San Marcos on the Lake

Scroll back on our Blog to early March 2006, and you will read about our meeting our youngest daughter, Courtney, husband Josh, and little Althea at Big Bend National Park in Texas. Having forsaken the traditional life with its corporate hassles in the U.S., they were heading to Mexico and on to Belize in their Vanagon. They had no idea as when they might return. After battling rain, all kinds of biting insects, heat and humidity in the jungle of Belize, they retreated south to San Marcos, Guatemala. There they discovered beautiful Lake Atitlan, a moderate climate, a friendly, calm, little city, and an intriguing, industrious, Mayan culture. After a couple of weeks, they elected to settle there.

San Marcos is a busy little village of 3000 people. About five percent are Gringos from all over the world. Some are quite talented. Many are gifted artists, and one is a well-known author. Mostly, they are European, Aussie, Israeli, and U.S. citizens. The other 95 percent are Mayans, whose cultural roots go back to early civilization. They speak Spanish or Cakchiqel; few speak English. There is one main street with stone pavers, but most of the businesses are located on two, narrow flagstone walkways that lead from the main road down to Lake Atitlan. The photo (left) shows the leading market; it’s the only one that sells meat. All food markets are owned by Mayans. Dogs are plentiful on every path; leashes are non-existent. Be careful where you walk! There are no newspapers, but there are at least three Internet restaurants. Many of the tiny homes are without electicity. Most use wood burning cookstoves, and few have bathrooms.

Many Gringos, including traveling backpackers, seem infatuated with an alternative spirituality and relaxed lifestyle. For a fee, there are shiatsu, tarot/angel card readings, massage, chi-king, yoga, reiki, meditation in high places, and holistic medicine. Jerry refers to it as the new age woo-woo factor. The hard working Mayans seem oblivious to all of this and continue to work, worship, dress and live according to their traditional ways. The people are generally short, the men are thin and pack heavy loads on their backs. The women are adept at carrying big baskets on their heads. They wear brightly colored, ankle-length, woven skirts and high-necked blouses. Many are true craftsmen and peddle their wares in big baskets, as they sit along the walkways. Everyone seems busy, and there are no beggars or street people.

The Catholic Church is dominant (60%) in Guatemala, but there are many Evangelical and Pentecostal churches as well. Whatever their beliefs and lifestyles, the various cultures and nationalities blend harmoniously in San Marcos. Most Gringo residents are fluent in Spanish. They all know each other, and parties are frequent—any excuse for a party. We attended two of them. The fellowship and food were terrific. There are no late night bars or streetlights in San Marcos. People mysteriously pass each other in the night with little interaction, yet crime is rare. There is no police station, although government police occasionally patrol the area. Early morning to late evening city announcements blare from speakers high above the Catholic Church, and a woman wails her haunting songs from another big speaker system at the Pentecostal Church late into the night. The barking dogs love to compete with both churches.

Lovely, quaint San Marcos with her shy, beautiful people has a picturesque view of several large volcanoes and many other small lakeside towns. To get to other sites around the lake, one simply catches an inexpensive boat taxi that stops at the dock often. Ironically, the Titanic has no life preservers.