The Earth Lodge - Near Antigua, Guatemala

15th - 16th September

Morning at the Earth Lodge revealed what an awesome place the hostel was. Nestled into the mountain side with an unobstructed view down into a huge valley in which lay a small city on the outskirts of Antigua. Three huge volcanoes rose up on either side with clouds draped over their peaks, one of them was not sleeping and occasionally belched dark clouds of volcanic ash into the sky. 

The site was well spaced out over a large piece of land with one dorm, a couple of covered pitches for camping and several private cabanas tucked away in the jungley fringes. In the centre was a large lodge that served as a communal area with a well stocked bar, kitchen and fireplace. 

There was a serene vibe to the place and the owners, a Canadian guy and his American wife, had managed to create a really welcoming, homely atmosphere which is hard to do in a back packers joint. One of the best things was that aswell as tourists the Earth Lodge attracted a a local crowd, half of the people staying were from Guatemala and it was cool to be able to meet local people and chat about their lives, work and travels etc... 

I have to say I didn't do a huge amount during my day and a half at the lodge. I joined the yoga classes in the morning, a young Canadian traveller led the classes for a fee of Q35, mats were laid out on a covered concrete platform on the edge of the mountainside looking out over the valley, it was the most spectacular and relaxing place I have ever done my morning stretches and what a great way to wake up! 

The rest of the day was spent catching up with people on the interweb, reading, drinking coffee and enjoying the view as the clouds drifted in and out of the valley like slow motion waves washing up onto a steep beach.

Most of the staff were either locals or travelling volunteers and in the evening a vegetarian set meal was prepared by the resident English chef. Everyone sat down at 7pm on the long tables and ate together, the food was delicious and it was great to meet such a varied bunch of people. A small fire was smouldering away at the end of the room and with some rearranging and a good 15mins of blowing I managed to generate enough heat for a hot base to keep the wet logs blazing. Placing my wet boots on the fireside I carefully kept them turning like marshmellows until they had finally dried out. It was soo nice to sit by a warm fire, whilst it wasn't really cold, there was a definite chill to the air and it made me think of home... I am looking forward to getting back and sitting by the fire!

On the second night I became aware that the beds were supplied with blankets and pillows and that some cheaky Aussies had stolen the bedding from my bunk the previous day thinking it was empty. I had slept just under a sheet with my tank bag for a pillow and woke up shivering in the night. This time I had it sussed and curled up under a couple of cosy blankets and a plump ass pillow. I was ready for the next leg...