Paradise Revisited

'Let's pack up and go to Lago Atitlan' says Ron. Oh my, I had been thinking the same thing but was afraid to suggest it to The Captain. He had been looking daily at the wind and weather - hoping for the right moment to sail south to Roatan. None had presented itself and we were getting a bit stale at the The Reserve. The Beach Club had provided great afternoons around the pool and the people there were super friendly. Jim Slocum -Google" Curiosity- Plane crash"- invited us over one evening to see his unique home on the Reserve. It is exquisite -totally constructed of Bamboo and owned previously by a Canadian. And for sale. Others generously shuttled us back and forth to the Club for dinner. Some days we rented a car and visited Hopkins - a small seaside community of restaurants, guesthouses and the best Italian restaurant we have been to since Vancouver days. But our time was slipping away and with no chance of getting easily to Roatan we set off for the highlands of Guatemala. A chicken bus ride -2 hours to Punta Gorda, a water taxi -1- hour to Puerto Barrios and a 45 min flight to Guatemala City, took us within easy reach of Antigua and the highlands.
We have blogged before of Antigua and its history and beauty and a second look was no less moving. This time there was a United Nations touring event called Buddy Bear, promoting peace and understanding around the world. Do we ever need that. It was inspired by the Cow Parade a few years ago. It was impressive. We had a great time listening to the adventures of the young people - mostly Irish and Canadians - we encountered at Maya Papaya. I think the world is in good hands.
Next up Lago Atitlan.
We mused to each other what the heck did we do for 5 weeks at the lake. What will we do for one week this time? All was revealed as we sat on the edge of the lake looking across to the oh so familiar skyline of volcanoes and hills. As the breezes wafted over us so did the feelings. We will chill. We will breathe in and out. We will read and talk and relax. We will absorb this place into our pores. Not to sound too crazy or like we have drunk the Kool-Aid, the lake has a mystical vibe about it. It is hard to resist. A familiar story told time and time again is " I came for 2 weeks" and 2-3 years have passed.