Coffee and Cakes at the Crossroads Cafe
For the next three days we based ourselves in the small town of Panajachel, on the shore of the beautiful Lago de Atitlán, a 320m deep volcanic lake.
From here we visited the bustling markets of Chichacastenago, a confusing mix of decrepit churches and wealthy looking hotels. After too much shopping and not enough cocktails we headed back to Panajachel to watch another sunset over a Micheladas. These are the local cocktail of choice, essentially a Bloody Mary made with beer in place of tomato juice, alongside the tabasco, worcester sauce and lime juice, and took some getting used to.
Special mention to the Crossroads Café in Panajachel – the owner Mike Roberts grows, roasts and brews the best coffee I’ve tasted, alongside a wonderful selection of cakes and a great welcome.
http://www.crossroadscafepana.com (0-27 Calle del Campanario, Panajachel, 07010)
Our last day in Panajachel was spent touring the Lago Atitlán, ending up on the other side where we visited a small village and got to drop into a tiny school, completely disrupting lessons, but hopefully teaching the kids a few new (polite) phrases in English.
That evening back in town everyone had turned out for a parade – never could quite figure out what they were celebrating, but people seemed to be enjoying themselves.
