A Trip to the Lake

Last year we made a trip to Lake Atitlan and spent two nights there.  We were quite disappointed since we had high expectations.  Not knowing where to go, we spent one night in Panachel and one night on San Marcos.  Panachel is similar to most port towns.  People living on the fringe, many hustlers and overcrowded.  San Marcos, noted for its yoga and meditation venues, was more a place for California trust fund babies.  What I wanted was an atmosphere untainted by westerners; a place where the Mayan culture prevails.  We found that on this trip.

William, our driver and our amigo since we met him last year, picked us up at 6:30.  Our friend Scott was coming with us since he had never been to Lake Atitlan.  Fuego was puffing a little on this morning.

 

Our first stop was to Katok, a friendly, roadside restaurant.

 

We had a good breakfast.  I opted for yogurt, fruit and granola.

 

While I was waiting for food, I bought a sheep fur lined jacket which works for Bruce and I.  He was cold so he got first dibs.

In the distance we could see Fuego puffing away.  As we approached the lake, we stopped at an overlook.  It was a beautiful morning.

 

Once in Panachel, William turned us over to the care of David, who was to be our guide for the day.  We found our boat and we were on our way to San Juan La Laguna.

 

It was absolutely magnificent on the water.  A crisp breeze and a little wave action made the ride exhilarating.  And the lakes three volcanoes majestically rose from the  lake.  This was proving to be a much better trip already.

On arrival we saw the tiny wooden boats the locals use to go fishing.

San Juan is a quaint town steeped in Mayan tradition.  Our first visit was to an art gallery of a local Mayan woman.  Her art was so interesting, I bought a small piece  of artwork.

 

There were several art galleries on the main road.  There was also an herbal garden where we learned about the different herbs to make medicines.

 

A Mayan calendar was carved in a wall along the upper part of the main road.

The street art was very interesting.  David explained the meaning of each piece.  One was about courtship, one about coffee beans, another a more abstract piece reflecting thoughts and power of the mind, and another about childbirth with a midwife.

 

The most interesting stop was to Casa Flor Ixcaco.  This was a coop of weavers who grow the cotton in the mountains, clean it and turn it into thread all by hand.  They use natural plants, trees, fruits and coal for dye.  Johana demonstrated the entire process.  I even had the opportunity to clean the cotton removing seeds.  It was not easy.

 

After cleaning the cotton, they meld the pieces together and use a long double tong tool to make the fibers smooth and soft ready for spooling.  They do this for approximately 20 minutes.  The cotton comes in three shades: white, brownish and khaki.  The next step is to start spooling thread by hand and by spindle.  This takes approximately 15 hours.

 

Johana demonstrated crushing black coal and explained how it takes about 12 hours for the cotton to absorb the natural dies.  The longer the process the darker the color.

 

Once the cotton is dyed and dried, they begin to work on the threading of the yarn.  This can take a week or more.

With the yarn prepared, the weaving begins utilizing a back strap loom.

There were so many beautiful items to choose from.  I settled on this lovely scarf.

We also visited a Catholic Church.  On San Juan the Mayan and Catholic religions live in harmony.

Our last stop before heading to the boat was at a chocolate making shop.  It was interesting and we had the opportunity to try orange chocolate.

Back to the boat we headed towards Santiago.  This town did not have the quaintness of San Juan.  Everywhere there were people selling their goods.

We found our way to a restaurant where we had lake black bass.  It was delicious.

After lunch we headed to the central square.  David introduced us to a Mayan woman who demonstrated how a traditional head ware is worn.

Even a Guatemalan coin was developed honoring the Mayan culture.

We visited the Catholic Church in the town center.  The men dress in traditional Mayan garb in San Juan La Laguna.  They were preparing the church for Easter.

There was a relief of Lake Atitlan in the Central Park where people gather.  I really love the artwork everywhere.

David took us down tiny alley ways passing colorful buildings and a carpentry shop which specializes in coffins.  We ended at a Shaman’s house but we could not photograph.  The burning of sage was overwhelming in the small room where a coffin with a body was in the corner.

It was time to head back to the boat for our return to Panachel.  It was slightly rougher on the lake but the fishermen were out in their boats. A party boat was rocking along.

It was a long day but a wonderful experience.  As we headed out of town the sun was  in the process of setting.

What a wonderful day we had at the lake.  It gave me a whole new perspective and appreciation for Lake Atitlan.

Today we had a quiet day.  We took a walk to town and checked out another restaurant behind a wall.

We had afternoon coffee at Cafe Boheme where we had our favorite pastry in all Antigua.

For dinner we ate at Zoolas and had a delicious dinner of vegetables with tahini.

As we walked home, another wedding was taking place at San Jose el Viejo.  What a wonderful place to be.  We love Guatemala.