slept. The alarm was set, my bag was packed and I bought medicine for the altitude. For some reason, I thought I was going to be one of 10, max 15 but then I saw that I was actually part of a group of about 30. The tour company that I booked with provided breakfast at their hostel as well as packed lunch and water. When I say they provided water, it was 4 litres of it. That, on top of all the warm clothes I packed, weighed a combined total of 10kg.
The hike itself was something else. I don’t think my body has ever been under that much stress. I would like to think that I am a relatively fit person. I like a sports challenge every now and again. I am not always the best at them but they are generally fun to participate in. I’ve done the Men’s Health Rat Race, a few 2.5km swimathons and an urban Tough Mudder. I am aware that hiking is different but I should have known, as with anything, it still takes a bit of skill and practice.
~15km in total
Hike from 2,500m to ~3,750m altitude
Ascend in just under 5hrs
I started strong but was soon to be known as ‘La Ultima’ because I was always the last one to arrive at the resting points. It also meant that I rested the least. Luckily, the guide didn’t leave my side but it took a lot for me to not feel a type of way about being last. I had to tell myself that regardless of my fitness level, I too deserved to be on this hike and have this experience. My calves and Achilles were burning on the way up and I was dizzy from the reduced oxygen intake from the altitude. I almost reached a breaking point when I had a cramp. All I wanted to do was cry. Not out of pain, but out of frustration. I just wanted the hike to be over. Luckily an Englishman from Manchester helped me calm down and stretch it out. It must be the teacher in him. He took turns with a guy from the States to carry my backpack to camp. I couldn’t have been more grateful for this.
The views of Volcano Fuego from the campsite were incredible. I couldn’t believe that I was literally above the clouds. I have only ever had these views from a plane. Some people opted to hike on Fuego to get a closer look at the eruption but I was more than happy seeing it from a distance. My favourite eruption was during the sunset. There is something so magical about seeing the sun disappear under the clouds as opposed to the horizon.
The hike back was painful in a different way. Despite my feet pressing against my boots and the numerous times my body touched the ground, I was happy to make it back to Antigua in one piece. The aches and pains accompanied me for the next couple of days to Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan and its surrounding villages are stunning. It was a good place to enjoy nature and relax after the hike. I decided to stay in Selina which is a chain of boujee hostels and surprisingly it was a better experience than I expected. I thought I was going to be met with pretentiousness but fortunately, that was not the case.
During my time there I did a quad bike tour to a couple of the villages which included stops and mini-workshops on the local textiles, ceramic, chocolate and coffee. The other villages I saw by foot, tuktuk and boat.
As a market lover, I couldn’t be in Guatemala and not visit the largest open-air market in Central America: Chichicastenango. It was buzzing with people and vendors. Some of whom even spoke Dutch to me and wanted me to buy a souvenir for my enemies.
Guatemala is the first place I’ve been in ten years where I’ve been stared at as a black person. When I say stared at, I mean turned necks and people getting into my face to greet me. The last time this happened was in Budapest back in 2014, I’m sure Hungarians are used to seeing black people more often now than back then. It’s not something I take offence to but it definitely couldn’t be missed.
Generally, I had a really good and rich experience in Guatemala. I loved that many women wore their traditional wear on a daily basis. Regional languages are spoken before Spanish. The food was good and the landscapes were incredible.
