This past weekend Audrey and I decided to go on a trip with the school to Panajachel and Chichicastenango. We got to see so many beautiful sights and experience so many fun things and meet so many new people.
We left bright and early Saturday morning for Panajachel. Our group was very eclectic. It included a mother and son named Elin and Joel from Quebec, a girl named Imogen from England, a girl named Verana from Germany, a man named John from Colorado, and our guide named Hector. That’s one of the cool things about this school. We get to meet so many people from all over the world. It’s a good reminder of how amazing our God is. He created all of us so uniquely and he loves each one of us just the same.
When we arrived in Panajachel we got checked in at our cute little hotel and then went to a restaurant that was on a huge beautiful lake called Lake Atitlan. The lake is surrounded by three beautiful volcanoes. We enjoyed spending time with our group and taking in all of the beautiful sights!
After lunch, our group got in this sketchy little boat and headed across the lake to a little town called Santiago. Santiago was really interesting. Our guide, Hector, took us to see some of the religious things in the city. I think the thing that touched me most was going to the Catholic church. While I know that there are things I don’t agree with or don’t understand about the Catholic faith, it was touching to see the devotion that some of these people have to God. After touring Santiago, we headed back across the lake to Panajachel.
Saturday night was my favorite part of the trip. Hector took us to a restaurant where they tried to give you a Guatemalan cultural experience. They served Guatemalan food, they played the marimbe (a native Guatemalan instrument), they wore typical Guatemalan dress, and the owner came around various times throughout the meal to give us some cultural lessons about Guatemala. The man who owned the restaurant was so nice, and he was so passionate about Guatemala and the culture. It was a really fun experience, and I’m glad that Hector took us there.
On Sunday we got up and left Panajachel to head to Chichicastenango. Every Sunday in Chichicastenango there is a huge open market. We got to spend the entire morning doing a little shopping and buying some gifts for our friends and family. It was a really cool experience but a little stressful as well. The streets were super crowded and people were kind of pushy about getting you to buy things. Anyway, all in all it was a good experience, and I’m really glad we got to go.
Traveling has been a lot of fun and it’s a good break after having class for 5 hours every day. This week Audrey and I are going to an active volcano, an area that overlooks all of Antigua, and to a place called Cobán where there are beautiful lakes and pools of water. We’re just little world travelers! Please keep us in your prayers as we travel across Guatemala and please pray that we will be safe and keep learning lots of Spanish!
Check out pictures from our adventure on my Facebook page!
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