Xela is a place where it’s easy to get lazy, even though there’s so much to do in the surrounding area. So many of my Saturdays and Sundays are spent lounging around the house, eating, drinking, chatting and playing cards with my roommates. Or meandering around town, catching the morning sun.
But it’s good to motivate oneself to do something on the weekends, because there is so much to do around here. After yesterday, I know what my favourite day trip is: a hike to El Baul.
El Baul, a small mountain with a pretty lookout, has been jokingly referred to by XelaWho as “the most scenic place in Xela to get mugged,” so should only be hiked during morning or early afternoons on Saturday or Sunday, when there are lots of people on the trail and at the top. But going on the weekend is great, because all the Guatemalan families on outings adds to the holiday feel.
So here: how to have a great Sunday in Xela.
Step one: meet a group of friends in the rotunda in Parque Central.
Step two: stop on the way for a delicious, greasy lunch of street food.
Step three: find the trailhead. There’s a few options, and locals in the neighborhood at the base of the mountain can point you the way. Even better idea: go with someone who’s already been.
Step four: walk the path. If you want, take the extremely steep shortcut for a bit more adventure, but otherwise take the long and easy path and say hi to everyone that you pass.
Step five: Enjoy the view from the top. Notice the various couples making out at the lookout.
Step six: head behind the lookout to go to THE SLIDES. These step and long concrete slides would NEVER pass a safety test in North America. But just look: crowds of kids, teenagers, adults and even elderly folk zipping down the slides on sheets of cardboard or plastic! See: this is all it really takes for people to get together and have a good time. Try not to hit the concrete wall when you fly off the bottom of the slide.
Step seven: walk down the mountain at a leisurely pace.
Optional: stop for ice cream back in town.
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