Hiking to the Cerro de la Cruz and Hotel Museo Casa Santo Domingo

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Hiking to Cerro de la Cruz (the Cross) in Antigua, Guatemala has been dangerous in years past due to robberies, but I had read that the local Police have been much more vigilant in recent years and crime has dropped in the area. The hike only takes about an hour round-trip and the view is worth it!

Zoom in with your camera to the town below and you can almost look into someone’s living room!

We started bright and early trudging up the steps…

Once back down, our next stop was the beautiful Hotel Museo Casa Santa Domingo! This place was amazing! The gardens were filled with colorful Macaws or Parrots (not sure which)…

A gorgeous dining area…

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Window shopping in Antigua, Guatemala

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Travel Spirit

I’m not much of a shopper for a variety of reasons: 1) would rather spend my money on travel; 2) don’t really make enough money to spend on more of the things I already have, i.e. purses, jewelry, clothing; and 3) I begin to feel tired and ill in shopping centers – probably from the chemicals. My style of window shopping is to walk around a new City/Village (new to me), peek in establishments or at beautiful architecture and take photos. The quaint City of Antigua has lots of opportunity for window shopping…

Well…there are windows in this photo!

This is Tanque La Union where the Mayan women gather to do their laundry and socialize.

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Hiking Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Located 90 minutes drive time from Antigua, Guatemala, Pacaya Volcano is a great day trip for those seeking adventure! Our driver picked us up at 6:00am so we’d get an early start for the three hour hike. I had watched a video of someone hiking it and roasting a marshmallow over the flowing red lava, so my anticipation level was high! When we arrived, our guide explained that after Pacaya erupted in 2010, there hasn’t been a river of red lava (darn!), but it turned out to be a great hike with beautiful weather and scenery!

You can see the steam behind me in this photo…

The two hour mostly uphill hike began on a short paved path…

We took a few minutes break on this overlook…

The view of another volcano was breathtaking!

As we approached the top, the landscape appeared almost alien…

Another group taking a rest…

Reaching the site where the other group was proved to be a cross between slip n slide and surfing…

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Finding your Creativity in Antigua

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Travel Spirit

When I’m traveling through beautiful Cities like Antigua, Guatemala, I feel more creative…able to spot the perfect photographic opportunity! Like this antique car appearing on the street at just the right moment. The driver even honked his funny horn to give us a thrill.

Or when your friend is standing in front of a building and it seems right.

The moment in the kitchen of the Airbnb you’re staying at and the empty bottles outside the window are distorted in that creative way…

And the restaurant you decide to dine at with Tripadvisor’s help is owned by a painter and writer!

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Antigua, Guatemala…the City of cobblestones and magical beauty

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The streets of Antigua, Guatemala are paved with beautiful cobblestones and most of the buildings are one-story high. After checking into our Airbnb, my group and I left to wander the magical City!

Everywhere we went, there was something colorful and beautiful to view!

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Why you should visit the village of Santiago at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala!

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The Village of Santiago at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala is the most culturally authentic of the villages I visited during my three day stay at the lake. Peering down at these women doing their laundry in the lake, makes you grateful for washing machines!

This elderly lady demonstrated how she wrapped her headpiece into a hat!

Viola! One of the ladies I brought on the trip (Jing…from China) posed for a strikingly vibrant photo with her!

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Visiting the Villages of San Juan and San Pedro, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Each village along the shore of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala has its own special essence. The village of San Juan has lots of shops with homemade items and a variety of restaurants to choose from. This lovely young girl with her cute baby allowed me to take their photo…

Once you’ve reached San Juan via boat, there are plenty of Tuk Tuks to shuttle you around the village inexpensively. For 10 Guatemalan Quetzals (about $1.30) you can take one to the village of San Pedro.

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Visiting the Village of Santa Cruz at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The Village of Santa Cruz at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala is quiet and has much less tourism than the other villages nestled along the shore of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. There are a few restaurants near the boat dock and if you walk up a rather steep hill into town, you’ll get a feel for the villagers’ daily life.

Many Guatemalans prefer not to have their photo taken, so I either ask or sneak one in. This pretty girl agreed to have her photo taken.

The view once you’ve almost reached the top is fabulous!

As soon as we walked into the main square, we were excited to see a game of soccer being played by the local children!

These two cuties wanted me to take their photo again and again, in a variety of “funny” poses.

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Arriving to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Travel Spirit

The small group of three people I am taking through Central America and I arrived to Lake Atitlan on Thursday, February 18th in the early evening. The Airbnb I had reserved for us was stunning! The gardens were overflowing with lush colorful blooms and the interior was filled with interesting decor!

The view from the wrap-around porch was phenomenal! You can see one of the volcanoes in the horizon…

Upon our initial arrival to a village at Lake Atitlan on a shuttle from the airport in Guatemala City, we were required to take a 15 minute boat ride to the village we were staying at. Throughout the stay, to visit a village we took a boat. They looked like this…