thefouramigosblog

We had a very busy week with our friend Keith.  On Thursday we visited Finca Filadefia, a nearby coffee plantation.  It’s a nice place to visit with exceptional views.

The coffee tour started in the nursery with all the baby plants.

We picked a bean and squeezed it.  The juice tasted sweet.

The laborers pick about 100 lbs. a day for very little money.  The women graft the robust coffee root to the Arabic coffee root to keep the plants from dying due to a pest in the soil.  Women do this work because of the Ph levels in their hands.

After the tour in the fields, we went to the place where they dry the beans.

The workers turn the beans to aid in the drying process. Their coffee is used in Guatemala and they also ship to the US.  They have the Starbucks account.

We ended in the roasting area and to go there we had to darn hairnets and wash our hands.  The boys looked so cute!

The equipment was not running when we were there but the guide said they ran it earlier in the day.  I think they roast two times a week.

We ended the tour with a taste of the coffee.  It was delicious.

Finca Filadefia also offers canopy tours and Keith decided to stay and do that.  He said the first section was short and easy.  He decided to do the second canopy tour which took him over the canyon.  All I can say is he said, OMG!

For dinner we ate at the Porto Hotel.  I had chicken, Bruce had vegetable lasagna and Keith had squash ravioli.  I liked mine but I don’t think Bruce or Keith were impressed.

For dessert I had tres leche cake and Keith had fried dough in sugar cane syrup.  Not that we needed more sweets.

On Friday, William picked us up at 7:30 to go to the Pacific Ocean and the town of Monterrico.  On our way out of town, Fuego was puffing away!

There is a turtle sanctuary here but unfortunately it was past the season.  But they had some cool reptiles!

I was in dire need for caffeine so we went for breakfast. I think I screwed up their timelines to accommodate a breakfast break.  I had pancakes with fruit, Keith had a crepe and Bruce had a typical Guatemalan breakfast.

After breakfast, we each received a mangrove plant to plant in the mangroves.

William came along with us as well as Jorge.  Jorge was our interpreter.  We climbed aboard an unmotorized boat that the captain paddled and steered with a long paddle stick.

We saw a lot of birds and the ride was very tranquil.

We also saw white pelicans.

We rode around for quite sometime, even going in among the mangroves.

We finally reached a little island where we planted our mangrove trees.   I shouldn’t say we.  I let Bruce do it for me since the ground was so soft you could sink in up to your ankles.

The rest of the ride was lovely.  Although very hot here, we had a nice breeze.

The rest of the day we spent at the beach.  It’s a black sand beach due to the volcanoes.

The boys frolicked in the surf as I took photos.  It looked a little rough for me.  That’s Keith being consumed by a wave.

Even William joined in the fun!

What a great day we had!

We said our goodbyes to Jorge and thanked him for being our interpreter.  On our way out of town, we did stop by an ice cream place to get smoothies.  Even in Guatemala you can find ice cream by the beach.

For our last night eating out with Keith, we ate at Samsara, a vegetarian restaurant.  Bruce and I shared baba ganoush with pita and onions, tomato, avocado and mozzarella on a baguette.  Keith had some vegan noodle dish.

It turned out to be a great meal!

We said our farewells to Keith!  It was a fun time and we enjoyed showing him around our favorite city.

I think we are going to rest today!

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.

Valentine’s Day – no run of the mill restaurant for us.  Bruce and I and his friend Scott had a marvelous breakfast/brunch at Las Farolas.  I had banana pancakes, Bruce had an omelet and Scott had a Chapin breakfast.

After our delicious meal, we walked around the luscious grounds of the hotel. As with everything in Antigua, this garden is behind locked doors.

There were beautiful and exotic flowers everywhere.

The day was unusually cool and the air moist.  We were anticipating rain but decided to walk to the park.  It was a quiet day in the park, possibly due to the weather.  Not much happening there so we visited Wilma and her sister Elda, and watched as they worked.

 

For dinner, we walked to Como Como, a restaurant we heard was one of the best in Antigua.  Across the street were some ruins and they looked impressive in the night light.

The inside of the restaurant was lovely and we sat out in the courtyard.  We had dinner with Scott, Martha and Ted.

I had a pasta dish with shrimp and squid; and Bruce had chicken cordon blue.  It was all delicious.

Today we met up with Patty and Chris and went to the market.  Our first stop was to visit Samuel, a local artist.  I bought two little paintings for my kitchen.

It was alive with activity and the veggies looked amazing.

When we walked through the meat section, I seriously thought about becoming a vegetarian.

We had had a great lunch at a rooftop restaurant that specializes in crepes.  We had a chicken, mozzarella, pesto crepe that we split and then a strawberry crepe for dessert.

It was a delightful place for us to hang out with friends.  The view of Fuego was great.

I always marvel over the textures and colors of buildings, whole or in disrepair.

This evening we had dinner at Martha and Ted’s place.  She made a delicious dinner with a side Guatemalan dish.  I brought a carrot cake from San Martin.

What a terrific way to end our day!

We had a busy couple of days.  Yesterday we had our friends, Patty and Chris, over for coffee.  After sitting around a few hours, we decided to go out walking.  We went to the market looking at all the beautiful items.  I had a piece I needed ends finished and this lovely woman, Nelly, finished it for me.

Her son, Isaac, was a great salesman.  I found quite a few great finds there.

After what seemed like hours in the market it was time to chow down.  We went to this cute little restaurant, Chez Christophe.

We had a delicious meal.  I had spatzle with mushroom and bacon.  Bruce had tuna carpaccio and Patty and Chris had a salad and pizza.

After dinner we headed home and called it a day.

Today our first stop was the park.  We ran into Ruth and made a purchase of a beautiful runner.

We had lunch at Cafe Contessa with Bruce’s friend Scott and his brother-in-law, Ted. They make a delicious tomato quiche.  After lunch we went to the bodegona which is a large supermarket.  We needed to get a few things there including bug spray to kill the little ants in our apartment.  The bodegona is always a zoo and The aisles very narrow.  I escaped with my mental health in tact though  I needed a cup of coffee to get through the afternoon.  We just happened to be passing Guate Java one of our regular coffee cafes from last year.

This evening we went to a costume party at Caoba Farms.  Actually it turned out to be a costume party for kids but Ted still dressed up.

I am clocking quite a few steps walking around Antigua.

Darren is an avid fisherman and as part of their trip to Guatemala, I booked a day fishing trip through Buena Vista Sportfishing.  Our driver picked us up at 5am sharp for our one hour drive to the coast.  On arrival the dawn was just breaking.

The driver asked if we wanted breakfast but the truth was we really were ready to fish.  Our boat the Legendary had two crewmen, Omar and Manolo and the captain, Tito.  Manolo took our pictures before we headed out.

It was a beautiful morning and the ride out of the canal to the open ocean was amazing.  There were a lot of beautiful homes along the way.

It was amazing out in the open ocean with the volcanoes in the background.

We weren’t 10 minutes out before the first sailfish hit.  Darren, the expert of the bunch, was up first.  He pulled the sailfish in quicker then we expected.  Our Captain did an awesome job, maneuvering the boat to aid in reeling in the fish.

We were ecstatic.  Adrenaline was pumping and we were all ready and waiting for the next hit.  Bruce was up next and his fish was fighting.  I was worried more about his shoulder than the fish.  But shoulder forgotten he nailed a big one.

In the midst of Bruce’s catching his quarry, another fish was on the hook.  Tracy was up and she fought and brought in a dorado.  For those who don’t know what that is, it’s called dolphin fish in the Atlantic and Mahi Mahi in Hawaii.  It was a keeper.

Next fish was mine.  It started out great, I had a sailfish on the hook. But just a few minutes into it, something happened and I had a searing pain go through my head and had a full blown migraine.

The pain was too intense so I turned the rod over to Darren.  Then Tracy finished bringing him.

I was down for the count but it was still fun watching the fishing madness on the boat.  By 8:30 we had six fish.  Two dorado and four sailfish.  It was going to be a great day.

Manolo and Omar cut up the fish and made delicious fish sandwiches.  We were eating Tracy’s catch. Later he made ceviche.

After lunch the excitement continued.  More dorado and more sailfish.

 

We had moved way above the double digits.  None of us had ever been part of such a catch.  This was not a relaxing boat ride, catching a few fish.  It was hard work and some fatigue was setting in with intermittent adrenaline.

By 4:00 pm we had scored 18 sailfish and 6 dorado.  It’s was a very successful day.

Wow what a day!!

Monday night our friends, Tracy and Darren, arrived from the US.  It was late and they had a long journey traveling, so we went to bed early.  We have a lot to see during their short visit.

We awoke yesterday morning to cloudy skies which is quite rare this time of year.  Generally the weather is sunny and between 75 and 80 degrees during February and March.  We had breakfast at Cafe Escolonia which is a nursery but also has an outdoor cafe.  Tracy and I had crepes with fruit, yogurt and granola and Bruce and Darren had a typical Guatemalan breakfast.

After breakfast we headed to the park where Tracy and Darren bought a beautiful table runner from Ruth.

We had coffee with friends and then we walked around the city admiring the ruins, and checking out restaurants and many stores.  We stopped at Nim Pot – sort of a KMart of local textiles and odds and ends.

We stopped by the park and checked out the cathedral, where I photographed Volcan de Agua.

Our six mile walk took us to La Merced, a beautiful renovated church.  It looks like it is a wedding cake.

For dinner we ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Mamas.  It’s a Mediterranean style restaurant.  Bruce and Darren had Mahi Mahi  and Tracy and I had chicken kabobs.  We also had a delicious appetizer.

Up early today for a fun and relaxing day at Santa Teresita Spa.  We began this adventure by first going through a thermal circuit which is supposed to help circulation.  The first pool was over 100 degrees but felt very nice.  As part of the process we had to completely submerge.  That was great until we had to go in the 75 degree pool.  This one felt more like 50 degrees.

After that 10 minutes in 98 degrees and 10 minutes in 88 degrees.

Then we had to start all over.  Most was wonderful with the exception of the frigid pool.  I’m not sure if it improves circulation but I definitely felt relaxed afterwards. As part of the spa package we were given warm, cozy robes.  Instead of Laing in the sun, we walked about the spa and climbed to the highest level.  Great views of Pacaya Volcano which provides the waters to the spa.

After a nice lunch we all enjoyed a 75 minute massages.  What a way to spend a day.

For dinner we ate at Las Farolas, just down the street from our apartment.  Tracy had pasta, Darren and I had a combination of Guatemalan food and Bruce had the Guatemalan lasagna.  All served with fresh baked bread.

To bed early tonight, we have to be up at 4am to go fishing!

Last night we ate at Las Farolos.  Bruce had pepian and I had a Guatemalan lasagna.  It was a great place and dinner was only $19.

We woke early this morning and headed to Caoba Farms, where we had breakfast and bought some vegetables and farm eggs.

We ran into a few friends and then took a walk around the farm.

At Caoba Farms they also have a few farm animals.

We spent the day walking the streets and taking in the sights.  Bruce had a cigar in the park, an event I photograph on every trip.

There was this darling little girl in the park.  She was so intrigued by the quetzals we gave her.

We ate a great meal at DeVines.  We had pasta with pesto and chicken and hibiscus tea.  Our meal was under $20.

After dinner we strolled back to the park.  It was alive with music and protestors, families and sellers.

It was another wonderful day in Antigua!

We finally returned to Sydney after 11 days cruising around New Zealand.  The Sydney Opera House was outside my balcony when I woke this morning.

What an amazing place.  Linda and Stan are staying with us one night before they fly home.  Bruce and I have another five days.  Our Airbnb is quite cute.  It blends the old with the new.

Since it was early when we disembarked from the ship, we decided to go out for a little breakfast.

We decided to take the train over to Bondi Junction to get cherry strudel.  Unfortunately, the strudel they had was not good so we disappointingly settled for something else.

We returned to Newtown and walked around getting familiar with the new neighborhood.

We stopped at a pub for steak dinner.  We’ve found the places don’t look great but the food is good and cheap.  By the time I took this picture I had already finished most of the salad and half the steak.

After dinner we we returned to the apartment.  We played cards and just chatted.  At 7:45 am we saw Linda and Stan off.  We sure are going to miss them!

 

Today we anchored in the Bay of Islands in Northern New Zealand.  This was a beautiful area although we did not get to see the blue green waters because the sky was cloudy and gray.  But even so, it had the majestic feel that so many bays have where the mountains come nearly to the water’s edge.

We didn’t know what we were going to do today and Linda and Stan were thinking of staying on the ship.  While Bruce and I were pondering what to do, several pods of dolphins began swimming around the ship.  The next thing we saw were the tour boats coming out by our ship to see the dolphins.

We took the tender to land and a free shuttle bus took us to Paihia.  We walked around, went to a craft show and ate some ice cream.

 

There were several things we thought about doing but nothing seemed to work out. We decided to head back to the ship.  Lazy us went in the hot tub and pool and later played cards with Linda and Stan.  That was eventful enough for us.

I think the dolphin siting this morning was the highlight of this stop.  However, the sky started to clear a bit when we set sail.

Today was a sea day so we didn’t do much.  We did have formal night tonight and I had two lobster tails.  Yummy!

I woke up with a migraine this morning and when I looked out my balcony window at the port, I decided to sleep in a bit more.  Auckland has to be one of the ugliest ports so far.

Once I was up though, I was committed to give Auckland a try.  We didn’t book anything, so the four of us figured we would do what we usually do. Walk around aimlessly and see what pops up in front of us.

I did have a brilliant idea to find the best bakery in Auckland.  We stopped by one place, recommended by a security guard at the terminal, but there was no seating.  So more wandering until we found Dunkin’ Donuts.  Now I love Dunkin’ Donuts but that wasn’t what I had in mind.

Next door was an entryway with escalators up one level.  Of course we followed.  Walking past a sushi joint, a massage parlor and some other undefinable establishment, we ended up on a back street.  We crossed the street, entered another alley and there was Gloria Jeans Coffee.

I had a cappuccino, Bruce and Stan had smoothies, Linda had a long black and we ordered two raspberry/rhubarb tarts.  Yummy.

After our little indulgence we were ready for more exploring.  There was a wall exhibit dedicated to suffragettes.  I believe  the women of New Zealand were the first women worldwide who gained the right to vote in 1893.

Further on we entered Albert Park.  Guess who Albert was?  There was a big statue of Victoria in the park.

Next we went to the Clocktower at the University of Auckland. It was an interesting old building with mosaic floors.

Linda and I love to look at old churches.  We found St. Paul’s. Unfortunately it was all locked up.  One of the stained glass windows was a knight.

We walked past the sky walk and apparently you can jump from this sort of like bungy jumping.  We didn’t see anyone jumping today.

After our walk, we headed back to the ship where we spent the afternoon in the pool, hot tub, and sleeping on the loungers.

We played cards, had dinner and now off to bed.  One more port in New Zealand!