Quirky Guatemala
We love Guatemala but there are many things that are quirky about Guatemala that stand out to us as we enjoy exploring the country. The Guatemalans like for things to be sweet. The ketchup is sweet. The sodas are made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and they…
Finca El Paraíso part 2
As our time in Guatemala was winding down we had a family meeting–what is a must-do before leaving? And one answer was unanimous–let’s go back to Finca El Paraíso. This time we took a collectiva and our friends Bill and Andie, and Melvin (the Spanish teacher) with us. We went…
Lake Atitlán
We spent almost a week in Lake Atitlán exploring the towns that surround the lake. Every morning we would walk or take a tuk-tuk from Casa Bambu down to the dock. There we would wait on a lancha, going clockwise or counter clockwise on their trip, arriving every 30 minutes.…
Chichicastenango
One of the must-dos we heard about in Guatemala is the market in a town called Chichicastenango, or Chichi for short. It is the largest market containing Mayan wares in Guatemala and is held twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. It is about a 2 hour ride from Panajachel,…
Casa Bambu in Tsunaná
We left Antigua and took a 2 hour ride to Lake Atitlán. We had so much luggage and Skipper that we hired a private van (they do not allow dogs on buses). We took the van to Panajachel which is one of the larger towns on Lake Atitlán. The lake…
Antigua, Guatemala
This city, founded in 1543, was the capital of Guatemala until 1776 after much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake. It is surrounded by volcanoes and on a fault line and has experienced multiple severe earthquakes as a result. Much of the colonial churches have been restored, the…
Marina life on the Rio Dulce
The Rio Dulce is a well known cruising destination. It is well protected from any storms, is considered a “hurricane hole”. The cost of living is low for foreigners due to a favorable exchange rate. The cruisers all congregate at various marinas along the lake at the city of Fronteras.…
Fronteras, Guatemala
We are staying on the Rio Dulce on a lake called El Golfete. There is one bridge that spans the Rio Dulce, and it connects the towns of Fronteras and El Relleno. Fronteras is the center of commerce for the area, and only 10 minutes away by dinghy. The town…
Finca el Paraíso
After several long days at camp we decided to have a day of fun. Our friends from Scholé are leaving Guatemala in a few days and wanted to go to this local site one last time. It is called Finca el Paraíso. We hired a driver to take us for…
Off to camp
Soon after arriving here the Martin family invited us to volunteer with them at a camp that is hosted by a local foster home, Casa Agua Azul. The details are hazy to me, I’m still figuring things out. But it seems that Casa Agua Azul has 15-20 foster kids in…