Let the adventure begin!
Posted by Patty Hall on August 5, 2013
Yesterday we arrived in beautiful Guatemala City, Guatemala. We visited an Artisanal market where we met several local Women’s coop groups. Of course we purchased many hand made items- the weavings are amazing. As we drove along the road we saw an intricate aqueduct system originally constructed by the Mayans.
We visited Paseo Cayula for dinner- we thought we were going to old town, but instead we were in a glitzy new area. It was very upscale and not what I had expected. The city parts that we have visited are very clean. And in speaking with a former US Ambassador, it is due to the efforts of a citywide campaign- great to hear that!
Today we embarked on a city tour with Gustavo, an energetic and knowledgeable tour guide. We visited a large relief map and got our bearings. He told us that there is a political hope that Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize and a few other countries might come together under one government of Guatemala in the future-it will be interesting to see if that happens.
We visited the central city square, the beautiful cathedral and the Guatemalan Palace. Our favorite spot was the local market. It was filled with everything imaginable-food, clothing, cookware,flowers, and spices- sensory overload!
Following the tour we had lunch at Coco- a restaurant with typical Guatemalan food. After a sunny, hot morning, it began to rain around 2. We treated ourselves to a massage!
Our larger group assembled for dinner- there are 16 of us! Joining us are Alaina and Willow- two young ladies from MN are on the trip with their family to visit a school they helped fund through H2O. Can’t wait to see the school. More about the group later!
Dinner was hosted by our tour company, and Beatrix and Raquel greeted us at Tamarindo Restaurant. Great food and company.
Today we head to Santiago and lake Atitalan. Stay tuned!
