Route of the Maya Day 7
Route of the Maya
DAY 7 - 11/30/05 - Coffee Plantation/Museums/Transfer to Lake Atitlán
After another good night's sleep in the cool mountain air, we woke up about 6:30 finished packing and Gennie rushed over to post her University of Phoenix grades before breakfast. There was a huge group from France at our hotel for just one night before going to the capital and they were also trying to eat and leave early. Our breakfast was excellent, our coffee here has been very good, and Gennie said her hot chocolate was the best she has ever had.
Carlos loaded the bus with the help of the hotel porters and by 8:15 we were saying goodbye to Antigua. Antigua, founded in 1542, was the capital of Guatemala for more than 200 years, until an earthquake destroyed the city in 1773. Its buildings were rebuilt afterwards with thick, fortified walls to resist future quakes. These have since been covered with intricate reliefs and saintly shrines that are part of the city's charm.
We headed out of town traveling on the very bumpy cobblestone streets. Because of the earthquake they are very uneven and I found them difficult to walk on.
In the small village of Jacotenango we went to the Centro Cultural la Azotea where we visited a coffee plantation. Judith explained that it is almost time to pick the "cherries", the coffee plant fruit that are a dark wine color that are almost ready for harvesting. She told us that the pickers are women and get $3 for a large bag of coffee and can usually pick one or two bags per day depending on the yield of the trees and their ability.
Our next stop was at a nursery where we saw the tiny sprouts of coffee trees as well as many herbs and medicinal plants. This soil is volcanic and very rich growing many varieties of flowers and trees. We were amazed at the Thumbilia and intricate blossom that hangs from a slim vine that we have seen throughout the countryside.
We went into the coffee museum where we saw dioramas and other displays depicting the whole coffee process from seedlings, picking, drying, roasting, and ending with cupping. We walked across the parking lot and entered the Museum of Central American Music. Exhibits showed the origins of Pre-Columbian shells, flutes, drums, and shakers which were all used for religious and social functions. After Judith demonstrated the many instruments we watched a brief video taken in the highlands and could actually see the ceremonies.
We left the Cultural Center at 11:15 and visited a street where there were cottage industries making wooden fruits, vegetables, and other wooden artifacts, all for export. We drove a short distance and passed by Judith's home close to the central market and across the street from a school. She is in the process of building her home which is on a plot of land 8x15 meters. This is quite an accomplishment for a woman who has raised two children alone and worked two jobs to assure that they have a good education.
In this area we are beginning to see extensive damage from the mudslides and flooding during the hurricane season just passed. Two villages in Guatemala were totally destroyed over - over 2000 people lost their lives in this disaster.
We entered the Pan American Highway, the main thoroughfare through Central America. It is very congested with huge trucks, many cars, as well as local buses. To complicate matters, portions of the roadway had been destroyed in the natural disasters and we had to detour around.
We stopped for lunch at the Kafe Paulino, a typical roadside restaurant before continuing on to our lodging in Panajachel, located near the shores of Lake Atitlán in the western highlands of Central America. We climbed many mountains, reaching an altitude of 8,500 feet above sea level. Chicken buses, pickups, and cars passed us on the road as Carlos worked on insuring our safety as there are no yellow lines, guard rails and many vehicles passing in dangerous situations.
We arrived at the Posada Don Rodrigo at 4:30, had a welcome drink and then were shown to our room overlooking Lake Atitlan, one of the deepest in the western hemisphere. We had an opportunity to walk around a little bit and try to take sunset pictures behind the three volcanoes that are on the other side of the lake.
At 8 PM we joined the rest of the group and Carlos to go to dinner. We had a nice meal close to the city centers, and then returned home about 10 PM to finish the journal.
Accommodations: Posada Don Rodrigo Atitlan - - - Meals: B, L, D
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