Lake Atitlan from the San Pedro Volcano

Lake Atitlan from the San Pedro Volcano
Lake Atitlan from the San Pedro Volcano

24 April 2012

Fuentes Georginas



Krista and I took an afternoon trip to Fuentes Georginas yesterday. These hot springs were set in the most idyllic scenery: strangely tropical for such a high elevation, but with cool mountain breezes, along with a dramatic wall of vines and ferns cascading around a steep but gentle waterfall. The three man-made pools differed in temperature, where the first was fed by piping hot natural sulfur water. The second pool was a combination of an overflow of the first pool along with a less steady stream of colder water. The third was an overflow of the second. Neither Krista nor I were able to put anything more than our toes into the first pool, but the second pool was perfect for soaking, and we spent nearly an hour taking in the scenery and speaking Spanish with our two travel companions: Eduardo, the brother of the woman who runs our school, and Janet, a student at our school from Germany. 


The trip to Fuentes Georginas included taking an hour-long chicken bus to the neighboring town of Zunil, where we needed to find a driver for the 30-minute drive up the volcano to the hot springs. Most people find a pick-up truck to jump in, and ask the driver to wait for an hour or an hour and a half until you are ready to head back down the hill. Eduardo found a friend with a car to drive us, which ended up being much appreciated as the drive down the hill in the back of a pick-up truck would have been quite chilly while being so wet. 


The entire experience was extremely refreshing, especially as it came one day after our hike to the highest peak in Central America. Our bodies needed to relax, and there was no better place than in the hot springs at Fuentes Georginas.

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