From the not-so-sublime (Guatemala City) to the Sublime (Lake Atitlan)

A whirlwind tour of Guatemala City is almost all from our mini-bus windows. The old/historic part of town is pretty seedy and not really conducive to walking. The modern town is not really remarkable so we jump off for a few photos of monuments and move on to a wonderful restaurant for some delicious local tastes.

Speaking of tastes…I had the most delicious indigenous treat; Pepian. You find something similar in southern Mexico (Oaxaca particularly in red or black molés). The sauce here becomes almost a soup of small tomatillo-like fruits thickened and flavored with toasted and ground squash seeds, almonds and guajillo chilies. Add fresh tomatoes, cinnamon and lots of other piquant spices. Then use it to simmer chunks of chicken or beef with potatoes, local squash, and more. I’m starting to plan a Guatemalan meal for Bordentown. Who’s up for it?

As I said, walking in Guatemala City can be an adventure….

We drive up over 10,000 feet on our way to Lake Atitlan which itself is at 5,000. Here’s our first view of the lake and it’s surrounding active volcanoes. The lake is actually formed by a crater, and is home to 12 Mayan villages surrounding it.

Looking down toward our hotel/resort right on the lake. Truly one of the most picturesque, beautiful vistas in the world.

And the date was January 23…so here’s a shot of the birthday girl from our balcony. It’s a magical place to celebrate a magical day of birth — for those of you who don’t know, Marsha was born on 01/23/45. Once in a century numerology fit for the Mayans for sure!

The morning view from our room just before we set off to the spectacularly colorful village of Chichicastenango. See you there!