lago atitlan

Well, this is about a month past my visit to Guatemala's lovely Lago Atitlan--but better late then never. After 3 weeks of Spanish class, I crammed my class load into four days and took a 3 day weekend along with my friend Patrik and Nick.

It was Valentine's Day weekend and apparently the lake is quite the spot for romance, so most of the hotels we tried were booked. After a few attempst we finally found Hotel De Terraza en San Antonio Polampa. This is a very small Mayan city off the typical tourist circuit with 2 hotels and 2 restaurants. When we got there on Friday afternoon, we were definitely the only 3 gringos in the city.

On our first walk around the city (totalling about 20 minutes including helping a stuck van get back on the road), we met Paulina, a young mayan woman, owner of one of the two restaurants and genereal entrepenuer. This was definitely providence at work because Paulina hooked us up with a boat driver, some meals, some great textiles and generally offered us her friendship from day one.

San Antonio Polompa was cool because I think it was a better view into how some Guatemalans live then in other tourist destinations. Most of the native men still wear the traditional dress made of textiles made by their wives and wrapped around their middle like a skirt. This town was a big producer of the textiles for sale in the cities. So it was cool to be able to buy direct from someone that actually had a loom right in their house.

Friday night we had fried fish and fries and ended our evening with cuban cigars--which are prevalent throughout Central America. It was my very first cigar! But although merely 21, Nick (as you see pictured) was an old pro.

On the Saturday, we rented our own boat and drove around to different lakeside communities. The lake is absolutely spellbinding and I loved just cruising around on the water. My parents live right by Lost Creek Lake in Southern Oregon and we spent many a great summer day on our boat on the lake. I kept thinking how much my dad would have loved to have been in that boat with me!

Sunday we went to a local ecopark that promised a butterfly garden. And we did see 2 moths and 2 monarchs, but that was about it. Mariposa does mean butterfly doesn't it?! Maybe we got the translation wrong and it was some other kind of garden?

All in all, it was a very chill weekend with good friends, laughter and a front row seat to some of the beauty that God created so long ago. I was so blessed by the time--it was renewing, interesting and down right fun. And all weeked long, I kept praising God for being so generous with his blessings. I kept thanking him for being a God that wants me to enjoy the world that He made. A God that takes delight in the smallest details. A God that sent his spirit of restoration, peace and joy so clearly into my 3 day weekend. It is so ridiculous to think that God of All would care about my school break--and yet I saw reminders of His presence everywhere. That is just cool.

So double humbs up on Lago Atitlan. As always, thanks for your prayers and emails. You guys rock!