Licuados and Lake Atitlan

CLICK: Papaya














I am sending my photo of fresh and yummy papaya to "CLICK: the photo event". Check out details here. http://jugalbandi.info/2007/09/click-a-photo-event/. April's theme is CLICK: Au Naturel.

I tasted my first Licuados when I was in Guatemala and spent about a week by Lake Atitlan. In general I love smoothies and milkshakes, but am always wary about the ingredients and yes the calories too! So when the waiter explained that I could have a Licuados and that it would be just fruit and ice blended into icy peaks, I was sold, doesn't get any better than that! Plus you could pick from yummy fruits like, papaya and water melon.

Lake Atitlan is about a 3 hour drive from Guatemala City airport and then depending on which town along the Lake you stay at is another 15 to 20 minute lancha (boat) ride. Getting there is quite an experience, and the views are fabulous as the lake is surrounded by three volcanoes. It is a fresh water lake, and great for swimming and kayaking too. It is one of the most serene places I have been to, and hope to go back soon. In the mean time, I will be enjoying icy mouthfuls of papaya licuados imagining those lake views in front of me!

I also have to share an aside if you will about papayas. I grew up in India and spent a lot of time with my grandparents in Bangalore, who grew all kinds of stuff in their "kitchen garden". They had a papaya tree as well, and back then had to force my sister and me to eat some for breakfast. We would whinge and whine as my grandfather goaded us on and explained the nutritional benefits of this fruit we loathed. Well, I now love papayas, and I'm still trying to figure out when the shift happened!

Anyhow, this is how I made this delicious treat.

Ingredients:

1/2 a papaya

juice of 1/2 a lime

about a cup or more of ice


Method:

Remove seeds from papaya using a spoon. Cut papaya into manageable slices and then slice the skin off carefully and dice into chunks. Blend, ice, papaya chunks and lime juice till smooth but still icy. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy icy spoonfuls! This probably makes two servings, but I had no problem finishing it just by myself in one sitting!

Views of Lake Atitlan and the three volcanoes

















Volcano Fuego smoking in the background as the sun is about to rise.