Today after a fantastic breakfast at our hotel, we boarded the bus and traveled to the Guatemalan highlands. The road was rough because of construction. We had to wait an hour before we could proceed at one point. It was interesting to watch the Mayans with their enterprises - they were trying to sell food, drinks, and trinkets to those who were stopped. We saw women balancing baskets on their heads. Little children were out selling.
We finally were able to procede to a place where they had a market wet up. People from surrounding villages were selling everything you can think of. We were able to spend an hour exploring and purchasing! Rulon got a drum and a flute and I got a table runner. The women were all dressed in the traditional costumes of their villages. Most men were in jeans and cowboy hats but some were in the traditional costumes.
We then went on to Lake Atitlan which is thought by some to be the site of the Waters of Mormon. It may be the site of the sunken City of Jerusalem. We enjoyed the beautiful gardens and birds on the grounds of Atitlan Hotel where we had lunch. Of course, there was a shop in the hotel where we women spent some time.
Then it was back on the bus to Antigua and our hotel. We wandered around that night enjoying the ruins of this amazing place. One area was set up for a huge church meeting the next day. It was out of doors but covered by a huge tentlike roof. Everything was decorated in purple - banners, tablecloths, etc. Easter and Holy Week are very important here.
1 comment:
It was on my mission, in Chicago, that I first heard of Lake Atitlan. I believe it was a member of the Elgin branch that first told me about that. He wrote the name down on a napkin, and I'm sure I kept it in one of my mission journals. It is so neat that you were able to go there!! Maybe one day I'll be so lucky.
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