This time the destination was the highland town of Zunil, which is served by the Salama river and surrounded by verdant agriculture fields.
Zunil has a pretty whitewashed church which dominates the town centre and a great women's weaving co-operative where we did a spot of shopping.
The town itself wouldn't win any prizes for beauty but it is its setting, nestled in the volcano's valley, which makes it worth a visit. Oh, and more people watching. I wish I could carry a bundle as big as me on my head...
Given that we'd exhausted Zunil's 'sights' in about 40 minutes, it was lucky that we also had another reason to be there. We'd heard that the best natural hot springs in the area were a 20 minute ride uphill from the town.
Santos agreed to drive us in his pick-up truck and I have to admit that this new transport mode did almost give the buses a run for their money! A beautiful drive up through lush, steep fields with spectacular views of the volcano. Oh, and I thought I'd shock you all by including a photo for a change ... with me in it!
We spent a peaceful few hours soaking in the hot water and sunning ourselves before some low cloud crept in and spoiled the fun. Fortunately, Santos was there to pick us up again and we made it safely back to Xela on yet another bus.
Tomorrow, no buses, just our own two legs and lots of puff. We're off on a 3-day trek, taking in the 50km from Xela to the shores of Lake Atitlan.* As Don would say, "no problem for endurance athletes like us!" Yikes...
* no blogging for a few days!
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Location:Quetzeltenango, Guatemala
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