Lago de Atitlan

Aldous Huxley described Lake Atitlan, located in the western highlands of Guatemala, as the most beautiful lake in the world. "Lake Como" in Italy, he wrote, "touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing."

I haven't seen Lake Como (or many other lakes), but Atitlan is undoubtedly stunning. I'm not much for landscapes, but I couldn't resist. From the north side of Atitlan, near Tzununa, August 2008:


There are 3 volcanoes on the south side of the lake: Atitlan, Toliman, and San Pedro (the big one on the right). I woke up early one day and took this photograph of San Pedro:


The view from our room was a great incentive to get up early. Here's one from a different morning, at 5:44 a.m.:


The photograph is much clearer than I was at the time.

If you follow the orange flower, you can see Colleen swimming in the lake:


Finally, a slightly vulgar self portrait: