Baby Turtles & Airplanes in El Paredón

Turtles! Planes! Santa Claus?! El Paredón delivered just about everything a girl could want on a mid-December weekend in Guatemala.

Ho Ho Ho! That’s Santa in a plane, about to take off and give glad tidings to those enjoying their morning swim in the ocean below. It was bizarrely entertaining to see a man in a Santa suit in 80 degrees, flying to and fro in an airplane.

Picture it with me, will you? Are you laughing? You should be.

When the pilot approached and asked if I’d like to take a turn, I hesitated for a moment because the price was a little steep. Then I found out that he had once lived in Austin, Minnesota (Spam Museum, anyone?), and well, the rest is history. Off we went (be prepared to see a lot of feet photos):

Last but not least, the turtle hatchery! The Driftwood Surfer takes donations to help support a hatchery that is located down the beach. During the season, turtles are released into the ocean every morning around 6am. Only ONE in 1,000 babies will survive (one!), and in approximately seven years, the survivors will return to the same place to lay their own eggs.

Anyone looking for a quick weekend getaway from Antigua should definitely check out El Paredón. While a random plane and Santa Claus might not show up, who knows what else just might?