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.
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.
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…
Our week on Grand Cayman Island couldn’t have been better! In addition to the typical beach activities of relaxing by the pool and walking along the beach, we attempted Stand Up Paddle boarding, went sailing on a catamaran to Stingray City (definitely a highlight), visited the lush Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, listened to live music at Camana Bay, dined out at numerous restaurants including Sunshine Grill, Da Fish Shack, Agave Grill, attended a wild game themed dinner with our friends at their friends’ house, and had a tour of the island by our friends! For our last day on Grand Cayman, our friends took us to The National Gallery of Grand Cayman to see the outdoor sculptures and back to Camana Bay to the observation deck (which was closed on our previous visit).
This gazing ball at The National Gallery of Grand Cayman reflects the beautiful sky and me…
We also took a swim at the pool and I ran for my camera when this bright green Iguana made an appearance!
Learning to Stand Up Paddle Board can be challenging, especially if you’re using an inflatable board and you’re in the ocean with rocking waves! Our friend Deanna is an avid Stand Up Paddle Boarder and gave us a few pointers before we hopped on. Her boyfriend Wayne (also our friend/like family) took photos and movies of our session and I couldn’t help but post the funniest one of my husband about ready to fall forward…
Because he’s taller (6’4″) and heavier than I am, he had more difficulty standing up.
We were a bit worried about falling onto the sharp coral in shallow areas. Here’s hubby falling…
My feet are in position as far apart as possible as instructed by Deanna…
For my first attempt, I was very pleased to have gotten up a few times and paddled!
Staying young is an attitude! Keep trying new things and life is always an adventure! I read something recently that resonated, “To have joy in your life, view everything as if it’s the first time you’re seeing it or the last time”.
Camana Bay on Grand Cayman offers shopping, dining, and lively entertainment. My friend who lives on the island had plans to attend a film premiere which was part of the Poinciana Festival, so we took the opportunity to wander around the area. I was pleasantly surprised to see this cute palm tree filled mini island.
Colorful smooth discs situated in front of the cinema are fun for children to climb on. We noticed masses of long curly dreadlocks of green hanging from a tree.
Our friends remarked how uncrowded the area was, probably due to the overcast skies and earlier storm.
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in Grand Cayman is a photographer’s paradise! Strolling along its meandering paths you’ll discover beautiful Cayman Blue-throated Anoles…
a tranquil pond filled with flowering water lilies…
a baby blue wooden bridge…
brightly colored potted flowers beneath vibrant wooden trellises…
Winding paths bordered with exotic plants…
The best time to visit Stingray City at Grand Cayman Island is in the early morning, before the cruise ship crowds arrive and before the Stingrays have been hand fed from everyone later in the day! We chose Red Sail Sports to boat out to the area that’s called Stingray City. Although the catamaran could hold 70, there were only 12 people on board so we were free to spread out and relax. Leaving at 7:30am, the sun was low in the sky…
Upon arrival at 8:30am, my husband and I were the first off the boat. There were only two other small boats there before us. We were instructed to get low in the water and reach our arms out wide to embrace these amazing sea creatures…
I was so excited to have this experience and enjoyed feeling their smooth undersides. The underlying sense of danger made me feel alive!
Grand Cayman Island is a warm and lovely place to escape the cold! My husband and I have friends that live there (“friends in all the right places”) and are visiting them for the week. They took us for a tour of the island on Monday. Although it’s quite small, 20 miles long x 4 miles wide, it takes a while to travel from spot to spot. My husband was a bit unnerved with driving on the “wrong” side of the road. Our friends both work, so we’ve spent time at the dazzling blue beach in front of their condo and the sparkling clear pool during their absence.
We took a six-mile hike along seven mile beach and saw a variety of birds…
The resident rooster at their condo…
The beach seems to stretch forever…
It’s almost that time of year again…Christmas! Time to be with family and continue old traditions or begin new ones. Last night I was on assignment with Cincinnati Refined to take photos of the Neiderman Family Farm Holiday Light Display in Liberty Township, Ohio. If you live in the area, I highly recommend a visit. It’s free, but donations are appreciated.
You begin the 5 block walk (configured in a square) here…
Bible verses are displayed with colorful holiday lights!
The manger scene is beautiful…
These camels were on display in the village near where my group and I were staying in Kayakoy, Turkey. I’ve ridden a camel in Egypt and have to say I found it to be the least comfortable animal for transport.
But with a face like this…
I was in the midst of speaking with a man about how to get to the tombs of Fethiye when I turned around and saw this lovely painting on the steps.
For the equivalent of $7.00 I had my hair shampooed and blow dried in Istanbul. I didn’t bring my flat iron with me on the trip due to weight and it was nice to get rid of the frizzies for a few days!
In the town of Fethiye…
This kitty was near Kayakoy…
No matter where you are, there is beauty!
The Galata Bridge in Istanbul is symbolic of the link between the traditional old city of Istanbul and neighborhoods to the east that are largely non-Muslim. The bridge spans the Golden Horn (the primary inlet of the Bosphorus) and has been rebuilt five times. These are some of the sites I saw on either side of the bridge and on the bridge itself.
I believe we were headed towards Takism Square here…
I’m also a collector of street graffiti “art”!
Nice view of the Bosphorus…
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The fishing must be excellent!
Sights like this, a cat plumped down in the middle of a table of belts, enriched my visit to Istanbul and created such a fun and surprising atmosphere!
When you pick apart a scene like this to understand why it seems foreign to someone from America, the things that stand out to me are: the cart (it’s unlike those from America), the way the man is dressed on the right, with a long apron, the man in the background carrying a box on his head, the cobblestones, and the foreign signs on the building across the street.
Love this guy’s spirit!!
Each day after taking my group to the included sites on our itinerary, we would split up into groups. Being a photographer, I usually prefer sight-seeing on my own. That way, I’m not worried about holding people up or having to wait while someone goes shopping (ugh). Most afternoons I would head off on my own and on this particular day, I was trying to find better angles of the Blue Mosque and also somewhere to have a nice lunch. There was a man by himself, seated outside of a hotel/restaurant in a somewhat solitary part of town. I asked him if the food was good at the restaurant and he highly recommended it. Oh my, he didn’t tell me what a magnificent view there would be!
I ordered Sea Bass (I think), which was very good and had a nice glass of white wine while taking in my beautiful surroundings!
What’s funny is I thought this was the Blue Mosque that I had such a wonderful view of, but actually it was Hagia Sophia!
Dating back to the 6th Century, the Hagia Sophia Museum (Holy Wisdom) is one of the most impressive and important buildings in the world! Hagia Sophia was converted from a church to a museum in 1935. It was the largest church ever built until St Peter’s Basilica was constructed in Rome 1000 years later. It is the most visited site in Turkey with over 3.5 million visitors in 2014!
I visited the day after seeing the Blue Mosque and was surprised at how awe-inspiring the Hagia Sophia is in comparison!
It literally leaves you speechless!
That’s gold in the ceiling!
It is so stunning and I loved taking photographs inside…the way people’s shadows made shapes on the floor. Maybe you know what I mean, that some places you’re much more excited to be taking photographs in than others.
Sherry Lachelle Travels 