Guatemala: The Start of My Journey

When I'm asked where were you born, people are always surprised by my answer. My mom was an international school teacher who worked in a lot of different countries. She moved to Guatemala to teach at Colegio Americano Guatemala, and I was born in Hospital Herrera Llerandi in Zona 10 of Guatemala City on August 8, 2008. Over the next three years, we took many trips to various parts of Guatemala, and I learned and experienced a lot about the beautiful culture of Guatemala and its people. 

The following are my Top 6 Most Memorable Cultural Experiences:

#1 Dia de Los Muertos - Festival de Barriletes Gigantes

We attended the Festival de Barriletes Gigantes annually because it was one of my mom's favorite Guatemalan celebrations. We woke up early the day after Halloween and made our way to the village of Sacatepéquez, located just 30 minutes outside of Guatemala City. Families from all over the country come to the cemetery bearing flowers that represent their loved ones who have passed and pray for their ancestors' safe journey back to earth from the afterlife.

For the Mayan communities, the well-known Barriletes Gigantes ceremony is a cultural event that dates back to before European influences were forced upon the Americas. The colorful kites were said to have symbolized the joining of the land of the living with the underworld of the deceased. The legend states that the details of the patterns, weaves, and colors on the kites encouraged communication between the living and their ancestors, as well as helping them travel back to earth to see loved ones without being hindered by evil spirits. 

These days, the important messages on the kites have shifted from a wish to speak with the dead to one of peace, optimism, and solidarity for the living. Designs are now influenced by current social movements that call for an end to careless violence or government corruption.

The designs for the barriletes take months to finish, and artists usually draw inspiration from what they observe at the festival. They start working on next year's design nearly as soon as the current festivities are over, painting and weaving the symbol in meaningful colors. 

Local communities start assembling their kites about two weeks before November 1st. They are often made of bamboo, fabric, and paper, and on the day of the celebration, they are carried to their designated locations and raised into the air by a team of people. 

The barriletes gigantes are so large that they can't really fly. Instead, you have to look up in the sky to see them. Along the sidelines, people create smaller kites that are flown overhead. Viewers are supposed to clap for their favorite barrilete gigante. Prizes are awarded to the kites that have the best design and remain airborne for the longest time.

#2 Antigua

Antigua is a small city known for its volcanoes and Spanish colonial buildings. People like to visit Antigua because of its excellent restaurants, little shops, and peaceful colonial environment. It is also known as the best-preserved Spanish colonial city in Central America. Some of the most famous things to see in Antigua are the Santa Catalina Arch, the Acatenango Volcano, and Pacaya Volcano. 

The Santa Catalina Arch is located on Calle del Arco and it was built in 1694. The purpose of the arch was to separate 2 convents, the Convent of the Virgin and the Convent of Santa Catalina. The nuns who lived in the convents in the 1960s were separated into two sides; one side was the living quarters and the other side was a school. The arch was created for the nuns to be able to cross the street without being seen by the public because they vowed to avoid all contact with the outside world and stay hidden from the public. Today, the convent has been converted into a hotel called Hotel Convento Santa Catalina Martir, and the street is a popular spot for the public. 

Antigua is an even more special place to visit during Semana Santa due to its traditions. Semana Santa is a Spanish tradition that was brought to Guatemala in 1524. One of the world's most detailed festivals takes place in Guatemala. Antigua's colorful street carpets, known as alfombras, and impressive parades draw hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Alfombras are made of dyed flowers and it takes all day to make them. These festivities create a unique religious and cultural experience by combining indigenous cultural beliefs with Spanish customs.

My first time staying in Antigua was during Semana Santa in 2009. For a holiday like Semana Santa, you should always book accommodation several months in advance. We only booked a month prior, so Earth Lodge was the only place available. While staying at Earth Lodge, we admired the volcanoes and the view of the natural beauty. Visiting Antigua during Semana Santa is special because the town is filled with alfombra (rug) makers. 

The Earth Lodge contains a restaurant, yoga classes, and a Temazcal (Mayan Sauna). You can also book a Mayan cacao, temazcal, or fire ceremony with a local Mayan Shaman. Some activities that you can do at the Earth Lodge are guided hikes, ATV adventures, avocado finda tours, aerials classes, and tortilla making classes.

While there is a lot to do, the rooms are much smaller than described. Despite the description of our private cabin stating that it contains a "large balcony and lots of space for all your traveling gear," the room was just big enough to accommodate a double and a single bed. We also stayed at the Earth Lodge in February 2010.

For Mother's Day weekend 2010, we returned to Antigua and stayed in Quinta de las Flores for a relaxing vacation. When staying here you can expect a lot of traditional Guatemalan decorations. If you are looking for a relaxing place to stay, Quinta de las Flores is perfect because of the beautiful view and a nice relaxing pool. We returned to the same place in October 2010 but stayed in a two-story house with some of my mom's friends. On one of the nights, we went out to eat dinner in tuk-tuks and planned to watch some sports on TV, but bars in Antigua don't let children in after 8 pm. 

Fun Fact: While we were living in Guatemala City in June 2010, the Pacaya Volcano erupted in Antigua and covered all of Guatemala City in volcanic sand. Following this unexpected event, Tropical Cyclone Agatha caused flooding. President Colom shut down all the schools in Guatemala for a week, and everyone cleaned up the city. 

#3 Lago Atitlán

Lake Atitlán is known as the deepest lake in Central America, and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is a beautiful blue lake surrounded by volcanoes and about 11 little villages. The three volcanoes surrounding Lake Atitlan are San Pedro, Atitlán, and Tomlimán. The villages surrounding Lake Atitlán have a lot of shops, restaurants, hiking trails, spas, and yoga retreat spaces. When visiting Lake Atitlán, we mainly chose to stay near Panajachel or Santiago Atitlán. 

During Semana Santa in 2009, we visited Lake Atitlán and stayed in San Marcos, a village west of Pana on Lake Atitlán. The weather was sunny and gorgeous during Semana Santa,  so it would have been easier to take a boat, but I was still a baby with a lot of luggage, so we decided to drive. We arrived at our hotel, which was called Hotel Aaculaax at the time but is now more commonly referred to as Lush Atitlan Hotel. As soon as we arrived, we discovered that San Marcos was a popular destination for yoga and meditation. It is the perfect place to visit if you are interested in yoga, meditation, and other spiritual activities such as energy and chakra healing, shamans, and plant medicine ceremonies. It has more of a hippie scene where people most commonly come to better themselves. San Marcos has an amazing view of the volcanoes. 

The Lush Atitlan Hotel is eco-friendly and has lots of walls constructed from plastic bottles filled with trash that have been wrapped in wire and then covered with plaster. The artwork on the walls and the use of glass bottles as window decorations and light covers were very unique decorations. After checking in, we took a boat to Santiago, another small village on Lake Atitlán. This ended up being my first time on a boat trip. We spent our day shopping for a couple hours before heading back. 

In October 2010, we took another trip to Lake Atitlán but stayed in the village of Santiago Atitlán at the Posada Santiago for a few days. Santiago Atitlán is one of the more traditional villages surrounding Lake Atitlán. Many of the locals are Tz’utujil Maya and can be found wearing traditional clothing and speaking their indigenous language. Santiago Atitlán has a lot of important Mayan temples, churches, and ceremonial sites, which is why the village is very religious. This is a great place to visit if you want to experience the more authentic side of Lake Atitlán and discover more about Mayan heritage and spiritual traditions in Guatemala. Santiago Atitlán is the furthest stop on a lancha from Panajachel, with about a 45 minute boat ride. 

In February 2011, we returned to Lake Atitlán in a shuttle and stayed in Panajachel at a hotel called Hotel Dos Mundos. It is a full-service hotel in an excellent location with a conference room, restaurant, café, bar, and kid-friendly swimming pool. Panajachel is one of the more developed villages on the lake, with a lot of tourists and plenty of locals. While staying in Panajachel, we went shopping on Calle Santander. There are a lot of street food vendors to visit and souvenirs and colorful textiles to purchase.

One of my mom's favorite memories happened on this trip while we were on a lancha. Once we arrived at our destination, the man called, "Pana, Pana," several times, and I started chanting "Pana. Pana!" with him, and the locals thought it was hilarious. As we were in the returning lancha by the end of the day, a passenger recognized me and referred to me as the Pana Pana girl. 

#4 Monterrico

Monterrico is located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala in Santa Rosa. It is known for its volcanic black sand beaches and annual sea turtle hatchlings. It is best to travel to Monterrico for a relaxing beach vacation and if you are interested in seeing sea turtles. There are a few turtle conservation organizations that operate in Monterrico and they are called Tortugarios. The Tortugario Monterrico (CECON) is a place that you should visit if you want to learn more about turtles, caimans, iguanas, and conservation ideas.  

In November of 2010, we spent a weekend in Monterrico and I got to release turtles into the ocean. Hundreds of turtles come onshore each year to lay their eggs at night. The best time to visit Monterrico for turtle season is between June and December because August and September are the nesting months. Monterrico is one of the prime nesting spots for giant leatherback, green sea, and smaller olive ridley turtles. 

We returned to Monterrico in March 2011 and stayed at the Cayman Suites. We loved to visit for a relaxing trip because the scenery is beautiful.

January & March 2011

#5 Lago Izabal

November 2010

#6 IRTRA Theme Parks

Xetulul and Xocomil are the two parts of the well-known theme park IRTRA. They are located in Retalhuleu, western Guatemala, approximately 4 hour drive from Guatemala City. Xocomil is a water park, and Xetulul is an amusement park. We had a great time at Xocomil for two nights. Although I was too small to ride a water slide, I had fun splashing in the big pools. 

The parks and nearby hotels are associated with IRTRA. Xocomil is the biggest and most visited water park in the entire country. The name Xocomil derives from a mixture of the Tzutuhil and Cakchiquel languages and means, strong wind that blows over the water. The waterpark has a theme of Mayan architecture and has some of the most modern equipment and up-to-date facilities of an excellent waterpark. 

There are a ton of wonderful rides at Xetulul that are appropriate for all ages. The park isn't very crowded, especially during the off-season, so there are regularly short lines and inexpensive admission. Beyond the rides, the park has a concept based on various countries. For example, there is Spain with its galleon ships, Italy with its Trevi fountain, Guatemala with its town square, and a massive red Mayan pyramid.