In early December, Misha and I finally made our first visit to Lake Atitlan.  It's one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country and routinely ranked among the world's most beautiful lakes.  Lago de Atitlan is less than 50 miles from the capital as the crow flies but can take over 4 hours to reach by car due to a combination of traffic and winding, twisting country roads.  It sits in the shadow of three volcanoes and was formed by a supervolcanic eruption some 84,000 years ago.  Eleven little towns, each with their own distinct characteristics, dot the shores of the lake, three of which Misha and I visited on this trip.