I have been wanting to go to Guatemala for the past several years, and even considered moving there for the summer last year. It’s a beautiful country, inexpensive living, fairly central and easy to get to, so it seemed like the perfect place to base myself for a while. When I suggested to one of my best friends that we travel somewhere for her birthday, things progressed quickly, and suddenly a group of us had tickets booked to Guatemala City and a house rented in San Marcos.
After flying into the airport at Guatemala City, we took what was supposed to only be a two hour shuttle ride out of the city, but turned into a crazy three and a half hour drive through some of the most intense winding mountain roads that I have ever driven on. Half of the car closed their eyes as we dodged switchback pot holes and swerved around speeding tuk tuks, but everyone cheered in unison as we took in our first views of the lake. It was worth it.
We spent five days in our incredible mountain side house, complete with 168 steps leading up to it, an infinity pool that was being renovated into a hot tub, hammocks everywhere, a hot pink tunnel leading to a guest house, three rooms for sleeping, an indoor fire place, a full kitchen, reading nook, two bathrooms, outdoor couch, and did I mention hammocks everywhere? It was pretty much every person’s idea of paradise.
Days were spent relaxing at the house, exploring through San Marcos, or taking the boat over to San Pedro and other neighbouring towns, as well as drinking beers by the Lake and gathering groceries from town. It was a true vacation, unlike most of the travelling that I do these days for work. Since it was a fully leisure-only trip, I didn’t even bring my DSLR along.
Here are my favourite iPhone & GoPro photos from the trip:
While I may have checked off one of the 25 destinations on my list already, I can still dream of 25 others that I would love to visit if I could #FlyFree.
Don’t forget that Schick is giving you the chance to do just that with their Fly Free contest, where you can win a free flight each year for the next twenty five years. That’s 25 incredible destinations of your choice, anywhere in the world. I personally recommend Guatemala–so what 24 other countries would you choose?
CONTEST: Win a $25 Schick prize pack
by answering the question below.
Reply in the comments,
and I will choose a winner by Feb 25, 2015.
Contest open to Canadians of legal age
If you won 1 flight per year for 25 years,
what’s the first country you would fly to?
The first country I’d visit is Japan ! 🙂
One of my faves 😀
The first country I’d fly to is probably Greece!
Good choice!
Paris!
Bon choix! ;]
I would pick Finland! I would love to see where my husband came from!! Northern lights are suppose to be beautiful!!
I loooove Finland–good choice :]
Hi!~ Do you recommend any tattoo shops in Lake Atitlan? Im heading there in March for a bachelorette party and was thinking of getting a piece while there.
Sorry I don’t know of any off hand–I didn’t get one while there myself. But, please do let me know if you end up finding a place/getting one. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back one day, and would love to get one too. Also–what an awesome idea for a bachelorette party! Aha, I’m planning one for someone now, and kind of want to steal that idea :p
Congrats Crystal, you’re the winner of the $25 Schick prize pack! Emailing you now :]
Thank you!!
The first country I would fly to is England! 🙂
Nice one! Any particular reason?
I’ve always wanted to go there 🙂 There’s so many sites I want to visit like the Tower of London, the London Eye, and I’d love to go on a boat tour of the Thames river.
aah yeah all good ones.. I’ve been and didn’t even really do any of those things!
Bummer its just for Canadian residents. If I could enter, and I won, I’d probably go to Chile to explore the Atacama desert and then down to Patagonia to hike Torres del Paine! 🙂
Danielle recently posted..Montreal: An Unfortunate Trip In A Beautiful City
Ah yeah sorry about that! Head back to Montreal to be able to collect the prize :p
And, I’d love to go there too
I think I would fly to Greenland as my first choice. 🙂
Miranda recently posted..Travel Plans for 2015
I would travel to Ireland. I’ve always wanted to go there!
I have too :]
My first choice would be China!
Interesting choice :]
Holland
Nice!
Beautiful photos!
Theresa Christine recently posted..Resources for Everyday Adventurers: Create the Adventure You Crave
Thanks!
I would choose Bora Bora:D thanks for the great giveaway.
Oooh yes, I’d love to go there
I would choose Ireland!
I would choose brazil