When I first heard the name Lake Atitlan, it conjured up a a god from Mayan mythology, an overseer who overlooked a pristine lake in a caldera of a volcanic nation. It turned out to be partially true, as it was the name given to one of the many volcanoes that ring this glistening lake in the mountainous center of the country.

My first glimpse of the lake was during a multi-day trek that terminated on an overlook of this lake. We arrived at this viewpoint at before dawn, in the calm stillness of the night. The jeweled lights of the villages dotting the lake mirrored the star-spangled banner that was the sky. Venus shone brightly above the eastern horizon anchoring the sky, while the blazoned gold of Fuego's eruption did so for the volcanic horizon. And below it, the dark glassy blue of the lake stretched into the distance, interrupted only by the shimmering reflections of the city lights.

It was freezing at the viewpoint in the early morning, and I was only warmed by hot cocoa slipping down my throat. And despite the lake of sleep, my mind was fully engaged in taking this expansive view of Lake Atitlan.

Lake Atitlan
Guatemala