After many years away from my country, it feels good to be able to return for a while and reconnect with my roots. From afar, one comes to appreciate even more the culture of Guatemala, not to mention the flora and fauna! Guatemala remains the most colorful country of all I have visited.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of my dear mother. She has supported me along the way; I am always ready for an adventure with her. Recently, I had the opportunity to spoil her in honor of Mother’s Day, thanks to TTC Travel and Horizon The Business Magazine. These organizations provided us with a private tour to one of our favorite places in all of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan.

The tour started early in the morning. Our tour guide, Fidencio Cardona, picked us up promptly at our house and led us to the lake. Along the way, Fidencio enlightened us about the history of Lake Atitlán, as well as San Juan La Laguna (the town we would visit) and other interesting facts. Did you know there were two wars in Guatemala called “The Tortilla Wars”? I had no idea…

We made two strategic stops during the tour, one on the way there and one on the way back. Both were welcome, as the journey to the lake currently takes about three hours each way, depending on traffic. The stops were in Tecpán, and I certainly always recommend grabbing a coffee at local restaurants.

Before reaching Panajachel, we stopped at the iconic viewpoint, from which one can appreciate all the magic of the lake and its volcanoes. Additionally, one can make their first purchases at the little shops at the viewpoint.

Once in Panajachel, Fidencio took care of having the boat ready to take us to the town of San Juan La Laguna. The boat trip takes approximately 45 minutes, enough time to soak in the scenery and take all the photographs you desire. We began our tour of San Juan La Laguna by visiting its various art galleries. We were fortunate to find the master of many of the town’s artists working on a painting that left me speechless: a huge lion! If the artwork had been finished, I would have certainly taken it home.

One of my favorite aspects of the tour was learning how the textile cuts are made. We were informed about different aspects of the process, from how cotton is harvested to how the designs that one can appreciate in the finished textiles are made. It was impressive to hear how different plants and fruits are used to obtain the color of the cotton. Our instructor mentioned that making a scarf takes 15 days of work, eight hours each day, while a cut takes about two months. These weaving artists definitely deserve all the respect and admiration in the world for their distinctive work.

The next stop in the town was to learn about the medicinal power of plants. Here, our instructor distributed different plants for us to feel their texture and aroma, while explaining the particular use of each one. Honestly, I would never have guessed that certain plants have more than one use…

Our last stop in San Juan La Laguna was for coffee, as the smell drew us all in. Before ordering, we received a brief explanation about the different coffee beans. Highly recommended to try a little coffee!

We ended our tour at Hotel Jardines del Lago in Panajachel where they had a surprise for my mom and me: a special place with a view of the lake reserved and decorated. The hotel service was incredible, and the food exquisite. Definitely, this lunch was a perfect ending and I’m sure my mom felt very spoiled, and she truly deserves it.

Thank you very much TTC Travel and Horizon the Business Magazine for helping me spoil this wonderful woman! Happy Mother’s Day to all!

Christian Grotewold
@chrisgrotweold

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