Dubbed Gringotenango because of its popularity with western tourists, Panajachel stands 100 miles west of Guatemala City on the northern shore of Lake Atitlan, a flooded caldera often described as the most beautiful lake in the world. Temporarily, at least, that is no longer the case. Pete Leslie, a British backpacker, said: “The floods have left a 50ft ring of rubbish all around the lake.” He added that the once-clear waters have been contaminated with mud, sewage and flood-borne debris.
As Leslie and 375 other foreign tourists were escorted to the capital, locals insisted that the town would be open for business within the month. Duncan Aitken, who runs a travel agency in Panajachel, said: “I’ve been here 20 years and I’ve never seen a