Guatemala Part 16: Ipala + Chiquimula

Drove to Chiquimula, but broke it up with a hike up Volcán de Ipala on the way. The crater at the top isn’t ash and rock anymore, it’s a full lake, blue-green water ringed by cloud forest. Worth the climb just for that.

On the way up we ran into some local farmers who’d just killed a snake, looked like a boa constrictor to me, and obviously we stopped for photos. Xander held it up like a trophy. Sat lakeside for a while after, ate ice creams and a bag of Rufles, let the boys mess around on the little wooden dock.

Along this day we passed 3 clowns! 1 on a scooter and 2 on the streets in town, just standing there twisting balloon animals, staring into the middle distance. Did not stop to ask questions.

That night we found some random Chinese-run arcade. Calling it an arcade is generous; calling it money is more accurate, because we put plenty in and got basically nothing back out. Boys still had fun flailing at a bowling game for twenty minutes.

Woke up the next morning to a cow and her calf just hanging out grazing next to the pool bar like that’s normal. In Guatemala, apparently it is.

#unpavedparenting

HONDURAS