Lake Atitlan Villages - Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 127

Buenos Dias Amigos, because it is Monday, Jan 30 morning when I am writing this.

Well, the trip is almost half over or there is a little more than a half left to experience.

In the past few days I have been able to visit some additional villages around Lake Atitlan.

Each village has a different “feel” and/or vibe to offer. Panajachel is where my hotel is, Hospedaje el Viajero, and is a general “jumping off point” to visit around the Lake. 

San Marcos and Tzununa-think Hippies, San Juan-Artsy, San Pedro-backpacker party, Santa Catarina de Palopó-painted houses/buildings and weaving And possibly one of the best locations for a soccer field, and San Antonio de Palopó, ceramics and weaving. I realize as I write this that my photos may not display all those items, for me, I do not like to take photos of the display booths with no intention of buying.

Also, it is a mental battle to understand the large volume of handcrafted materials that are available and being displayed and sold? In all the villages. I just hope and pray it is life sustaining for those involved. Truly a lot of talent and variety.

In my movie/videos below, I have a photo of a woman weaving in Santa Catarina de Palopó. I asked her permission before taking the photo and she was proud to say yes. I donated some Quetzales for her willingness.

Click on the Titles below to see my movie/videos created from my photos:

San Marcos La Laguna and Tzununa 

Santa Catarina de Palopó 

San Antonio de Palopó 

Panajachel, Lake Atitlan 

There are a couple of small villages left to visit; San Lucas Toliman and Santa Cruz.

The weather continues to amaze. Lows in the low 50’s overnight, mostly sunny days with highs around 75. The wind picks up at various times adding some waves on the Lake or some noise at night with the trees.

Hope everyone is doing good!!!

Lake Atitlan - Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 126

Hola Amigos !!

Lake Atitlan is something very special, my words and photos cannot relay the beauty !

Experienced this sunset Thursday night:

Just a few photos of the Lake:

Click the Titles below for the movie/videos created from my photos on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday:

San Pedro La Laguna

San Juan La Laguna

Hotel Atitlan Botanical Gardens 

Reserva Natural Atitlan 

Here are some questions I have received in Comments on previous Posts:

 A few thoughts, can you keep track of things that really surprised you that you have seen and will see and list at the end of your trip.??

I will try :)

Also will you see a rain forest, if so a monkey. Look for a soccer ball, football, kids playing any sport, 

There are Rain Forests near Lake Atitlan, Flores and Tikal (going there next) and there are Monkeys (monos) but can’t guarantee I will see one :) I checked off a few of the Photo Scavenger Hunt items in the following movie/videos.

Can you see a sunrise.

Sure, if I get up early enough, but not too excited about walking in the dark and finding a place to view a sunrise :) Maybe in Flores and/or Livingston it will be convenient for a sunrise.

Are those mountains or volcanoes in the back ground? Are there any active volcanoes?

Yes :) Yes - Volcan de Fuego and Volcan Pacaya

I don’t know how to get out of this font ????

Adios for now, enjoy your day !!!!

Antigua to Lake Atitlan - Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 125

Buenos Dias a Todos !!

Monday, Jan 23 I visited 2 different “Fincas” in Antigua.

Valhalla in San Miguel Dueñas is a macadamia farm with a restaurant and a spa. It has a very interesting story of its owners and how it has evolved. Please Google it.

Click here for a movie/video created from my photos at Valhalla.

In the afternoon I took a TukTuk ride to Jacotenango to visit Finca La Azotea, a coffee farm, Mayan music “museum”, equestrian area, restaurant, beer garden, just about everything :)

CLICK HERE for a movie/video created from my photos at La Azotea.

            A lot of days my choice would be a Multi-Colored Candle :)

Today, Tuesday Jan 24 was a travel day from Antigua to Panajachel on the shore of Lake Atitlan. About a 2.5 hour drive with an Uber type driver through the hills, countryside, mountains, curving up and down roads, villages and farms.

Here are some photos of my first day here at Lake Atitlan, an amazing story of its own that I will be learning more about.

Also, here is a photo of the Guatemalan currency that I haven’t shared yet:

The Lake looks very cool so far, many, many things to do here, just a matter of sorting them out and enjoy. I might even take a photo or two (thousand :) and there will most likely be a sunset each night. Not sure I want to get up early enough and walk in the dark to look for the sunrise, but never say never.

Adios for now :)

Monterrico, Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 124

Hola from Monterrico, Guatemala.

Arrived here Friday, January 20 and leaving today, Sunday January 22 back to Antigua for a couple of nights.

I thought it was pronounced Moan-tare-rih-ko but quickly learned it is Moan-tare-ree-ko:)

I survived the shared shuttle ride of 3 hours. On the route from Antigua to Monterrico the shuttle passed through the towns Santa Maria de Jesus, Palin, Esquintla and Iztapa to name a few.

People from Guatemala City can save time on their trip by driving to La Avellana and then loading their car on a ferry to Monterrico. Here are a few photos where the ferries unload in Monterrico:

Monterrico is on the Pacific Coast and has “black sand” due to the volcanic history in Guatemala. Also, when you read that the sand gets hot, believe it, it gets HOT!!!

Monterrico seems to be a “weekend beach” for Guatemalan families from Guatemala City, Antigua and surrounding towns. The beach stretches for miles in both directions but the sand is deep and hot, not the best walking conditions:)

In some areas my footprints (boot prints) were the only ones:

Late afternoon up to sunset seems to be when visitors migrate from their hotels, pools and restaurants to the beach. Saw some horses on the beach as well as too many ATV’s, but those riding the ATV’s seemed to enjoy it.

It was strange to not see pelicans diving for food, must be better hunting grounds elsewhere or maybe it is hard for Pelicans to get a Visa to fish?? 

Click Here for a movie/video created from my photos in Monterrico. Colorful bird and open market can be checked off of the Photo Scavenger Hunt list. 

Remaining Photo Scavenger Hunt items are: Kayak, unusual bird (not sure I will know usual or unusual :), cacao farm, t-shirt that says “it’s weird being the same age as old people”, cowboy boots with shorts. Please feel free to add items at any time.

I have to confess that I am getting an “Uber type” driver/car back to Antigua :)

I always find it hard to leave the beach, yet I know that there are MANY, MANY thousands of beaches and they have existed forever? Each day at the beach the water color, the waves, everything seems/is different to my eyes. 

No matter how turbulent the wave, it reaches calm and peace as it spreads across the beach, then retreats back into the “mix” to experience more “sea life”.

CLICK HERE for Monterrico Waves at Sunset.

A few parting photos:

After a couple of nights in Antigua I will be going to Panajachel and Lake Atitlán for two weeks, fingers crossed.

Buenos Dias/Tarde/Noche !! :)

More Antigua Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 123

Buenos Dias/Tardes Amigos!!

I have been in Antigua Monday night, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and leaving Friday morning for Monterrico on the Pacific Coast. It will be a 2.5 hour ride in a shared shuttle van.

Antigua has many different cobblestone streets, churches, ruins (from past earthquakes), doors, windows, a main plaza/square, a few smaller parks, no traffic lights (that I saw), a few Stop (Alto) signs and many speed bumps. The traffic flow of cars, trucks, taxis, tuktuks, bicycles, motorbikes, etc is slow orderly and absent of horns.

The weather has been great, cool in the morning 55ish and highs in midafternoon 73ish, with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies.

I checked off a few of the Photo Scavenger Hunt items in the following movie/videos; cat, marimba, multi colored (wooden :) bird?, rare (wooden) bird?, woman wearing a hat, woman wearing a hat and mask, calico cat?( might be just grey and white?), basketball hoop.

Click here for a movie/video created from my photos More Walking Antigua. Including (Hike to Cerro de La Cruz and Tropical Garden at my hotel Las Farolas)

CLICK HERE for a movie/video created from my photos Can’t Stop Walking Antigua.

8

Clique Aqui for a movie/video created from photos on a day trip to HobbiTenango. Inspired by Hobbits and Lord of the Rings, I don’t know either but I will take their word for it.

It was a reasonable way to get a 20 minute shuttle to the mountains from Antigua.

Tenango is used as a compound at the end of city names like we use …burg, …ville, …town. Cities in Guatemala like Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, Jacotenango, Volcan Acatenango, etc.

WiFi has been terrible this evening but I think I have finished for now. Need to get some rest, not really looking forward to the shared shuttle ride tomorrow, had to get that whine out :)

Hoping there will be a sunset or two at Monterrico :)

Have a great Day !!!

Antigua Guatemala - MyShadowProductions # 122

 Hola Amigos !!

Well, I made it to Antigua Guatemala with no problems. Basically a full day of travel. Left my Apartment in Denver around 7 am, Uber to Union Station, train to DEN airport, 10 am DEN to IAH (Houston) about 2.5 hrs, change to Central time from Mountain, 4 hour layover, flight to GUA (Guatemala City) about 3 hours, quick walk through airport to Immigration, get Guatemalan Quetzales (money $$) at ATM, exit airport and just outside by Cafe Barrato (cheap cafe) find taxi driver holding a sign with my name. It is about 8:30 pm at that time so it is dark for the drive to Antigua. It took about 45 minutes to an hour. Guatemala City is the largest city in Central America (Mexico City in Mexico is larger but Mexico is not part of Central America). That being said it took most of the time through curves and hills and speed bumps and rumble strips and bridges and tunnels and considerable traffic of cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes. Are you dizzy yet?

Then, after an exit, the road turned to cobblestones and the young driver proudly said “Bienvenidos an Antigua” (welcome to Antigua). About 10 minutes later we pulled up to Las Farolas Hotel for Check-in about 9:15 pm Central Time.

A few photos of airports, Hotel lobby and room:

Someone had left this book behind @ Houston Airport. It was fun watching people walk by and their reactions and thoughts about maybe picking it up :) Finally a cleaning guy picked it up with a big smile as he read the title and back cover :)

                          Path to Immigration at GUA

                Hotel Lobby, it is not a Seminary :) I just liked the table.

When I was checking in to Las Farolas (street lights) Hotel the girl at the Reception said she was trying to find a room that did not back up to the street ( I assume those rooms have a little street noise?) She said she could give me a better room but there was one problem, it didn’t have a hairdryer :) That will probably be the easiest decision of the Trip/lifetime, lol.

Here are my first sights of Antigua in daylight, right outside my room and at breakfast:

       Desayuno Chapin (pronounced cha pean) Nickname for Guatemalans.

    Scrambled eggs, Fried Plantains, Sausage, Beans, Bread, Cheese, Fruit Juice

After breakfast and a shower it was time for MyShadow to take a walk around Antigua. The hotel provided a basic but good map to help.

         MyShadow looks a little timid holding the phone camera, lol :)

Here is the expected weather for my days in Antigua :)

There are three Volcanoes around Antigua; Volcan de Agua, Volcan de Fuego and Volcan de Acetenango. You will see them in the photos.

Click Here for a movie/video created from my photos in Antigua Guatemala.

If you check the Comments in my previous post, click here for that, you might notice from the movie/video that I was able to check off a few items on the Photo Scavenger Hunt. Items like; Dog, Guatemala Flag, Jade Jewelry, Open Market Shop, can you spot them in the movie/video?

Interesting city so far, with some similarities with San Miguel de Allende in Mexico but less gentrified and much less Canadians and Americans.

Buenas Noches for now!