Chichicastenango and Antigua! In other words, Guatemala continued!

Wish you were here! Enjoy the photos!

The last morning sunrise at Lake Atitlan! Beautiful volcanoes!

Market day in Chichicastenango, where Mayan Indians come from the moutains to sell their wares, and to stock up on food and necesseties until the next market day (occurs on Sundays and Thursdays only!) It is an artist's paradise with all the colors! I LOVE IT!

Catholic Church in Chichi, originally built in 1510 by the Mayans and taken over by the Catholic Church after the Spanish invasion.

Britney, your possible wedding flowers everywhere in Santa Tomas Hotel in Chichi!

Our room/suite in Antigua at Palacio de Dona Leonor! Absolutely gorgeous!

Looking into our bathroom! Check out that sink!

From just outside our door looking into thye lobby area! Ceiling completely open in the hall!

Just outside our door!

Going downstairs to the lobby! All is handpainted on the walls!

So, how embarassing is this? No makeup yet a photo! Check out our dinner menu! Can you believe we paid this much for food! JK! It's listed in Quetzals, the currency used here. Exchange rate has been between 7.50-8.

Lobby at night! Breathtakingly beautiful!

My salad!My Apple glazed pork meal! What food presentation!Bar at hotel!

On our breakfast table this morning! Nice way to wake up!

Hotel lobby!

Ruins in Antigua of the Convent, after the huge earthquake many years ago!

No way to even begin to describe the beauty here!

Architectural genius!

See the volcano in the distance? I think Guatemala has 40 some odd volcanos, and recently one erupted, spilling ash all over the city!

On the charming cobblestone streets or Antigua, every building is painted, and flowers of countless species grow!

More ruins!

Inside the Jade Museum and factory!

Yet another ruin!

Another building in Antigua!

Our hotel!

Clock tower! I absolutely love this place! Have already painted one watercolor of it at home and cannot to start another! John and Anita, my friends, have an apartment and their bedroom window is on the left looking out onto the top of the clock tower!

Isn't she precious!

These dried flower arrangements are everywhere! I believe they are likely left over from the carpets of flowers and colored sawdust each family makes for Holy Week every year, representing their family "crest" of sorts.

Sundown in Antigua! See the volcano poking through!
"From beauty to ashes and back again!" Oh, how I love this country, it's people, it's charm and beauty...and how God loves them far beyond what they can even comprehend! That I could be the hands, feet and voice of God to even one person~ adult or child~ here would thrill me!

More Guatemala...!!!

Words not really needed; pictures say a lot (well, maybe not a thousand words but a lot)!! Great day of beauty on the lake, of all 4 volcanoes our hotel room overlooks; delicious breakfast with only 2 other people anywhere around, and we sat outside, enjoying the breathtaking, rich, historic vistas...shopping in the boutique here; then rode a "tuk-tuk" to Panajachel, just acoss the lake, where we were hounded to death by all the Mayan vendors in the street: from the most elderly (one precious woman, likely in her 90's, begged me in a Spanish dialect to purchase from the goods on her head. She kept patting her sweet little heart, with such rugged skin, deep set beady eyes, and pointing all the while to the top of her gray head) to the youngest, probably around 8 or 9 years old, male and female, reducing the "quetzals" necessary to purchase their wares. On the way back, the sun was glistening on the lake waters, appearing like millions of diamonds...we had no dinner, as we ate a late lunch of chicken toquitos with Guacamole, complete with the most delicious Pina Colada! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Stay tuned for much more!!!

Guatemala!

YES! I'm here, safe and sound! Thank-you for praying for me after I had my weekend meltdown before leaving. We had a non-eventful flight to Miami and another non-eventful one to Guatemala. My beautiful friend, Sandy, picked us up at the airport, treated us to lunch at Tre Fratelli~oh my goodness! Yummy!

We then took a quick trip by her Mom's home to pick up some of the food she prepared for our dinner at Estuardo and Melissa's house. We hosted Estuardo last year through the F.A.C.E.S. Program, which Sandy is President of. His sister, Melissa, was also in the USA, studying at a different school and living with a different host family. However, she spent much time with us, so I claim her as family, too. Guisela, their mother, and Daniel, their father, were there, as well as Sandy's husband, Raul, who is an opthamologist in Guatemala City. We were treated to a spread of native Guatemalan food: Pepian~ a meat dish of chicken and beef, lots of spices and green beans, added to some native vegetables! Delicioso! Served with that was rice with corn, freshly prepared refried beans with Guacamole and sour cream, and fresh hot tortillas; Tangerine juice was our drink of choice. For dessert Guiseal served friend Plantano, topped with sugar and a very unique and delicious hot drink called "Atol", a creamy corn drink with cinnamon. They have a beautiful home, with plush tropical gardens. As we were leaving, Estuardo presented me with some gifts for me and my family (including my mom and sister) and Guisela also gave me a gift. She is an architect who understands much English but speaks little English. Yet, a hug and a smile mean the same thing, no matter the language. Some pictures from our evening:

Estuardo and Melissa's house

Sandy, JJ, Me, Melissa, Guisela, Estuardo
Estuardo, Me, and Melissa

Back to Sandy and Raul's we went and nearly collapsed from exhaustion! We were up at 3 AM to be ready for a 6 AM International flight! Slept like a rock all night and woke up feeling well rested. Sandy and Raul

After a quaint breakfast at Sandy's, prepared and served by Heidy (pronounced like "Haiti"), we went to Hotel Camino Real to catch the Atitran for the 4 hour drive to Lake Atitlan via a 30-minute layover in beautiful mysitcal Antigua. Silly me left the Guatemalan cell phone (loaned to me by another Guatemalan friend, Lissette, who we will stay with for 6 nights on the last end of the trip) on our first Atitran. God was good to remind me to look for it after we had only been on the 2nd bus for about 10 minutes, so our driver called the previous driver, who will deliver it to me at our hotel tomorrow. WHEW! Meanwhile, Sandy had loaned us a "Magic Jack" to use through our hotel phone line and my computer, where we can call into the States for free! God is so sweet to bless our lives from the little to the big things.

Arriving in Atitlan, we began our photo shoots of this amazingly beautiful tropical paradise. In so doing, we met some friendly neighbors, Parrots or Cockateels. After posing relentlessly for us, one walked right up to me, and as I began to squat down to photograph him, he began pecking on my camera bag. Well, that was no problem. I was not mad. However, his counterpart was jealous and began walking (pigeon-toed, I might add) toward the bag to share in the fun! Oh, no, no, no!!! This was nothing to be shared, so the 2 began to fight (see photos). Then the darned 2nd one came over and pecked my little toe, peeling the skin back and causing me to bleed. Guess he or she showed me who was boss, huh?




Much, much more to come! Wish you all were here to enjoy it with me!