The Iguana

La Iguana Perdida is a small hostel in Santa Cruz La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Solola, Guatemala. The owners are Dave, from Oregon, and Deedle, from England. The staff consists of Amelia, the 26-year old fiercely Canadian manager, Rusty, a 30-year old brit traveler who is newly converted to traveling without moving by working at the Iguana, Jan, more commonly known as Tiny (odd for a giant 35 year old Belgian man), who came here on vacation and has since returned to work. Last but not least is the British dive instructor Craig, who teaches scuba diving in the giant, super-deep volcanic Lake Atitlan.
Ten years in existence, the Iguana got electricity six months ago, but only in the bar, where now a person can buy cold beers. The rest of the hotel is lit in the evening with kerosene lamps. The walkways are lined with aloe vera, lime trees, coffee plants, and exotic flowers. It is one of the few places I have been that has a recycling program for plastic water bottles. The restaurant, staffed by lovely laughing young women from the town of Santa Cruz, serves everything from crepes and French toast to hummus, but no tortillas, only home made bread. Every evening, one member of the staff cooks a three course vegetarian dinner, served family style, with all the guests eating together in the bar. Often, guests are accompanied by locals who just come down to enjoy the company and tasty fare. At least a couple of nights a week, Dave and Dan come down and play silly songs on their guitars and drums, local favorites like “Dutch Girls”, “The Only Gay Eskimo” and of course, “The Chicken Bus” (see Transportation Blog entry for more information on these).
This magical place is made so by a combination of the setting (hammocks, tables and rocking chairs looking out over a giant lack and majestic volcanoes), the people who work there, and the local cast of characters. It is an easy place to get stuck thinking about life, reading, playing backgammon, and enjoying what it is to have deliberately chosen a paradisiacal lifestyle. One is immediately taken in, made to feel at home. A few days and you have learned the names of the locals and they yours, incorporating you into what feels like the neighborhood community that you always wished you had.
It is impossible to articulate the charm of such places, but these are the kinds of spaces that make one take a deep breath, evaluate their life, and realize that anything is possible; you really can make your life what you want it to be. And this would be a damn good place to do it.