At any given time my list of top five places I want to travel to next could be completely different. That’s what happens when you think everywhere looks amazing! I think what made this trip to Guatemala and Belize so special is they were never on that list. It can be so refreshing to visit a place with no expectations.
If I’m being completely candid here, when my friend asked me if I wanted to stay in hostels around Guatemala, I was a little iffy to say the least. I’m not sure what I was envisioning, but something out of a horror movie. I could not have been more wrong and, as it turned out, those hostels made this one of my favorite trips to this day.
If you’re a traveler you know that trips very rarely go according to plan. You have to learn to laugh it off and appreciate the memory! This trip was no exception. In fact, it started with us stranded outside the airport in Guatemala City for almost two hours. When you don’t have WiFi, your driver from the hostel in Antigua can’t give you a call to let you know he’s going to be late. Long story short, we had to pay one of the locals waiting outside the airport (for this very reason) to use his phone. Strangers are kind, but that doesn’t always mean their kindness comes for free. Make sure you understand that in a lot of countries, an offer to show you around, point you in the right direction or let you use their phone to get ahold of your driver is considered a service and they will expect money in return. We already knew this beforehand and had declined offers in the beginning, but sometimes you just have to go with it!
We finally made it to our hostel in Antigua. Just in time to meet with our group of travelers that would be on our hike the next morning. Here’s the deal. One of the first things I do when planning a trip is find an awesome hike. I’m not sure how this became my thing. I’m not particularly outdoorsy and I have many irrational fears, one of which is falling over a cliff. I don’t know, I’m weird. But I love exercise and there is nothing more rewarding than getting to the top and being able to look out over what you just climbed. This particular hike was especially rewarding because it was CHALLENGING. My friend, Morgan, has asthma and she doesn’t particularly love hiking, but I hate swimming in open water and she made me go snorkeling in “shark ray alley” so it’s a give and take. God love her, but this hike up was awful for her. She actually ended up riding a horse up one section. Video below for your entertainment.
This hike included about 6 hours of straight incline up the 13,000 foot Acatenango Volcano. When we reached the top, I cried. I’m not sure if it was because of how beautiful the view was, or because I was thinking about how the hell I was going to get down the next morning. We’ll go with the view. We pitched our tents, (yes we camped on the side of a volcano!) got a fire going and settled in to watch the neighboring Volcan Fuego erupt all night. WOW! This is probably the coolest thing I’ve done in my life, and I think even Morgan is glad she did it. We woke up to the most amazing sunrise and I was filled with yet another moment of complete awe and gratitude that this was my life. The way down consisted of a few falls, but we were instructed to let ourselves fall backwards when we slipped and that made all the difference. Still terrifying, but no pain. YAY!
We got back to the hostel and spent the rest of the day and night wandering around Antigua. The great thing about hostels is you’re surrounded by fellow travelers from all over. There were a lot of people traveling in pairs, but I was amazed at the amount of solo travelers we met. Each one had the most amazing story. From our hostel alone, we met people from Ireland, Italy, Holland, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Israel and one fellow American from Alabama. How awesome is that?! People are absolutely fascinating and I could go on and on with stories of people I’ve met, but I’m already about 1,000 words in and have only covered 2 days in Guatemala so I’ll move on. If you’re ever interested in hearing more about anything in my blog, don’t hesitate to reach out. I LOVE TO TALK.
From Antigua we headed to San Pedro La Laguna and let me tell you this… I was one slight nudge away from just staying put for a couple of months. They needed another waitress at the cafe of our hostel and the job was mine if I wanted to stay. I had already finished my paralegal program, but was still working at a bank until I landed a job at a firm, so quitting work would have been fine for me. I was also still flying for free so I wouldn’t have really taken a hit financially either. Had I been a little less chicken, this would be a much different blog post!
San Pedro is a town on the shore of Lake Atitlan and my time there still feels so surreal. This trip was so carefree and in the moment. There were no thoughts of work, no worries of what was next or what the future would hold. That sounds so cheesy but it’s the absolute truth.
Our first night there our hostel was hosting a trivia night. The MC of the event was the owner. He was from England and he LOVED making fun of Americans. We happened to have made friends with a couple from England when they joined us for trivia so we asked them what the deal was. We were informed that the joke is Americans have no sense of humor and are too politically correct. That was 3 1/2 years ago so God only knows what he’s saying now! Haha Anyway, trivia night was a blast that ended with bottles of tequila being passed around and our trivia team making all sorts of plans for the next day. Just another reason to love hostels.
The next morning our trivia team met for breakfast where we were all equally hungover, but determined to follow through on our plans. We rented kayaks and followed the directions from a local on how to get to a house that had flooded in the lake. When I say in the lake, I mean IN the lake. We parked our canoes in the living room and walked up to the roof. So cool! We swam in the lake for a bit and then finished off the afternoon relaxing on a dock. This moment on the dock has stayed with me so vividly. One new friend was playing her guitar. One new friend was fishing. The rest of us were basking in the sun. A local mother was doing laundry in the lake while her two young kids played in the water. When I think of “my happy place”, my mind always finds its way to this moment.
The next day we walked through town to find a barbecue that an American couple living in Guatemala throws every Sunday. So random, but really cool. We had to say goodbye to our new friends and you guys, I literally cried. Knew these people for less than 48 hours and my dramatic self was devastated. Bryony, Jamie and Patty…I still miss you guys!
Ok now it’s time for some more travel mishaps. We were headed to Belize next, and we really did not figure out the best way to get there from San Pedro. You know what’s not the best way? Hopping on a bus in Guatemala City in the middle of the night and riding 16 hours to the Belize border. Oh my. I kept notes each day on our trip and the only thing I have written down for this is, “SCARIEST DRIVE OF MY LIFE.” But hey, we made it. Fun fact: when you get to the border you have to get off the bus and just straight up walk across the border. Because of drug smuggling, they have to inspect the buses so once everyone has made it to the other side, you can get back on. This could actually be normal, but I’d never driven across a border before so I found this wild.
From Belize city we took a ferry to the island and spent 3 days in paradise. Our hostel was amazing. We were in a room with 6 people, but just like everywhere else, everyone was super nice. This place was steps from the water and it was $8 a night. I love hostels.
Aside from lounging in the sun all day, we spent one day snorkeling in “shark ray alley.” These are just nurse sharks, but when you’re swimming in open water, there’s something terrifying to me about coming face to face with sharks. But Morgan climbed a volcano, so it was only fair. Although the first few minutes in the water are always filled with crippling anxiety, I always manage to start to relax and fall in love with it. I’m working on it! Side note: my hair got horribly tangled in my snorkeling mask and I had to chop my long hair off. I can’t talk about it.
After 3 days of relaxation in Belize, it was time to go back. The day of travel back home is always miserable for me, but I also try to use that time to reflect on the trip. To write down stories. To be thankful for the opportunity.
Guatemala, I can’t wait to see you again.
More pictures below 💜
livlovelacewanders.com 
Your trip sounds worthwhile, and your Photography is a work of art!
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