Travelling Across Lake Atitlan

Yesterday we went to Pana in the morning and did touristy things until about 2PM. The day after that point was quite terrible but before I tell you about it I want to show you a painting I got from a gallery/meditation garden/workshop of a Mayan painter from Panajachel. We had a wonderful tour by the artist's wife and one of the many bizarre things we saw is this cow/monster painted onto the natural face of the rock. I see an elephant in the picture that I got, but what I like most is that it reminds me of this wonderful museum/studio.


Well, then we went to lunch which was lovely until we received a phone call from the Hospitalito. I was with a family medicine doc, a pediatrician, the volunteer coordinator and her husband. The information we got from the hospital is that a boat had sunk in the lake, and there were about 12 people on board some of whom had died before being rescued. The survivors were being brought to the Hospitalito but there were only 2 people working at that time: one doctor and one nurse. We were called and asked to come back immediately.

The ride over to Pana had been a little rough, but to be honest I didn't think it was that bad (compared to going to San Pedro on Tuesday). But sometimes the wind does pick up in the afternoon and with it the waves as well. So we had a bit of a dilemma because we could either take a big, slow and perhaps safer boat back or take a small, fast and perhaps less safe boat back to Santiago. In the end we hired a small boat just for the 5 of us and made sure there were enough life jackets (which we all wore). It was, to say the least, a nerve wracking 30 or so minutes. We saw from the boat that there were about 100 people or so all crowded at the boat dock where we later learned two bodies had been taken to shore.

When we arrived at the Hospitalito there was one French woman who was hypothermic and had aspirated quite a bit of water. I think that her husband had died shortly after arriving at the Hospitalito. I don't want to say too much more to respect their confidentiality, but here is a link to a news clip about the accident. The Malaysian archbishop also died in the accident. Apparently this was the first accident/drowning in 7 years on the lake. We ended up stabilizing the woman and transferring her to a private hospital in Guatemala City. Riding in the back of the ambulance on Guatemalan roads through mountains was, well, not easy on the stomach. It took a little bit over 3 hours to get to the hospital, but it seemed like a very good hospital where she would be in good hands. Here is a picture of Jen (family medicine doc) on the way home in the ambulance. I slept (quite soundly) on the floor of the ambulance on the way back and didn't wake up until we arrived back at the Hospitalito around 2:30AM.

I've thought a lot today about the accident, the people who died and their families. It is still a shock that something like this could have happened. Hundreds of people travel in these boats across the lake every day. I travel in these boats several times a week without ever having seriously considered that something so awful could happen. I did go out on the lake today in a kayak, but stayed very close to shore and wore my life preserver. Apparently the passengers on the boat were urging the captain to go more slowly or turn around but he didn't listen. I believe he is currently in police custody. Supposedly it might be safer for him with the police as I've been told that the community sometimes takes justice into their own hands.

Well, I think that is enough to report for one entry. Today Lago Atitlan, supposedly one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, feels to me like a monster.