Xela, 4/17, Fuentes Georginas hot springs

Fuentes Georginas hot springs. The morning after the Laguna Chicabal hike. Perfecto for restoration. Not many tourists, but a lot of local guatemalans crowd the springs. Its the weekend before holy week. Coincidentally, I run into the 4 Swiss people who hiked with me yesterday. They are so nice and I'm happy to see familiar faces. I also meet two Korean travelers my own age who become instant friends. We strike up conversation with two Americans next to us. I have been meeting so many great people. The encounters are transient, yet continuous. If I were not traveling solo, I might not have as many conversations with strangers. Really though, there are an abundance of fantastic people in this world, which far outway the negative ones. The mist is rolling in again. My return shuttle awaits.

Xela, 4/16, Laguna Chicabal

Up at 5:30am. Laguna Chicabal. A volcano crater lake. 4.5 hours of hiking - up, around the lake, and back. 8:30am arrival at the lake. Sunny, blue, clear and calm. Mountain reflections and birdsong. Within 15 minutes, the clouds pour over the mountain rim down into the lake bowl, covering the lake at an alarming pace. I think, I'm glad this is not poisonous gas; there would be no escape. Instead, only mist transforming the lake into mystery. The Mayan women's singing on opposite shoreline carries across. Sacred place.

A couple of horses graze on the footpath. Flower bouquets dug into sand near crosses marking graves. The guide informs us that the bird we hear is a female quetzal. We see her fly from a branch and evaporate.