I can’t believe it’s been two years since I arrived in Guatemala with just one suitcase, ready to start a new life in the remote Northern region of Petén. My now ex-boyfriend and I had bought a house there that I’d only ever seen in pictures. Here’s a quick recap of everything that’s happened since.
The house was old and almost abandoned, sitting by the lake. The previous owner hadn’t visited in years. There was no gate from the road, the deck was rotten, and water would leak through the damaged roof, which we had to cover with a plastic sheet. We didn’t have running water or electricity at first, but two guys came over to set up the power, allowing us to install a water pump. Finally, we didn’t have to bathe or wash dishes in the lake anymore.
Though things were rough, the sunsets were stunning right from the start. We quickly painted the house, replaced the rotten thatch with a plastic roof, and divided the space into two rooms for some privacy. We built a wall, got a gate, and fixed up the deck and beach area.
Our little hut became a chicken coop for our first three hens—Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner—and their many descendants. They’ve since moved because of space and have been joined by turkeys, ducks, and geese.
We built a new room using local stones, wood, and other materials. It has its own bathroom, closet, and living space/summer kitchen on top. We now list it on Airbnb, along with two rooms in the main house. We live in a third, smaller unit finished a few months ago, which has its own living area, a nice bathroom, and a rooftop bar with panoramic views over the lake. From the lake, the three structures are barely visible.
We had a tough winter when the lake rose to the deck level, forcing us to burn the old deck down and build a higher one. After 18 months of hard work, we finally took a break from renovations and turned our attention to another project: 90 acres of land half a mile down the road.
The land was wild at first, with weeds so tall we’d get lost in them. Getting the land legally split into 100 individual plots without paying bribes to the council was a challenge, but after a year, we had our property titles! We brought in a caterpillar to clear roads, built a wall and a gate, and burned the land a few times to control the weeds and help the grass grow stronger.
The land has amazing lake views and two forest areas where you can still hear howler monkeys. We also bought a beach in front of the land for residents to have water access. We’re building a stone road to launch boats, a beach area, and a better deck. We plan to sell smaller, more expensive plots right by the water, targeting foreigners who want to retire under the Guatemalan sun on a small budget. Land and construction costs are much lower in the North.
Next year, we plan to keep improving the 90 acres, continue selling plots, and finally enjoy a worker-free house with our Great Dane, Napoleon, who joined us seven months ago. That’s two years of hard work and sweat in a nutshell. Where were you two years ago?