September 8, 2023
There's plenty of time for breakfast, even after we've packed, and everyone enjoys their favorites. Then it's down to the boat dock to climb about The Jenny for a trip across Lake Atitlan, which is quite huge, with a surface area of 130 square kilometers 50 sq mi!). Climbing in is a bit tricky but everyone's aboard and wearing our life jackets. During the trip we gaze in awe at the volcanos that ring the lake and at the verdant hillsides.
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Just time for one quick photo before we go to breakfast!
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| This is the construction we could hear during dinner! |
Soon enough we get to San Juan and meet our guide, Guadeloupe, who leads us up the steep main shopping street. Apparently this is where the native Guatemalan tourists come! Our first stop is a women's coop where fifty local women sell their handmade textiles. She demonstrates the entire process from dyeing to spinning to weaving and it's fascinating. Then it's shopping time!
On to the coffee shop where we are told all about how the coffee is grown and processed.
Then it's the chocolate shop! Again, the entire process from harvesting through grinding on a metate is demonstrated. We each try out hand at removing the outer skin from the beans and it's really tough! And who knew that the skins could be turned into a delicious and medicinal tea?
One last stop at the ceramics store!! This wasn't on our guide's itinerary but it's hard to stop a group in motion!!
Back to the dock for another descent into the boat and a trip to another small village, Santiago. To avoid the vendors our guide takes us up a steep and narrow path instead of letting us off at the dock. At the top we climb into three tuktuks and we're off with Samuel. Our first stop is the Peace Park, a memorial to all those who died during the civil war - soldiers against guerillas agains Mayans. At lot of the problem was that there was no common language, so the Mayans wouldn't understand what they were being asked and would give the wrong answer and be shot for it.
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| Hydroelectric plant!! |
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| Our trio of tuktuks |
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| Peace Park |
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| If you look VERY carefully, you can see another band rehearsing for Independence Day! |
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| Typical Mayan trousers |
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| You'd never know there was a shrine and a church inside that doorway. |
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| Lucky number 23 |
There's a stop at a viewpoint to enjoy the lake. Then it on to visit the Mayan Diety, Maximon, where the shaman is happy to accept our offering in exchange for photos. Through an open door way we can also visit a tiny church to Mary, where preparations are underway for a celebration. The huge speakers are playing such loud music that you can feel the vibrations throughout your body!
On to a textile store where the actual hand-embroidery is demonstrated and the gorgeous tops are sold. Santiago is the Land of Many Birds, so much of the work features our feathered friends.
Now it's a church, notable because of the shrine to Saint Stanley Franscisco Rother, a priest from Oklahoma who was murdered during the civil war. His portrait is particularly moving!
Last stop, the art gallery. Samuel had explained to us at the beginning of the tour that those who could not speak Spanish found their way into the arts, like painting, textiles, and wood working. Somehow we missed the wood, which is good since no one has any room left in their suitcases or quetzals in their wallets!
Back into the boat for a rapid and bouncy ride back to the hotel for lunch, after which we climb into the van with Gregorio. Bless him, he's already loaded all our luggage in the back! We're driving back to Guatemala City tonight so there isn't any fear of traffic making us miss our flights. It's a good thing, because traffic is pretty brutal!
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| It's amazing to watch these talented ladies! |
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| bookends! |
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| We all noticed that as we got close to the end of the trip, we wanted familiar food! |
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| Beautiful presentation of ceviche! |
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| Cool wifi sign for the password! |
We arrive back at our first, charming hotel and it's like coming home! We settle in and then meet for one last drink and to review our trip, with much laughing and future planning! Ginger gives each of us a tiny, beautiful little bag to keep a special treasure in!
The last minute packing has begun! Ginger stops by with my goodies that wound up in her shopping bags and I think, maybe, I'll be able to fit everything into my luggage!
Time for the last night's sleep on this glorious adventure!
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