Travel Story: Being Spontaneous In Atilan

Solo travel allows you to be very spontaneous with your itenerary and timing on your trip. Talk to most backpackers and the ability to be spontaneous, and the willingness to be spontaneous with you plans is very important to having a unique travel experience.

I found this out first hand when I was on my way to San Marcos in Lake Atilan, and it changed how I travel since.

My intentions were to go direct to San Marcos, to spend time with the spiritual crowd there, to relax with some fresh fruit smoothies, good eats, bon fires and drum circles. I was excited to feed my hippie soul with some like-minded individuals and just be.

Just the day before I wrapped up my time in Antigua, where I hiked Acatenango and then celebrated my birthday with some bar hoping in town. Myself, and a few friends from the hike hit some of the more popular locations, and when we finally arrived at Cafe No Se for illegal Mezcal, we were feeling pretty good. For the sake of not getting off topic of this blog, we spent most of the night also talking to groups of other traverls, and at times probably annoying them very much.

So on the day I was to travel to San Marcos, my hangover was very much alive. As I boarded the boat taxi in Pana, I was ready to get to San Marcos, my hostel, and a bed for a nap. The boat taxis load slowly and it can take some time for it to fillup enough for it to leave the dock

In my half asleep state I did notice three people boarded the boat who sat directly across from me. I failed to notice them staring at me and talking to themselves. The boat was full and we left the dock, and to my suprise all around me was mostly other travelers or foreigners for that matter.

 We started to move from the dock, and just then one of the girls in the group of three across from me said “ how do I know you?” I looked up and quickly realized that this group was the same that we sat next to at Café No Se in Antigua just the night before.

It was strange to me that I would run into someone like this, but I would learn that this sort of things happens all the time along the paths that backpackers follow in most countries. The girl was Andrea, who was working in Guatemala for an NGO and was traveling with her cousin and her cousin boyfriend. Look for my Colombia travel guide coming out soon, Andrea makes another apperance. Its such a small world.

We laughed about the coincidence, and how much some of my Aussie friends were very annoying when drunk. We began to chat more as the boat glided along the water towards its first stop of Santa Cruz. Our conversation began to shift towards the night we met and the bar Café No Se. I mentioned that a friend at my hostel told me that the owner of the bar was running a scam operation, where he was selling cheap Mezcal, but would charge premium prices for it.

 Before I could contiunue with this acquisition, an older women turned around and politely asked in a British accent where I have heard this. I again mentioned that the rumor came from a person in my hostel. She assured me that this was false, and that the owner of the bar was a close friend of hers. I thanked her for the info and she turned back around. Andrea and I continued to chat and she mentioned she was headed to Santa Cruz to stay at a very amazing hostel called the Igauna Perdida, and that the hostel was owned and operated by a special foreigner by the name of Diddle. I told her I was going to San Marcos, and that I did little research about Santa Cruz. 

Again the older women turned around, with a huge smile. She asked my friend if she have ever stayed at Igauna before, and if she has ever met Diddle? Andrea said no, but that the stories she hasd heard about her  is the reason she is going to stay at the Iguana during this trip. The older women reaches out her hand and says “ Well its nice to meet you, I am Diddle”.

We all went silent. This was one of those travel stories that you read about, and also just being in the right place at the right time As we docked onto Santa Cruz, everyone who was staying at the Iguana got off. I was going to San Marcos so I stayed put on the boat.

Diddle off loaded to the  dock, turned around and said “ hey Joel, come join us here. I will find you a room don’t worry”. I had seconds to decide, and I went for it, and it turned out to be the most magical 4 days of my entire trip.

The lesson here is always go with the flow. Its important to have a plan, but dont be afraid to break those plans or pivot them. The adventure lies in between the lines, when the moments you leasr expect appear upon you in the moment.

Check out more about La Iguana Perdida HERE