I´ve had a wonderful couple of days staying at Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz, I even managed to fit in a couple of dives in the lake and take my Altitude speciality course. It was a bit tricker that I´d expected, the altitude really messes up your bouyancy. I also managed to fit in a day of indulgence and cocktails at Club Ven Aca in Jaibolita with Lauren, they make an amazing version of a Mojito but with purple basil - gorgeous

I´m staying in a tiny little village called San Marcos, it´s a 30 min ferry ride from Panajachel where I spend Monday night and a whole world apart. The accomodation is all in small hostels and posadas, I´m staying at one called La Paz (peace) which was recommended by a jeweller I met in Pana. It´s really basic but quite lovely. Yoga classes in the gardens, plenty of hammocks and a traditional sauna which i´ll be trying out this afternoo...

Semuc Champay is reputed to be one of the most beautiful places in all of Guatemala, i´d have to agree. It´s a series of limestone pools that step down a limestone bridge that crosses the river. The river cascades underneath the top pool and emerges again 450m downstream and 50m lower. We had an amazing guide wh had us swim, clamber and slide all the way through the pools ( I chickened out at climind down the last waterfall on a very flimsy looking rope...

Probably not the most sensible thing but walking across the lava flows from an active volcano certainly was exciting. I´ve had an amazing 2 weeks in Antigua. met some lovely people and I can now hold a pretty reasonable conversation in spanish. Was even chatting about the state of the education system over dinner last week! Off up into the mountains now for a few days quiet time, horseriding and volcano climbing is pretty tiring stuff

I´ve survived my first week and had a lovely weekend just mooching around the city and doing lots of lovely touristy things. I climbed all the way up to the hill of the cross to get some amazing views over the city to Volcano Agua beyond. I also went to see the Cathedral and the church of San Fransisco where there was a festival going on to celebrate the patron saint of Antigua, San Pedro. I just didnt quite fit in the time to do all my homework for school ...