Those small villages surrounding the lake have been inhabited by different lineage of Mayan descendants, namely Tz’utuzil, Kaqchikel and K’iche’, respectively. All the groups were colonized by the Spanish. Though Spanish influence had been permeated in daily life, each group still attempts to maintain respective traditions, being different from each other’s.
From their hotel room, a view of the lake with the dormant volcano Volcán San Pedro, in the background, offered them a grand view.
Next morning, the duo rented a local boat from a teenager to take them to a tour of various villages along the circumference of the lake, while exploring a few ones in depth. As the boat began its journey, a distant active volcano with a trace of bellowing white smoke came to the view. At the end of the tour of a number of villages, the duo requested the boat-driver to take them toward the center of the lake to experience the beauty of the surrounding nature from there. This was the time when the boat driver mentioned about the existence of various local fish in the lake.
Soon, on one side of the moving boat, a lone man at a distant boat was seen to enjoy the day while reading a book sitting in a lotus position on his boat. “Must have been fishing the whole day, now taking a break” the boat driver announced. Both Bob and John requested to take their boat next to the gentleman’s boat to socialize with him. Soon both boats came close to each other. After exchanging greetings, the hermit-like gentleman handed over the book, written in a local language to the boat driver.
For Bob and John, their boat driver translated the title “The Old Man and the Sea,” by Ernest Hemingway.