I Will Follow: How the Time Flies (a really late part 3 of 3)

Huge tree in Petén.

06.05.13

No sé que voy a hacer cuando regreso a Minnesota y no hay viajes y excursiones todo el tiempo. Through my time here in Guatemala, and especially these last five weeks, I have really seen the beauty that is present in this world – both through the creations of God and man. The short weekend trips are definitely not enough. Every time we travel outside of Sacetepequez (the district we live in), I am left wanting more and wishing that I could simply sit and soak in the wonder surrounding me. It might have started an addiction to travel. . .

The view from the top of a ruin at Tikal.

One of the greatest parts of Guatemala is its diversity. Both within the people groups and in la tierra or geography, there is a stark difference that creates a sense of newness everywhere we go. Whether it be mountains, oceans, lakes, volcanoes, pueblos, or cities, Guatemala has something to offer. Four weeks ago, we made the trek to Tikal, Petén. (Most of you are likely familiar with this image associated with Guatemala – Mayan ruins standing stark in vast green forest.) We woke at 3:30 AM, Malaria pills packed, shorts on, and with groggy footsteps we made our way to the door to await the shuttle. After an unmemorable (as in it was too early to do anything but try and sleep) ride to Guatemala City, we boarded a small, 18-passenger plane. Fortunately, we were able to take a 45-minute plane ride to Tikal, rather than the 14-hour bus ride.

Our snack box on the plane! So cute!

Coffee Plant!

When we arrived in Petén, our excited tour guide in a large hat helped us board a tour bus (I’ve now officially ridden a tour bus!) that took us to the ruins of Tikal. For several hours we wandered around, walking where people had once walked, climbing where people had once lived, meandering through public squares that had been used thousands of years before. It felt like taking a step back in time, seeing the intelligence and ingenuity of a people group who had been taken over long ago. Trying to convince myself that I was actually walking through Mayan ruins took some effort.

Ruin in Tikal

We climbed to the top!

We spent the night and the next day in a town called Flores, which was actually a small island. The brightly painted buildings, busy open stores, and welcoming restaurants all facing the water made for a magical environment. We spent the time playing games, swimming in the lake, walking around, and eating the most delicious pancakes ever. All too soon we had to leave the hotel and make our way back to Antigua.

The next weekend, after saying our goodbyes to language school, Becky, Anna, Anita, and I made our way to Río Dulce. Puedo decir que era uno de los lugares más bonitos por toda mis viajes. For several hours we made our way, getting hotter and hotter, north to the east side of Guatemala. Later that night, we found ourselves in Backpacker’s Hotel. The hotel itself was somewhat of a dock – I could see the water underneath the holes in our bathroom floor – and had a great view of the river and the ginormous bridge looming over it. The next day upon arriving we awoke early to . . . well, to be honest, I wasn’t sure what. It was kind of a show up and hope to see some cool things after a really long car ride sort of trip. I was in luck. By 9:00 that morning we found ourselves in a waterfall/natural hot spring. Here we had the “pool” essentially to ourselves while we swam about under the hot-springs. We then climbed to the top of the waterfall and received a natural mud-bath scrub that made our skin especially soft. Even though I was bit by a fish, the experience was incredible. I have to imagine that there is a place similar to this in heaven. The stress of the last weeks of school and the build-up of learning about difficult things that were emotionally stressing washed away in the heat of the water dripping down upon me, sitting on a warmed rock with my feet in a cool pool. I am almost tempted not to put up any pictures because it can’t actually capture the beauty of it all. The picture can’t show you the way the water glinted as it peaked over the waterfall. It can’t allow you to hear the melody of the birds, mixing with the swirl of water from the river over stones. A picture doesn’t capture the slight breeze rustling the trees and bringing the smell of the water to your face, upturned to catch the sun spreading light through the trees. I wish I could just bring you all with me to experience it for yourselves.

They call this place "Paradise."

That day we also swam in Lake Isabel, one of the four big lakes of Guatemala and made our way around the castle of San Felipe – known for its many canons to fight against pirates. We also made our way down a canyon, faces upturned to the rocks hundreds of feet above our canoe. The stillness of the world increased as we made our way from the park where a church was having a small get-together. Although we did not make it to Livingston (which means I’ll just have to come back), the trip left me in awe of the wonder of Guatemalan landscape.

Lago Isabel

Castillo de San Felipe

The final trip we made did not so much structure around the beauty of Guatemalan tierra, so much as the incredible people. We made our way to Panajachel. Here we stayed in a huge, luxurious room and did a lot of shopping. It was strange to see that everything was sellable – and with force. Venders walked around, following our large group of gringos, pushing the best price of their necklace, bag, hotel, boat ride, or menu. Although we were able to see the fourth lake – Lake Atitlan – we couldn’t swim in it due to pollution. Instead we walked around, shopped, ate, talked, took a boat tour around the lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, and shopped again. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know people from our group a little bit better.