Laguna Chicabal

         Today Kat and I decided to do some hiking, starting with something easier than one of the volcanos – Laguna Chicabal, a crater lake at the top of an extinct volcano which glows green when the sun is on it. We took the bus through San Martin Chile Verde ( there are like four different san martins, why this one’s nickname is chile verde I have no idea) out to a tiny pueblo nestled under the mountains. The driver let us out at the stop for la laguna and we set off.  It is possible to grab a ride with a truck up to the entrance to the hike but we decided to walk.

            After two hours of steep uphill ascent, the landscape had changed from small houses and farms under the sun to clouds so thick at times we could barely see 15 feet ahead.

     Small boys carrying gargantuan loads of wood with their heads, or leading various animals, would emerge out of the mist and gawk at the sweating gringas. One car passed us, but the road was so bad that about 15 minutes later we passed the car and its owners, now attempting to walk to the laguna (the woman in heels). At one point we passed a small boy and his father with their loads of wood and their machetes, and the father stopped and spoke to us. He was definitely not speaking Spanish, so I just said, no hablo Mam (the local mayan tribe) and then he turned to my friend Kat and said in Spanish, What country are you guys from? She does not speak Spanish? As out of the two of us, I am the one who speaks more Spanish, Kat just gestured at me. We had a short conversation with him, but I couldn’t understand much because he kept speaking in mam. Who knows.

            We paid the entrance fee and continued our steep ascent, the air becoming both thinner and cleaner, and the forest more and more thick along with the clouds. I kept expecting to get hit with a blow dart or something for trespassing - Laguna Chicabal is sacred for the local tribes and different rituals are performed there. When we finally got to the lake, we could barely see it for the clouds but they move so quickly that the lake soon cleared off. It is amazingly beautiful and peaceful and I could see why the lake is sacred. Clouds move and transform across the lake, coming down from over the trees and spreading across the water. In the sun it is supposed to be a brilliant blue green but the clouds have another enchantment all their own.

There’s not much else to say for today! We took the bus back. While waiting I saw this.

Now I’m exhausted, and since I can’t charge my computer at the apartment, I’m at Baviera ( a local coffee shop that reminds me of caffe vita in seattle) I hope you all had a wonderful day!