It seems ages ago now I walked the smokey gray cobbled streets of Antigua with my boys.

We spent a couple of nights here after our week at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.

The city noises were jarring after a week of hearing mostly just the wind or the occasional boat motor.

Antigua is loud and lively.

Bright and colorful.

And really old.

The town has been around since the 1500s, but it was destroyed by an earthquake in the 1700s so today’s population is less than half what it was before the earthquake.

But there are still plenty of folks.

We were there for the first Sunday of Lent and there was a giant procession blocking like half the city streets. People dressed as Roman soldiers and dressed as monks carrying Jesus and long robes in every color of the rainbow. It was wild.

Our hotel host said that the procession happens every Sunday during Lent and then every day during Holy Week.

Folks were pouring into the city for the procession and ladies were selling homemade food on street corners.

These little tuk-tuks were zipping all over the city. Simon and I took a wee ride in one with my sister-in-law and it was super fun!

Guatemala is well-known for making lovely chocolate, so we had to pop into the Chocolate Museum.

But my favorite treat in Antigua was probably an Avocado Margarita. Trust me it’s very special.

We also ate a lot of meat in Antigua after a week of vegetarian dishes on our yoga retreat. Maybe a little too much meat.

One night we ordered all kinds of small tacos with different meats in a wonderful restaurant called Frida’s. They had live music, so after dinner, everyone practiced their new salsa dancing skills. LOVE.

The next morning we hiked to the top of a hill overlooking the city.

It was a bit cloudy, but still gorgeous.

Here we all are…still a bit sleepy!

It was nice to get up and hike before it got too hot, as the city warmed up throughout the day.

I loved wandering around the many ruins that were sprinkled all throughout Antigua.

The details on these old buildings were just gorgeous.

I could have spent a few more days walking around just taking pictures.

The afternoon brought blue skies and a burning sun to Antigua. (YES please…my body loves the heat!)

After walking through town some more and eating ice cream twice, we followed a lunch recommendation to a place where we staked out for the afternoon.

Then we walked a few more streets and visited a market or two. So many markets!

Antigua is also full of inexpensive Spanish language schools, so it’s a bit of a haven for folks who want to learn Spanish. Taido’s sister + partner were staying on in Antigua to do some language school after we left. I was a little jealous, but it was time for us to get back to Tübingen and return to our own language lessons.

But the next time we decide to learn a foreign language, I’m putting in my request that it be in a tropical location like Guatemala!

The post Snapshots of Antigua, Guatemala appeared first on Alison Chino.

Over a month ago (or maybe it was a lifetime ago), we flew to Guatemala to join Taido’s family for a week on Lake Atitlán and a few days in Antigua.

My mother-in-law has been raving about the beauty of this lake for years, so we were excited to leave winter in Northern Europe to meet her and Taido’s sister + boyfriend among the hammocks and papaya trees.

Getting to the lake is an adventure in itself…after flying for many hours and spending a night in Guatemala City, we made our way via shuttle bus and boat to what would be our home for a week.

In order to stay in the resort my mother-in-law loves so much on the week our boys were out of school, we were officially joined onto a yoga retreat that was taking place there. Maybe the most delightful surprise of our time in Guatemala was how much we enjoyed both the events and the people (oh, the people!) on this retreat.

I left Lake Atitlán filled with gratitude for all the treasures of this very special week in Guatemala.

Here are a just a few of those treasures:

waking up to the views of the calm lake every morning

slipping out to get coffee with Taido while the boys were still sleeping

watching fishermen pass slowly by in their boats

morning yoga in a thatched roof-covered studio overlooking the lake

setting intentions

eye contact for longer than is comfortable

strangers becoming friends

walking in the sun to a nearby mountain village

volcanos disappearing behind the clouds that rolled in predictably every afternoon

watching the lake transform from calm glass to wild waves throughout the day

boys in kayaks

afternoons by the pool while the boys went swimming

Ben talking me into jumping into the (cold!) lake

the humility (and laughter) over having to be pulled out of the lake by others when I could not hoist myself back onto the dock

solar heated hot tub

boys running free

thick, homemade blue corn tortillas, still warm from the griddle

guacamole

crazy variety of herbal teas

smoothies with ginger and mint and lime with fun names like pure joy and gratitude

curries and stews and hummus and tahini dressing

grated carrot and beet salads

polenta lasagna

huevos rancheros

tumeric tea

homemade granola and yogurt

the sweet sound of a hang drum being played

reading and napping in hammocks

golden bamboo

mosaic stone walk ways

making friends (or peace) with spiders

hiking outings

riding standing up in the back of a pick-up truck

boat taxis

laughter

picnic lunch under shady trees

walking and talking

crossroads coffee blessings

exploring villages and towns around the lake

ceramic bird whistles

school murals and community projects

gorgeous spaces

tropical flowers

explosions of color

midday sun

aloe plants for treating sunburn

quiet

sunrise meditations and sunset shavasanas

private sessions

learning new ways to move

yoga dance

singing around a fire

salsa dancing lessons

open hearts

sweet spirits

hearing stories

prayers

sharing gratitude

holding space for each other

evening pink sky reflected on the yoga studio floor

volcanos and clouds turning shades of purple

star-filled night skies

sweet farewells

In addition to all of the above, I feel super fortunate that I had the opportunity to meet yoga instructor extraordinaire Jurian Hughes, and her assistant for week Adriana Robertson, who taught us all how to salsa – the MOST fun! I am hugely hopeful that our paths will cross again.

Special thanks to Taido’s mama for the gift of such a special holiday together and to all of our family for their adventurous spirits, generous hearts and open presence. AND to all the members of this retreat who accepted us into their fold and let us join their dance.

The post Snapshots of Guatemala appeared first on Alison Chino.