KIP'S LATEST FOR MEN'S JOURNAL: MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKE ON EARTH

At the luxury boutique hotel Casa Palopo, Todd roughs it as a Men's Journal model. 

A few weeks back, we took a quick detour from El Salvador to visit Guatemala's Lake Atitlan for a story Kip was writing for Men's Journal. 

In addition to checking out the lake, arguably the most beautiful in the world, we also braved a visit to the stunning Casa Palopo, a former villa turned luxury boutique hotel that features some of best views of Atitlan, including the one above, plus an infinity pool and two heliports. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon or two. 

See our Photo Friday of a lightning storm over Lake Atitlan.

Preview to the story is below: 

Men's Journal: The Most Beautiful Lake on Earth

When German explorer Alexander von Humboldt famously called Guatemala's Lake Atitlan "the most beautiful lake in the world," he was just trying to be accurate. Surrounded by the towering volcanoes that helped create it, Lake Atitlan and its cobalt blue waters set a scene that borders on being "too much of a good thing," as English novelist Aldous Huxley later wrote. But the area isn't just for Prussian explorers and British recreational drug enthusiasts: The area around the lake has a sublime hiking, paragliding, climbing, and mountain biking scene.

For starters, visitors can sign up with a machete-toting guide and tackle some of the countless trekking trails that crisscross the hills. Weave through coffee plantations, avocado trees, and corn fields en route to...FULL STORY

BROTHERLY LOVE AND FAREWELL

Todd and Kip enjoy a romantic sunset on an unnamed beach.

After a fun visit from Kip's brother Todd, it was time for him to head to his new "retired" life in London. 

Kip pretending he's a surfer in Tamarindo.

But not before one last surf session in Tamarindo. 

Farewell, big brother. 

Yes, Todd caught a few waves. 

We had an amazing time and are so glad you came...but...

Most of them briefly.

Here's hoping you retire better than you surf! :)

See you in London!

FUNNY MONDAY: TODD VISITS A BATHROOM

Todd ponders that age-old question, "To pee, or not to pee?"

You see a lot of strange public toilets while traveling--like the one in Korea powered by remote control and the one in Nepal where users are charged a fee depending on the length of their visit. 

Nicaragua took things to a whole new level though, as Kip's brother Todd discovered while at a rodeo in San Juan del Sur. 

Seen above standing precariously in flip flops on a wet, muddy board, he contemplated whether he'd be better off just walking around the back of the shed. 

Meanwhile, two ladies waiting in line for the "DAMAS" stall have a good laugh watching the hesitant gringo. 

Ultimately, he decided to wait til we got back to the hotel. Good decision, big bro!

MOTORCYCLE SCHOOL BUS

Relieved to have arrived safely, Todd and his school-kid passengers wave for the camera. 

What started out as chance to explore the hills and beaches around San Juan del Sur by motorcycle turned into much more--that is, once we finally figured out how to start and shift and stop our motorcycles properly. 

Nicaragua's booming surf town has become somewhat of a tourist haven, at least since Kip took Spanish lessons here 15 years ago. Hotels and restaurants now line the long, crescent beach. Souvenir stands and surf shops abound. 

Yet just outside of town, the area remains remote, navigated by dirt roads through monkey-filled forests and onto deserted beaches more frequented by sea turtles than sun-loving travelers.

Kip gives a student a ride home.

It's also a place where kids have to walk long distances to get back-and-forth to school, as Kip and his brother Todd discovered while passing an elementary school a few miles outside of town. 

After driving slowly past groups of backpack-toting students walking the road with no houses in sight, we stopped to talk to two young boys. Nico and his cousin Tomas were heading home, and they immediately asked if we could give them and their friends a ride. So, while driving extremely slowly and carefully, we did. And then we did again.

Finally, after dropping off the final student in front of his house and waving to his smiling parents, we got back to our ride. 

Todd doing some serious downhilling.

The road's end--Kip on a deserted beach a few miles north of San Juan del Sur.

VOLCANO BOARDING

Liz flies down the Cerro Negro volcano on a sled made of plywood and hay string. Safety first. 

In the annals of extreme sports, volcano boarding has to rank in the Top 10. 

Thought up by a bored Australian backpacker turned hostel owner in Leon, Nicaragua, the activity involves riding a piece of juiced-up plywood down the steep, black slope of an active volcano at speeds of up to 58 mph (current record).

Liz and Todd wave hello, leading the train up the volcano. Yes, riders have to carry their own boards.
While everyone comes for the trip down, the views on the hike up aren't so bad either.

Breaking the legal speed limit while sliding down lava rocks on a piece of wood? We were definitely giving this a shot. 

Todd and Liz getting instructions from our guide.

The volcano, Cerro Negro, is actually Central America's youngest (born 1850) and its most active, last erupting in 1999. On the one-hour hike up, riders haul their boards past steam spewing from vents along the route. Rocks in various places are hot enough to melt your shoes. 

Despite the heat and the fumes, we hung around, took some photos, goofed off with the 20 or so others on the tour, and finally got around to boarding down the big black mountain. 

After an instructional briefing from our guide, we slipped into our orange prison jumpsuits and donned our protective goggles (both necessary to stop the flying rocks that bombard boarders like doubt all the way down). One by one, we readied ourselves for launch.

No, none of us was able to break the world volcano boarding speed record...although an American guy from our eclectic group (ages 17-43; six continents) did...58.7 miles per hour (they use a speed gun)...on a piece of thin plywood turned turbo using a thin piece of metal and some Formica. 

Insanity. For those wondering, the three of us didn't even get close to that. Maybe next time.

Todd, Liz and Kip with their volcano boards.
The white rectangle is formica, used to reduce resistance. It has to be replaced after every ride.

Liz seconds before her attempt to break the world volcano boarding speed record.

If you'd like to try out volcano boarding, get yourself to Leon, Nicaragua, drop by the Bigfoot Hostel, and say "volcano boarding" to anyone you see. They'll direct you to where to sign up. Tours leave in a huge orange construction truck around 9 most mornings. 

Todd takes his turn down the volcano.
The takeoff is scary enough, but not to worry--the last 100 yards is way worse.

FUNNY MONDAY: VOLCANO JUMP

Some days, you might as well jump. At least, that's what Van Halen said. 

That's what Kip and his brother did, from a rock atop an active volcano during our first stop in Nicaragua. 

Tomorrow, we show how they got down the mountain...an extreme sport called "Volcano Boarding."  Stay tuned...

PHOTO FRIDAY: VOLCANO LIGHTING STORM

Luckily for us, Guatemala's San Pedro Volcano wasn't erupting. The 10,000-foot cone is just taking a beating from a lightning storm that's migrated across Lake Atitlan and settled around its peak. 

With Kip's brother Todd in tow, we took a quick detour to see what's been called the most beautiful lake in the world. We also had to check out the AMAZING Hotel Casa Palopo for a story Kip's writing for Men's Journal. 

Next stop, riding a piece of plywood down an active volcano in Nicaragua. Safety first!

BUSES, BEACHES AND A BROTHER IN EL CUCO

El Cuco's main street leading down to the beach during rush hour.

After cooling off in the mountains, it was time to get back to the beach before heading south to the volcanoes of Nicaragua. Plus, Kip's brother Todd had joined us for a couple weeks and he really needed to learn to surf.

A kid about to smash an egg on Todd's head.

We headed to El Salvador's eastern beaches and the town of El Cuco, famous for wide swaths of sand, nesting sea turtles, and the nearby surf break Las Flores. 

Cuco would be our last stop in El Salvador, and probably our last time (and Todd's first) riding the country's bone-rattling local bus system, so we made the most of it. 

At the San MIguel bus terminal, after a three-hour slog from San Salvador (we splurged...no chickens allowed inside the bus), we convinced a cheeky young Salvadorena to crack some cascarones, eggs filled with confetti, on the head of an un-suspecting gringo named Todd. Both were terribly amused.

After an hour waiting at the station, we hopped a local bus from San Miguel to El Cuco. 

As is typical, the already full bus stopped every few hundred feet to pick up additional passengers, who simply have to wave an arm from the side of the road to get a ride.

 

Todd and Kip prepping to surf.

"How many people are gonna fit on this bus?" Todd asked. Great question.

As we crammed together a little closer, allowing for six women in starched nurse uniforms to squeeze past, Kip gave him the standard answer -- "at least one more, brother, always one more."

An hour later, the bus pulled into El Cuco, a dusty, oceanside town frequented on weekends by vacationing Salvadorenos and most other times by international surfers.

Besides a few food stalls by the water, there's not much for visitors to see. The main attraction is a long walk or short pick-up ride over rolling hills to the famous surf break of Las Flores.  

As seen in the photo below, the waves were a bit large for us, so we surfed the waves right in front of our eco-friendly hotel, La Tortuga Verde.

Yes, Todd learned to surf. Skip one photo for the visual proof.

No, it's not Todd or Kip surfing. But Kip did take the photo.

Yes, Todd caught a few waves. Mission accomplished.

We squeezed in a little fun at sunset. 

For some reason, Liz loves beach cows. The herd of adolescents above was even more fun than Zanzibar, she says.