Trip to Guatemala - Travel journal in the Mayan land

Solola is a small town on the mountains above lake Atitlan. Its daily market is the widest around the lake, and Solola offers nice views on the lake and the surrounding volcanoes.

Where from: San Pedro, on the road to Quetzaltenango
How: Boat from San Pedro to Panajachel, chicken bus to Solola.

• The trip

By the road, arriving to or departing from Panajachel will have you pass through Solola. So we took the early boat (5am) to get to Panajachel, where we arrived at 5:30. From there, and encouraged by our growing confidence in the local transportation system, we just walk up to the main street and stop the first chicken bus passing by. We scream while the bus is approching: “Solola ?” - the bus slows down and stop: “Solola !”. We climb up, somehow or other find a place in the aisle and hold strong to a handle while the driver tries to break a record. 30mn ride to Solola, we stop right in front of the market.

• Solola and its market

We are on our way to Quetzaltenango, or Xela, so we have our backpacks with us. The first mission is to find a place to put them. We walk around but as it is early (6am), the banks or pharmacies are closed. We finally find the police station, and after a few minutes discussing, they accept to keep our bags for an hour or two.The market is interesting for being the main local food market. No tourists, no attraction. Corn, avocados, meat, housewares, vegetables, beauty and health products. The stands come from all around the lake, ladies wear their traditional cosutmes and colors - it’s a rainbow of mayan clothes, blue, red, ochre, yellow, …..The vegetable market is the most interesting one, spreading over a few hundred yards, tribe women sitting on the street with their fruits or vegetables in front of them.We follow a small street downhill for half a mile, and find a school and playground area. The playground, a little higher than the street and above a descending street, offer an amazing view on the lake, the volcanoes.Time to eat ! We find a small restaurant in front of the bus stations (or more exactly: the street corner where the buses stop) and get our breakfast, while a kid offers to shine my shoes. It’s the fourth time in two days, but 1) it’s a good excuse just to help them make some money, and 2) my shoes really need it !We then get our bags back, and catch a chicken bus to Quetzaltenango.

Where to next: Quetzaltenango

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