After a whole lot of time living in Antigua and seeing a whole bunch of people and tourist attractions...the wide open spaces, the lake, the volcanoes, the air...it was very much refreshing.
We toured La Voz, a coffee co-op in San Juan La Laguna.
{Their name is biblically based, after San Juan ('Saint John' the Baptist), who was the voice calling in the desert, declaring the coming of Christ.)
Because it was the second coffee tour we took, some of the information was repeated, but this time we learned a lot more about the specific processes and intricacies of growing coffee. I also took the tour entirely in Spanish and was able to understand our guide almost perfectly, which was a welcome realization after having put in so many hours of Spanish lessons.
{Their name is biblically based, after San Juan ('Saint John' the Baptist), who was the voice calling in the desert, declaring the coming of Christ.)
Because it was the second coffee tour we took, some of the information was repeated, but this time we learned a lot more about the specific processes and intricacies of growing coffee. I also took the tour entirely in Spanish and was able to understand our guide almost perfectly, which was a welcome realization after having put in so many hours of Spanish lessons.
We also had some much-welcome down time away from the city, where we soaked in the incredible views of the lake.
Lake Atilán is situated between three volcanoes, and reminded me a little bit of driving out west with my family and seeing the mountains over the water. (Though I must say, something about being on the opposite side of the world made these views that much better).
Lake Atilán is situated between three volcanoes, and reminded me a little bit of driving out west with my family and seeing the mountains over the water. (Though I must say, something about being on the opposite side of the world made these views that much better).
This weekend I also started my trend of taking pictures of my ankle tattoo in some of the exceptionally amazing places that I get to visit. The tattoo is the original illustration from C. S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" and has a lot of significance to me. In part, it's a reminder that God is the one who directs my paths (Psalm 119:105), and to pursue adventure through radical faith (like stepping through the wardrobe out into the unknown). Something about capturing the places God has directed me with photos of this little reminder just makes my heart happy. |
While at the lake, we also spent some time in some pretty cool places.
Panajachel was one of those places!
(FUN FACT! Pana is one of the world's top hippie destinations!)
I bought 4.5 lbs of coffee at a tiny little coffee shop. I bought a blanket, a baby carrier, a hammock, and some little odds and ends at the markets there. We did a lot of wandering and adventuring and just 'being' in Guatemala.
We ate a couple meals at Solomon's Porch, which is something like a hippie-church in the center of Pana that seeks to bring people in and love them where they are. It's not a particularly 'dignified' or 'traditional' church...it's actually a restaurant with a little stage in the back. They sang both traditional hymns and Tim McGraw, and it was for sure a very 'different' experience, but I loved it.
Panajachel was one of those places!
(FUN FACT! Pana is one of the world's top hippie destinations!)
I bought 4.5 lbs of coffee at a tiny little coffee shop. I bought a blanket, a baby carrier, a hammock, and some little odds and ends at the markets there. We did a lot of wandering and adventuring and just 'being' in Guatemala.
We ate a couple meals at Solomon's Porch, which is something like a hippie-church in the center of Pana that seeks to bring people in and love them where they are. It's not a particularly 'dignified' or 'traditional' church...it's actually a restaurant with a little stage in the back. They sang both traditional hymns and Tim McGraw, and it was for sure a very 'different' experience, but I loved it.
We also got to visit a Mayan weaving co-op. We each got paired with an incredibly talented Mayan woman and were taught patiently (they were so patient, and we struggled so much) how to weave. We all got to leave with our very own scarves!
It's hard to describe Pana accurately... parts of it were like Antigua, parts of it were unlike anything I'd ever seen. But I guess that's also a pretty accurate description of Guatemala. It's beautiful and it's hard and it's indescribable and it's home.