Tropical storm Christina is threatening to come our way. We decided to visit the nature park in Panajachel today before the deluge…although I suspect the only difference tomorrow might be e downpours in the morning and afternoon. Not just afternoons.
After breakfast, we walked to the dock to catch a “launcha”. These aluminum boats are built to carry many passengers in tight rows. The driver stands on a platform at the stern in front of a very large outboard motor. We have learned that sitting towards the back gives a slightly smoother ride than up front where the boat bounces on the wakes of other boats. Our driver this morning must have been trying to break a record because he was going 30 knots based on my Navionics app. The boats have 150 hp Mercury engines. They can really move.
We got to Pana where we hired a tuk tuk to take us to the nature park. As we were bouncing along, our driver stopped the vehicle and got out for “one second”. He lifted the cover on the engine compartment behind where we were sitting. Then he lifted his seat where there appeared to be tools. He got back inside and tried starting the engine as we were rolling downhill. Nope. He got out again and called someone. He said it would be a few minutes. The park was a short walk so we paid him a bit less than the negotiated price and walked the rest of the way.
The major attraction at the park is a butterfly house. We went there and were surrounded by beautiful butterflies. They even landed on us.
Then we took a trail hike up to see a waterfall. It was the usual jungle path with roots and stones. The place if filled with immense plants some of which we have all tried to grow at home. Now it’s evident why they don’t do well in northern homes without high humidity. We got to the waterfall viewing spot, took photos, and began our return hike. There are supposedly coatis in the forest but they hide high up in the trees.
Once back down at the entrance, we sat in a small eating area and drank lemonade which is actually lime juice and soda. The hanging flowers above us attracted hummingbirds. We also were able to see the people who did zip lining in the park. It was not something I signed up to do.
We got another tuk tuk ride back to the dock. This time it was successful. Our launcha was filled to capacity. Our driver went slowly at first but once he had dropped off enough people, we were zooming along at 30 kts.
Once back on land, we decided to wander the streets to see what the shops were selling. A bag of potato chips is nearly $10. They are US brands.
We stopped at a funky spot for guacamole and a margarita. Very tasty. Of course it began to rain. So we made our way back to our hotel.
We had planned to try a different restaurant for dinner, but it was easier to stay put in the midst of a downpour.
We sat next to an American couple who had done a 4am hike to watch the sunrise. They reported that it was a challenging hike with mostly 20 something’s at the front. We have decided to do a moring bird watching tour but not at 4 am.
The Adventures of Anne 