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on my bike
tajumulco
Tajmulco at 4220 metres is the highest peak in Central America and Silke and I tackle it on an overnight jaunt. We set out from Xela on the chicken bus (more on that later) and start up the mountain.
We camp close to the top of the mountain in the company of a few other hikers. [...]
hanging out in xela
Xela quickly starts to feel like home. I am lucky enough to score a room in Posada San Andres, a ramshackle set of buildings that surround a sunny cobbled courtyard inhabited by an eclectic bunch of expats doing their thing in Xela. The place is cheap and chilled out.
I while away some days attending yoga [...]
santa maria
One of the reasons for coming to Xela is its proximity to two of Guatemala’s highest mountains. Santa Maria looms over the town at 3771 metres and Tajumulco, Central America’s highest peak at 4220 metres, is not far away. I am keen to climb both of them.
After stocking up on some warm cloths at Xela’s [...]
walls
Xela is Guatemala’s second largest city and it has a significant population of foreigners – the majority of whom are studying Spanish and/or working at a host of NGOs on various social projects. Despite my rather unfortunate introduction to the city I quickly warm to Xela – there is a good second hand bookshop with [...]
Tagged city life, guatemalawelcome to xela
We arrive in Xela early enough in the day to have ample time to find somewhere to stay and then address myself to the task of finding a good restaurant where I can celebrate my birthday in style.
After an extremely satisfactory birthday dinner, Silke and I start to walk towards the guesthouse where we are [...]
to toto
As soon as my bike is back together, I set off from Panajachel towards Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second biggest city – more commonly known as Xela, its name in the local indigenous language. Nancy and Matthew have given me information about a dirt road that goes over the mountains to Totonicapan and as the alternative [...]
Tagged guatemala, mountainsglimpses, in passing, of panajachel
Overall, I don’t pay Panajachel much heed.
Tagged guatemalathe box
Back in Panajachel (AKA Gringotenango) I go straight to the delivery depot to pick up my box. I enquire, as a matter of idle curiousity, why it wasn’t delivered to address that is clearly printed on the carton and the women shrugs, indifferently. “They couldn’t find it,” she offers by way of [...]
Tagged bike, guatemalasan pedro and the whirlwind riders
I am excited to be going to San Pedro, on the other side of the lake from Panajachel, to meet Tank and his buddy, Mike, who have just ridden a couple of ‘74 Honda Singles down from the States and are taking a bit of time out to study Spanish before heading onwards to South [...]
Tagged friends, guatemala, off cycle