Antigua - Panajachel

The next day we headed out for Panajachel (Pana), a town most known for the lake it rests on, Lake Atitlan. Our three-hour drive to Pana took us through windy mountainous roads where we began to see the life of western Guatemalans. Along the way, we stopped at Comalapa market where we found our first truly local market experience. Textiles, mangos, tortillas, and plenty of ‘made in china’ lined the pathways of the market. Judith found us the best local treats while we shopped for my favorite textiles.
 
Before arriving in Pana we made a stop at the Iximche Mayan ruins. These were the first of many ruins we would experience on this trip and certainly offered a different perspective than the churches and cathedrals of Antigua. Iximche is a pre-Columbian archeological site and was the capital of the late postclassic Kaqchikel Maya kingdom from 1470-1524. Here we learned about the infamous ballcourts of the Mayans and started to realize the complexity of the country we were visiting. 

Once in Pana, we checked into our lovely lakeside hotel. My partner found a local cold beer while I visited the sauna. It was a lovely way to end the day.