Day 4 Lake Atitlan and San Juan La Laguna

We awoke to sunshine and a clear view of Lake Atitlan. According to my weather app the sun was to shine until 11 AM before the clouds rolled in. 

This morning we posed for a group picture on the garden terrace (often used for weddings) to pose for a picture with the volcano and Lake Atitlan in the background. 

After breakfast and our photo we headed to a pretty simple wooden boat for the 25 minute boat ride across the lake to one of the villages called San Juan de Laguna. 

A view of the Volcano from the boat!

It was a steep climb uphill with an elevation change of 50 -100 m but what a pretty street it was!

They cleverly used umbrellas suspended on wires to offer colour and shade as you climbed the street. 

We headed to see John the Baptist church, which is only 10 years old. The church incorporates local Mayan custom and mixes it with Catholicism. 

In the stations of the cross this crucifixion scene you can see Jesus on the cross with a circular Mayan altar below the cross, as well as Lake Atitlan and the Volcano in the background. 

We then headed to watch a cotton weaving demonstration at Casa Flor Ixcaco (which translates to house of women with brown skin) - cooperative with 38 women working together to share the work and empower one another to earn a living.  The cooperative was legally established in 1996. 

Delfina demonstrated all the steps to make cotton into yarn. To clean it by hand, make the yarn, dye it, then make it into a ball of yarn. 

Products sold in the shop were based on how many hours it took to make something. J tried on shirts that took maybe 8 weeks to make were priced at $160 US. He wanted to support them but could not find a shirt that was the right length and still not too wide. He chose to give them a donation instead. 

We then went to a cacao demonstration. Cacao seeds are processed by hand to make chocolate. The seeds are placed in a bowl lined with banana leaves and left to ferment for a month. They are roasted for 10 to 15 minutes and then you peel skin - it is thin like a peanut. 

They then grind the seed with something like a rolling pin on a stone. 

For semi sweet chocolate they use 50% cacao, 30% molasses, 10% milk and 10% orange juice (which makes it easier to make into a paste and provides a shelf life of 3 months). I bought a couple of chocolate bars so we will see how they taste!

We then had a bit of free time in the town and we joined a few others for a simple lunch on the second story above a pretty street. 

This was painted right in the paving stones!

Above us are sun hats hanging from wires suspended. 

Our guide Oscar and J overlooking the festive street below while at lunch!

We returned to the boat for the ride back to Hotel Atitlan. The water was quite a bit rougher upon return so a few people were feeling unwell and welcomed solid ground. 

We headed to the pool and hot tub for an hour or so. 

We enjoyed the botanical gardens around the hotel and spotted a variety of birds. 

The scarlet Mccaw must have its wings clipped or be in rehab to stay on the property as it does spend some time in a cage. 

One of many roses in the gardens!

We enjoyed supper in the dining room and had great conversations with two other couples. Tomorrow we have to have bags out at 8 AM and depart on the bus by 8:30 AM. Another great day in Guatemala!