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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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…