Back of the truck photo's, from the El Semillero trip....

Did'nt realise they were having so much fun in the back of the truck.... the vodka helped I'm sure!!!!!

The police where you want them...!!!

Safely escorted by the Police on our trip to El Semillero....

     Leaving for The Lowlands, The Pacific, Honduras, El Salvador in the very near future... places available.......

Camping Adventure to El Semillero on Guatemala's Pacific coast

We left bright an early 8.30 Thursday morning from La Piscina, San Pedro. 12 happy campers escorted by Asistitour (Guatemala's tourist Police) we head out of town behind San Pedro Volcano on the infamous "Bandito road", 15 kms of uncompleted twisting turning camino, it has the potential to be the most beautiful road in Guatemala if and when it is completed!!? Until then the incomplete 5 kms of potholed, rainwashed, rocky, rutted road remains the territory of opportunistic and very real banditos, the police take them serious enough to accompany us armed not only with machine guns but with an extra 4 members of the police force too.... suffice to say, we encountered nothing, took the "camino anciano" (the old route) for Chicacao only events on this road, were a group of cyclists coming from the opposite direction and a large "derumbe" land/mud slide which we slipped our way through, the unpredictable back track to the coast!!

on the "bandito road" complete with escort

the "Pacific viewpoint"

San Pedro Volcano above the Santiago Bay

   3 hours later we emerge out of the tropical jungle unmolested and having experienced a unique and beautiful part of Highland Guatemala, the Pacific slope dropping away majestically before us, Macadamia, Coffee, Rubber plantations and the ever friendly Chapins (Guatemalteco's) waving us on by, hard to believe the ever present danger of the "mara's" amongst these remote and pleasant people. 

food, fuel and a break at a "gasolinera" on the CA2

   On the CA2 ( Centro America 2 the "coast road"), now on the asphalt and in the coastal heat we split from our escort, in 3/4's of an hour we are in Tiquisate, bustling, busy, humid, stop at Dispensar Familiar to stock up for the coming couple of days.... more booze than food!!! great chunks of ice to keep the screwdrivers cold..... piled high, everyone in good spirits I reverse into a scooter, crack his mudguard and have to go through the laborious process of evaluating the damage and subsequently paying for it!!! Insurance not being compulsory in Guatemala........A minor delay on our route bound for the "playa". Arrive in El Semillero, order huge plates of sea food, the most incredible breaded prawns, set up camp, get the beer station operational!!!!

 having arrived, the erecting of the tents

beer station operational.....important 2 man job??

even more important... 3 men, a machete and a large block of ice.. cold beer!!

all quiet the next morning, everyone still asleep

  Day 2 Friday morning, a leisurely awakening to the sound of crashing surf, the smell of fresh coffee, scrambled eggs, screwdrivers for some.... another hot day idles by, salt, sun, sand, bocci, buying fish fresh from the incoming "lancha's" for dinner and a trip up the estuary in a fishing boat late afternoon..."tranquilidad"!!!

chatting, lazing, getting to know one another

r  e  l  a  x  i  n  g !  !  !    .........

bocci on the beach

J.J. tending the fire

  Saturday, sadly the day we have to return.... we are all alarmed out of our tents not by the gradually increasing heat of sunrise but by the racing winds of an imminent tropical storm, bleary eyes brace themselves, last nights beach campers wander in before they are blown away, dismantle the tents, hurriedly make coffee.. no breakfast due to the impending sandstorm!! Will we make it back today?.... we do (make it back..) and in true style, from an unsteady beginning, upon changing the rear tyre, removing the rear wheel a dreaded pool of oil appears... the half shafts were not correctly tightened!!! having not lost a significant quantity of oil and the tyre change complete we proceed home in absolute blistering time, escorted by 4 different police patrols, non stop directo a San Pedro..... almost in time for Bocci at the pool (when it began at 14.00??)...

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Lake Atitlan's famous Indian Nose

A short half day trip up to the Indians Nose, aptly named as the profile of the mountains resemble that of a sleeping Indian......

    We  started from San Pedro via San Juan, Pablo and Marcos, taking with us Matt, Geologist and Guide, who regaled us all with the very interesting history of the Lake, mountains and surrounding volcanoes. 10 of us went up, 5 people from Santa Cruz, the rest passing through San Pedro... A fine time had by all... and not too strenuous as we took the back way up via Santa Clara, beautiful scenery up the switchbacks and only a half an hour walk to the summit of the Nose.

up the switchbacks, lake and cloudy vocano's in the background

"geologising" in Matts classroom

 the origional volcano was this high!!!

looking down on San Juan and San Pedro

all seated ready for the return trip down....