Sunday Scenes

I'm finally feeling better and took advantage of that yesterday by going to town really early with Bert and Pachi. Sundays are always an adventure in Panajachel. It seems that's the day that everybody comes into town for fun, food, games, and shopping. It's always busy and exciting. :)

Boats on Lake Atitlan

Tree love? Or tree paraticism? Or tree symbiosis?

Of course, I made Bert go a different way into town. We turned off in Jucanya before the yellow bridge, and walked down a dirt road to the tuk-tuk bridge, which I think used to be called the blue bridge. It was mostly destroyed in some big storms a few years back and has been cobbled together by the local people. It's shaky and scary! But tuk-tuks still roar across it like nothin' doing. I didn't roar. I kinda minced actually.  :D

Calle Rancho Grande, the nicest street in town.

After that, we got on Calle Racho Grande, the ritziest street in town. It's clean, flat, and full of upscale hotels and restaurants. And it's straight! Very weird for this town.
Rancho Grande goes right to the lake where we discovered there was a swimming race going on. Tons of people and loud music... at 8:30 am!

Swimming races on Lake Atitlan

We strolled along the river-walk area until Calle Santander, then walked up it. This is the street where all the crazy action is during the day. In the early morning on a Sunday, it was quite peaceful.

Calle Santander, Panajachel, Guatemala

We hummed and hawed about which restaurant to go to for breakfast. I always annoy Bert because I want to try new places all the time, whereas he'd rather go have his regular ham & cheese omelette at Mario's. I won out this time, and we stopped in at a lovely place called El Patio. Bert had ... wait for it ... a ham & cheese omelette for Q23 or about $3.67 Cdn. I ordered the Desayuno Americano, American breakfast, scrambled eggs with bacon, for Q28 or about $4.46 Cdn. I figured I shouldn't try anything too risky for my first real breakfast since getting sick.
Everything was absolutely delicious! The meal came with a generous basket of homebaked bread with butter and homemade strawberry jam (like my Mom's freezer jam). I got a REAL Lipton tea too, so yummy, and I also got a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Decadent! And all for less than $10 for the two of us.

Real tea! It was perfect.

Pachi sat very nicely on the ground near us while we ate our breakfast. It's cool that dogs can go anywhere we can.

After breakfast, we strolled up the street all the way to the market. I know I had said previously to avoid the markets on Sunday, but we really needed a few things. Bert & Pachi stayed near the edge of the crowds though, while I ventured into the chaos. It's so fascinating! For some reason, this Sunday there were a few vendors selling threads and wools that had never been there before. Maybe it was shearing season somewhere? It's crab season too, I guess, since there are several people selling palm-sized black crabs, live, tied up, with their wee legs flailing the air. Plus, there was a crowd of people buying round loaves of bread from a Mayan couple, but I'm not sure why. The bread looked the same to me as any other bread being sold. Whenever I see a crowd of locals at a stall, I'm tempted to buy things as I figure they know something I don't know! But I didn't need bread, so I passed on that.
After gathering our produce, we paused for a rest on the curb. I laughed out loud when a man walked by selling goldfish in little plastic baggies! I tell ya, they sell EVERYTHING here. :)
Hopped in a tuk-tuk and went home for a swim and some rest in the heat of the afternoon.

Check out this lizard! He was pretty far away so it's blurry but he was very cool.

Willow at our open door, watching the doggies with thinly-veiled disdain. 

Every now and then, Greta or Pachi will prick up their ears and take off running. They are chasing lizards!
I wonder what they'll do if they ever catch one?

After lunch and some downtime, we headed back into town to see a friend of ours named Georgie sing at Gringos Locos. She was very good and it was a full house of people there just to see her. Had a few drinks, but got back home by 9pm. By the way, bars here close at 11pm. It's kinda funny! But I guess when the sun sets at 6:30 every night, there is plenty of time for afterdark fun.

Bert & the flaming malvavisco.

BONUS PICTURE: Bert roasting marshmallows over the gas stove.  :D