Christmas In Panajachel, Guatemala

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After the sailfishing fun, we took our catch and returned to see our friends in Panajachel.

We let the sailfish go, of course, but kept the dorado (mahi-mahi). The total catch was around 130 pounds, and we had a heck of a lot of meat to go around.

So the next day we called an “invite your friends” fish cook-off.

The Mak'Tub restaurant would cook our catch, and provide all the sides, soup, full deal for only a few dollars a plate. Had a great turnout of old friends and a few new ones.

Christmas in Panajachel is a crazy time. There are fireworks everywhere.

Mike had shown us how amazing some of them are. The best are the enormous 3-4” thick ones that look like a huge stick of dynamite. They pack a crazy punch, are insanely loud, and really will blow out windows.

For Christmas eve, our buddy Jon decided to hang with us for the craziness. First we started off with Mike and the kids and a bunch of people blowing up firecrackers up and down the street. Everyone was blowing up stuff. You really need earplugs to sleep.

The kids all throw either small popper fireworks, or something called “Silvadores”. Silvadores rule.

They are basically a screaming soda straw bottle rocket without the stick. You light them, let them start screaming, and throw them. And when you get good, you can aim them pretty well.

After the family-friendly fireworks were over, the popping slows until just before midnight, when all hell breaks loose, and everyone goes into the streets and pops fireworks. It’s awesome.

To kill time waiting for midnight, we had beers, and got in a Silvadores fire-fight with the bar next door. It was amazingly fun.

We had lunches with our friends and their families, and rested up for the trip out of Guatemala.