I want to set the record straight before the rumors start, yes we are emptying the pool at La Piscina, BUT La Piscina San Pedro is not going belly up just yet. Some-times, we have to make hard but logical decisions and now is the time for me to make mine. In the past five years, La Piscina San Pedro has gone through different phases. Being a different kind of place, it was not always obvious that it would be successful, but it was. The first year was hard, tour-ists were not interested in sharing a space with many kids that made it noisy and chaotic. But the second year, the novelty wore off for the locals and the place became a very idyllic after-noon hangout. Groups of travelers made it their official hangout and attracted many more people. The Sunday BBQ brought in up to 150 people at one point. Although the Sunday BBQ is still very popular, its seems that the rest of the week has become less and less “happening”. I personally blame the internet, world economy, weath-er, the last municipal administration and the competi-tion, in that order. Also the administration at La Pi-scina, I just don’t know where to put it on this list.The new generation of travelers are spending more time on the internet during the daytime. In turn this is

effecting every afternoon based business. A couple of years ago, a hotel room was a place to sleep and take a shower, outside of that the tourists would be

out, meeting new people, doing activities and visit-ing places. Now, they can stay in, watch the latest episode of their favorite TV show, update their Fa-cebook status and skype their friends back home or anything else available on their own computer, iPhone, iPad, etc.In these conditions La Piscina was doomed. The best day we had at the pool in recent history, was

the day the electricity went out and nobody had access to the internet. They stayed at the pool all afternoon, drank booze and played volleyball. It was great, but it didn’t last. Electricity came back, so did internet and back to the keyboard they went.With all that said, the bar and restaurant at La Piscina San Pedro will still be open, but we have to empty the pool to cut back on maintenance costs. We don’t know what we’re going to do with the empty hole in the ground, but we will continue to serve good food and drinks, hoping that our regular customers will not be too angry about the disappearance of the body of water. Last chance to dip in : This Sunday’s BBQ.

Viva San Pedro !Last chance to use the pool!

La PiscinaSan PedroBar & Restaurant

Swimming pool

Billiard

Boccie balls

June 2nd 2012, Saturday’s Edition

Viva San Pedro

Although San Pedro has a great selection of restaurants serving great food, on a Sun-day afternoon, a hoard of tourists and locals gather at La Piscina for the Smokin’ Joes’ BBQ. Is it the smell of the wood smoker, or the various kinds of meat sizzling on the grill, that attracts the hungry mob or just the established reputation that makes people come, and then come back for more ?Since the BBQ is hosted at the pool, you can also bring your bathing suit and start losing those calories you’ve just gained by letting

the kid inside you get excited with the splash-es. You know there’s really no risk when you

don’t wait an hour before jumping in. But if you do get a cramp, just stand

up. Nestor, the man behind the Smokin’ Joes’s BBQ is in love with his meat. He pampers it, he ages it, he marinates it, and well, you get the point. What also makes the BBQ a good deal are the side dishes, your plate will be so full you won’t be sad that seconds aren’t in-cluded. There is also plenty of vegetarian options. So don’t be shy, join us at La Piscina from noon to 4pm, Sundays, rain or shine !

Sunday is Smokin’ Joes’ BBQ 2

Viv

a Sa

n Pe

dro

Trust us to organize your activities and all your transportation needs.

Agencia Maya Tzutujil (Also Postal Services)

While travelling, life can be tiering. New hotel every couple of days, long bus rides, weird connection waits in doggy terminals, etc. After a while, the pleasure of travelling can start to suffer. The energy level is go-ing down. Lots of travellers say that after 3 months changing town every couple of days, the magic start to wear out. Yeah, another temple, yeah, another ruins...

There is a solution for that problem. Its easy. When your travelling brings you to a place where you feel comfort-able, just stay there for a while and re-charge the batteries. One of those place is (and you’ve guessed it) San Pedro La Laguana.

The longer you stay in San Pedro, the harder it is to leave. The Pedranos are nice people and spending time in their

village is simple. But what makes it even better is that the gringo community is go-ing the extra mile to make your stay here comfortable. Great food at very cheap prices, hotel that cost less than a coffee in your home town Starbuck and friendly bar and restaurant owner that just want to know new people and tell them their stories over and over again.

So, when travelling Central America, make sure that you keep a couple of ex-tra days or even weeks to recharge the batteries in San Pedro La Laguna. If we had a dollar for every tourist who told us they were leaving San Pedro tomorrow and then met them again a couple of days later, we’ll all be retired. It’s the San Pedro effect. If you stay more than 4 days, you’ll feel it too. Don’t you deserve a break ?

Recharging the batteriesViva San Pedro 3

San Pedro.La Piscina

Bar - Restaurant - Swimming Pool - Oasis

Get off the virtual

reality andJoin us

in the real world !

* * * Best

Afternoon Hangout

4

V

iva

San

Rising Minds pro-vides a plethora of opportunities to con-nect with the com-munity around Lake Atitlan and in my short time, I was able to experience two. First, they’ve been building an Earth-house about 30 minutes away from San Pedro, and twice a week they invite everyone to join in on the dirty fun. I was only going to go once, but quickly became ad-dicted to watching this school grow right before my eyes, and to feel a part of it. Each week, however many volunteers, from few to many,

gather to get their hands dirty with muck building the walls for the school out of recy-cled bottles and natu-ral dirt. I was amazed how this structure grew and how solid and beauti-ful it became.

We worked side by side with the local mothers who helped build and fed us watermelon, laughing and making jokes all the while. Cheeky children played in the background and then climbed all over us at the end, bringing a huge smile to my face and a connection to the place. It gave me something to look forward to and something to be proud of, and it was as easy as saying “I’ll come to-morrow and work for a few a hours”.

Rising Minds also supports many cultural immersion pro-

A Volunteer’s Perspective [Rudy]

Trust us to organize your activities and all your transportation needs.

Agencia Maya Tzutujil (Also Postal Services)

Gypsy’sBored of your travel clothes?

Second-hand clothes, hip and unique piecesWe also do alterations & repairs

grams that allow visitors to connect with local members of the community by learning from different experts about their craft. I chose to try the traditional weaving class where in one day you not only learn the tech-nique, but also pro-duce your very own scarf wo-ven on a traditional backstrap loom. The ladies were sweet and helpful, and answered all of my crazy questions about both the prac-tice and general life around the lake.

Sitting for hours doing rep-etitious handiwork and seeing how intricate and interesting the pattern is makes you ap-preciate just how labor inten-sive each product is. This ex-

perience is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life (around my neck). So even if you have only a short period of time, ask Rising Minds about different ways you can connect with the community. No mat-

ter what you choose, you are bound to have a rewarding and fun experience.

I know I did.

Viva San Pedro 5

Health Care Center “Los Volcanes”San Pedro La Laguna at 100 metres of the Panajachel

Dock, next to Hotel Mansion Del Lago.

We offer the services of :

Medical LaboratoryDentist and Health Care Doctor

24 hours Emergency

7823-7656 — 4951-7330 — 4013-1967

RESTAURANTE15 years of

experience in serving you the best food

Happy Hour 5-8 pmGreat daily specialsFriday : Fish Night

Jenny’s ClosetSlightly Used Clothes,

Amazing Prices

# 5

on t

he M

ap

So many photo opportunities. Just walk around San Pedro and take some pictures. Then send them to Viva San Pedro and we’ll publish them.

Take a walk on the photo side !6

Viv

a Sa

n Pe

dro

Viva San Pedro 7

SUNDAY

AT NOON

Smokin’ Joes’ BBQ

Hotel Sak’cari El Amanecer

Beautiful Lakefront Eco-Hotel

www.hotel-sakcari.comE-Mail : hotelsakcari@yahoo.com

(502) 7721-8096

San Pedro La Laguna

You may have heard horror stories about the bank machines in Guatemala. Unfortunately, some of those are true. Here’s mine. I don’t remember exactly when and where I used my card for the last time, it could have been in Antigua or in Coban that I withdraw-al some money and ev-erything seem normal. I am of a suspicious na-ture, I wouldn’t put my card in a machine that looked tempered with. After my trip, I put my card back in its box, where I almost never use it. I have a business in San Pedro, therefore I have revenues and I don’t need to take money from my Canadian account, but six months after my trip, I had to finance modifications to my business be-cause of the rising water. I took my card to the San Pedro ATM but it refused to work. I tried to connect to my bank by internet, but my card was blocked. I called my bank to find out that they blocked my card 6 months

before because they felt it was cloned and someone was illegally making withdrawals. They were right, but the problem is that be-cause I didn’t notice it soon enough, they re-fused to do any investigations and refused to

refund me the $1500 that was stolen from my account. Appar-ently, I am supposed to check the move-ment on my account even if I know that I’m not using my card. So, if you use your

card in Guatemala, especially in Antiqua, make sure you check your balance regularly and contact your bank if you see your card was cloned. I don’t know if it’s true but I’ve been told that Belgium banks are forbidding the use of cards in Guatemala because they were tired of reimbursing there customers. The problem is real. Prensa Libre, the big-gest newspaper in Guatemala has done sto-ries about it. My personal opinion is that certain banks are part of the scam. So be careful, check your balance and con-tact your bank rapidly. Don’t be like me and trust the system and the banks when they say that we are never responsible in case of fraud. Apparently, there are exceptions to that rule and I was taught the hard way.

What about the bank machines ?8

Viv

a Sa

n Pe

dro

YoMama’s Casa

* Fire Pit / Hammocks* Kitchen / Pool Table* Free Coffee and Tea

# 26

on

the

Map

Flor del cafe The Best Burger in San Pedro Speciality : Big Sandwich #

27 o

n th

e M

ap

Viva San Pedro 9

Certified Legal Translator Traductora Jurada

English - Spanish / Spanish - English inglés - español / español - inglés

All forms of translation available. Se hacen traducciones Legales y Libres

(Police Records, Birth Certificates, etc... all Documents related to Residency)

(Documentos relacionados con el trámite de Residencia)

Cel: (502) 5487-7010 joanne.kemp06@gmail.com

Wednesday night, 7 pm

Pub Quiz with Great Prizes

-- Open every night at 5 pm --

While Antigua and Xela also have many Spanish schools, you should consider San Pedro as your primary source. You can study in a tropical garden with a view of the lake. (If you don’t like your teacher, don’t dislike the school, just ask for an-other teach-er. It’s your right)The school that offers the most ex-tra services is the San Pedro Spanish School. They offer conversation classes, dances classes and other activities. You can also partici-pate in their “Niños del Lago” project where you can teach English or something else to local kids. This is a different way

you can practice more Spanish without spending more money. Living with a family is also available. But be careful with that, if you are the kind of person that likes to meet with other tour-ists, join them for dinner and go out, then

the routine of living with a family can be a little con-straining. But if you want to practice more, living in a family will help.

If you prefer a smaller school, there are many schools with only a couple of teach-ers. Just go for a walk and ask question about what they have to offer. If you can, try to meet your future teacher. Good learning !

Studying Spanish in San Pedro

!

Home Cooking, Homemade Pasta

or Take Away

Open from may 23rd to may 30thClosed may 31, june 1st to 4th

Open june 5th to 9th 12:00 - 17:00

I decided to go to Guatemala to study Spanish in August-September 2010. I compared the Spanish schools on the web and was completely charmed by the San Pedro Spanish School. It looked very organized on their website and it had very good reviews .My plan was to spend 3 weeks in San Pedro and then 1 week in Antigua.My time in San PedroI spent one night in Ciudad de Guatemala and went di-rectly to SP. I was completely enchanted, from the first day, by this amazingly beautiful little village! I felt completely safe as soon as I arrived. Of course, you should use your common sense (I would not recommend to wear expen-sive jeweler, carry laptop in an obvious way, go on a trail without asking the locals if it is safe) but you can walk without any fear during day AND night time (which is great for Central America and Guatemala).

I took four hours Spanish lessons/day. It was a little bit hard at the beginning but great! The sun was shining most of the time (even during the rainy season, in August-September). My les-sons (one-to-one) took place in the garden of the

school, on the verge of the Lake (so beautiful!). My teacher, Clemente, was super nice, and I had a very good time studying Spanish with him! It was a de-light to go to school every day in such amazing conditions! I was living with a local family, Pedro and Deborah. Pedro was a renown Mayan painter of the area (you can even find a little article on his work in the lonely planet!). Deborah was one the nicest person I have ever met and she really made me feel at

home! Staying with a host family gave me a real feeling of the place and helped me tremendously to improve my Spanish!

(Continued on page 11 ->)

My experience at San Pedro La Laguna10

Vi

va S

an P

edro

Restaurante

Jakuu’#

11 o

n th

e M

ap

SUNDAY

AT NOON

Smokin’ Joes’ BBQ * Massages * Reiki * Hypnotherapy *

Acupressure * Kinesiology Meditation * Waxing * Pedicures *

Courses * and more! *

Just a Short boat ride away. Come with this

Ad, and get a 10% discount smholisticcentre@gmail.com

Tel: 4905­5117

There is a special atmosphere in San Pedro: this is probably due to the astonishing beauty of the place mixed with the kindness of its people. San Pedro was an excellent spot to have both a local experience and meet gringos from all around the world (US, Cana-da, Israel, Germany, Belgium, …), And to mix relaxing time with nature activities.

I did kayaking, hiking, biking (exhausting but I really recommend it, you have breakthrough views of the lake and the volcanoes!!), zi-plines, salsa classes, visits to other villages of the lake (Panajachel, San Marcos, Santiago-where you can see the local ‘God’ Machimon), day trip to Chichicastenango (the biggest mar-ket of Central America). I also went to swim daily to ‘la Piscina’-definitely the nicest place to swim to hang out and to meet people! You also have many opportunities for yoga classes, horse riding, get a cheap massage, a wonderful haircut at 2 dollars, go to very entraining quiz pub … ;)

When you arrive you might think you will be

bored easily, but when time to leave comes, you just de-cide to stay longer. There is always something to do or new great people to meet! In my case I finally spent only 2 days in Antigua without any regrets!

San Pedro is for you if:• You want to be in a super safe place in Guatemala• You want an unique experi-

ence of ‘peacefulness’- this works if you are ‘peace and love’ but also for ‘normal’ people (I am a law-yer!)• You want a place a little bit touristic but which keeps the authenticity of a typical Mayan village (more genuine than Panajachel)• You want to enjoy the outstanding beauty of the Lake Atitlan at every second• You want to meet nice people and in an easy way• You want to do be active but to relax too• You want an unforgettable experience in a mar-velous place.

Viva San Pedro 11

Saturday Brunch All you can eat for 40Q 10 am to 2 pm. -- Open every night at 5 pm --

Tacos : 3 x 12 q

Quesadillas : 13 Q

Tortas : 17 Q

Good, cheap, fast

Open until 1 am every night

Abierto hasta la una de la mañana todo los dias

12

Viva

San

Ped

ro

Viva San Pedro !Info : vivasanpedroguatemala@gmail.com Production : Daniel BazinetCollaborators : Alex, Camille Photo : Daniel BazinetDistribution : AdrianInformation : 5304 7357www.vivasanpedro.net

Quality FoodAt Affordable Prices

Monday-Saturday : 8am-10pm. Sunday : 4pm-10pm

Sa

n P

edr

o l

a L

ag

un

aSo

lola, G

uate

mala

La p

isc

ina

Sa

n P

ed

ro

23

El

Ba

rrio

2

425

8

2 9

212

214218

219

220

221

213

216

217

H

Ma

rke

tH

H

H

Ka

ya

k

&

&

Ch

urc

h

Post

offic

e@

@

@

@@

@

@

@$

H

HH

H H

H

H

H

HHH

Bo

at

to

Sa

nti

ag

o

Bo

at

to

Pa

na

jac

he

l

Ro

ad

to

Sa

n J

ua

n

Es

cu

ela

Co

op

era

tiv

a

Ro

ad

to

Sa

nti

ag

o

(Un

sa

fe)

H.R

. Mik

as

o

Bar &

Res

taur

ants

1

La Pi

scin

a Sa

n Pe

dro

2 M

ikas

o Ho

tel &

Res

to3

el Ba

rrio

4 Th

e Bud

dha

5

Jenny

’s Clo

set /

Le ja

rdin

6

The C

love

r7

Vent

ana

Blue

8 Ja

rach

ik9

Coco

’s10

Ta

com

ex (#

10 &

#27)

11

Jaku

u’12

Zo

ola

13

Hum

us Y

a 14

Lo

le’s /

Hea

lth Fo

od st

ore

15

Gypsy

’s / Los

Volca

nes / P

ollo P

edrito

16

Alle

gre P

ub17

D’

noz

18

Chili

es19

On

e 20

Sh

anti

shan

ti21

Bu

rrito

Fact

ory

22

La C

lau

24

Agen

cia

nMay

a Tz

utuj

il25

Ho

tel S

ak’ca

ri26

Ho

stel

Yo’ M

amas

28

Flor

del

Cafe

29

Co

med

or El

ena

30

Casa

Bla

nca

Legen

d :R R

esta

uran

tsH H

otel

$ B

ank

or A

TM& M

useu

m@

Inte

rnet

San P

edro

la La

guna

(.net

)

1

Co

me

do

r

• Jua

nita

H. V

illa

So

l+

Ad

a’s

Ma

ss

ag

es

H. T

i-K

ajj

H

$

215

R

H

67

2

211210

H

222

• Zuv

uya B

ook

Yo

Ma

ma

’s C

as

a

Ta

co

me

x

Tacomex

Gyps

y’s •

Los V

olcan

es •

Jak

uu

’

@

The Clover

Ventana Blue

The Buddha

La Pu

erta

•

R. T

ulan

Kan •

D’Noz

223

224

227

H. S

ac

k’c

ari

H. S

an

Fra

nc

isc

o

225

230

231

229

226

228

Flo

r d

el

Ca

fe

Viv

a S

an

Ped

roviv

asa

np

ed

ro.n

et

san

ped

rola

lag

un

a.n

et

La C

as

ita

Ric

a

Ag. Maya T

zutu

jil

Hum

mus Y

a

Escuela S

an Pedro

Idea C

onnection @

2

2

Casa B

lanca

Com

edor

Elena

30

29