Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

The next morning, we set off on foot to explore San Pedro and figure out our next move.  We found a hostel to go to with reasonable rates, just a couple of blocks drive from where Vandrew was parked.  There was also a parking lot area just a few meters down from the hostel where I could park Vandrew for a week for 100 Guatemalan quetzal (around $15 Canadian).  Excellent!  Things were looking up after a stressful drive the night before.

We took a shortcut back to Vandrew, and headed for the parking lot.  Some of the roads were very tiny, and I couldn't make the corner in one go, so I had to hold up the tuk tuk traffic while I shuffled around those corners.  Edging towards our goal, the roads got smaller and smaller, until we got to a dogleg in the road that Vandrew couldn't physically fit through.

I had to back all the way back to where I'd started, with Aya directing tuk tuk traffic, and Natasja guiding me backwards around the corners like a rockstar.  We got halfway back to where we'd started that day when Aya noticed that there was green fluid pouring out of the front of Vandrew.  Coolant.  It looked to me like Vandrew had blown a hose.  Fortunately, we were just at the front of the local schoolhouse, and there was a point that I could back into and not hold up traffic.

A tuk tuk driver then told Aya that he knew a mechanic, so Aya and I went off  in his tuk tuk to visit the mecanico, while Natasja started moving stuff from Vandrew to the hostel (it was only a couple of blocks away).  After a bit of waiting around, Felipe the mecanico showed up.  He filled up the coolant and checked for leaks....there didn't seem to be any, and I think engine just overheated with all the uphill backwards work.  I still wanted Felipe to look at the brakes, and he said that he would.  He also said that I could leave Vandrew at his shop for the week.  He drove Vandrew out of the tiny streets of San Pedro to his shop, then Aya and I got a tuk tuk back to the hostel...I was ready for some rest!

The "street" in San Pedro where Vandrew doesn't fit.  The tree behind the red roof is where we're trying to get to...

A couple of days later, Natasja and a couple of guys that we'd met in San Cristobal who were staying at our hostel decided to do a sunrise hike up indian's nose.  I thought it would be a good idea to join, even though the thought of getting up at 3:30am wasn't appealing.  The hike started with a drive up the seismic wave road, then a small hike in the dark up to the top of the nose.  The view was good though.

Indian Nose

Indian Nose from the top

Aya and Andrew, sitting by Lake Atitlan

One day, Aya and I took a water taxi over to the town of Panajachel on the other side of Lake Atitlan.  There was a nature preserve there where we could see monkeys and do some ziplining.  We didn't see monkeys, but we did see some tree animals that are closely related to raccoons...can't remember their name though.  There was also a little butterfly sanctuary, and ziplining!

I think there was something on the lens of the camera....kinda makes me look like a superhero though...