August 19, 2010
Almost two weeks have flown by since I arrived at the Lake. We spent over a week in San Marcos la Laguna, a quiet village hidden in the lush forest, with small footpaths leading to Hostals, Restaurants, Houses and shops. There are just a handful of cars and not too many Tuc Tucs either, as the villagers just walk everywhere. Although at night the footpaths are very dark and one has to remember to take a flashlight along.
But if not, there is always a young boy nearby to offer their service as guide for a small fee. San Marcos is believed to be a vortex, at least by the western population that has descended upon the village. There are many Yoga centers, Massage Clinics along with Meditation Gardens and the like. There are also many non profit projects going on, such as education, medical services, sustainable agriculture and micro loans to the Mayan families. A good number of the tourists not only come to take classes in the holistic arts, but also volunteer days or weeks for any of the pojects. I asked some Mayan families, how they felt about the influx of Gringos (all westerners are referred to as Gringo) and they told me, that their lives are much better now, because there is work for them, or they can sell their goods and the children receive education. Before that, the villagers were very poor and isolated, as there was no road leading to the village either.
One day we hiked for 5 hours to three other, more isolated villages along the lake.
The people there start their days at about 3 am in the morning, hiking up to their fields and tending their crop. These fields are at about a 30 degree angle way up all along the mountain sides. It had been raining a lot, although while I was there, the weather was beautiful, which created a lot of mudslides, that are visible all around the lake. The view of the Volcanoes is an ever changing tapestry. I never get tired of looking at it. Surprisingly the water in the lake is warm and wonderful to swim in, even though it reaches a depth of 300 meters. We eventually came back to Panajachel, where I had left Bluebird parked. Pana is a lot busier and a larger village with cars and multitudes of Tuc Tucs (little taxis). The town is full of market stalls and street vendors. It is amazing how many children are operating as street vendors, but this is often the only way for them, to afford, to go to school. Today I ran into 2 girls, 10 and 11 years old, that I recognized from Antigua.
They remembered Sky and I too. I invited them for a piece of cake and soda, since I just can not buy any more bracelets or scarfs. They told me, they travel between Antigua, Panajachel and San Pedro to sell their goods (handmade by their mother, sisters and grandmother), but they live in Santa Catarina, 35 km from Pana in the mountains. It was great to see them not working for a short time and observe how easily they relax and are just two gigly girls, according their age. Most villagers from the outer lying areas wear their traditional skirts and blouses. The men wear very colorful pants and shirts. Each village has distinct colors and symbols. The amount of colors are almost overwhelming at times here in Pana, but the smiling faces of the Mayas are just incredible. Sky always attracts the little boys that want to play with him, so we have had a lot of interaction with many families. Ohh..I just love it in Guatemala. I have also been volunteering for the Mayan Families project since we arrived here. Today it hit me, how blessed we are and what an incredible journey it has been this far. I have received so much love and support along the Ruby Road that my heart is bursting with love. Although I would like to stay longer in Guatemala, my inner compass is urging me on again. We will probably leave soon for El Salvador, more love...more adventures...!!!!
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