Bike talk: I went minimal on this trip and rode the old Panasonic. I love its simplicity. Pretty much everything can be repaired in one of the pokey, hole-in-the-wall bike shops found in almost every village.

Passing by corn fields, a sight synonymous with Guatemala. I stopped for a picnic and three local farmers ambled on over to chew the fat. Despite a few areas nearby carrying safety warnings (road banditry is still popular in Guatemala), this stretch was unusually friendly. The hippy hair and dreads I’ve been cultivating seemed popular – women in a colourful local garb laughed, smiled and even called out for their friends in Cakchiquel when they saw me toiling up the hills, which are ridiculously steep in some places.

Views down the valley from Xepatan.

These buses are my friends. Even when they engulf me in dust and diesel fumes on the climbs…

Back down again to the ‘main’ road between Gordinez and Patzun.

The view of Lago de Atitlan from Gordinez, a vast body of water ringed by three volcanos. Aldous Huxley described it as ‘the most beautiful lake in the world.’ Quiche folkore agrees, calling it one of the four lakes that mark the corners of the world.

The long descent from Gordinez down to Panajachel is still closed at one point, damage wreaked by the hurricane two months ago. Bikes can pass through no problem though.

Catching a lancha across the lake to the backpacker hangout of San Pedro la Laguna.

The view back to the 3020m Volcan San Pedro from the utopian, perfectly manicured hippy hangout of San Marcos, a boat hop away from San Pedro.

Local fishermen paddling from one village to the next.

The Penelau Hotel, close to the market in San Pedro de la Laguna. A lake view room like this costs a whole 20Q – that’s less than 3 dollars. Each morning, I limbered up at a yoga class held close to the shore. I hung out with a bunch of fellow travellers from England, Germany and France, listening to great live music and endulging in a few fiestas at night…

Back up the climb again. It’s a 500m, 15km incline from Pana, which is situated at 1500m. Then the road lurches back down again a few hundred metres, before the big dirt road climb up to Xepatan at 2700m.

I rode back some of the way with Martin from the Netherlands – who I’d first met way back in Creel, Mexico – and Nancy, who hosted me with Matthew through the Warmshowers cyclist’s network. Six cyclists gathered together to gulp down the biggest meal I’ve enjoyed in some time… a heap of delicious pasta, followed by freshly baked cakes and ice cream… Thank you!