I went to the Museo [edit: I gave the wrong name before] Casa del Tejido in Antigua for an hour while waiting for my shuttle. A guide with great English showed me around–I know I’m here to learn Spanish, but I had a lot of technical fiber questions that I wanted to understand. At first the museum seems a little cheesy, with the mannequin displays.

But the weaving! So exquisite.

I’m going to head to San Juan La Laguna today or tomorrow, where they sell cotton, and will show me how they spin it. Forget the nature reserve I was going to go to–I’ll see monkeys in Tikal.

I was interested to see castor beans growing wild, 30+ feet tal by the ruins.

I then “enjoyed” a lengthy drive to Panajachel. Actually it was beautiful and I would have had a great time, but I’m evidently allergic to something here, and my nose was running annoyingly the whole time. I had no tissues. Kind of funny actually–trying to enjoy terraced fields, mountains, cool little towns–and the whole time my body is saying “hey, I’m going to remind you I’m here. You haven’t been paying enough attention to me.”

chicken buses

Finally, the Lago de Atitlan. And oh…well, I now understand what the fuss is about (but I couldn’t get a good photo in the bus–later, I promise.)

Pana is more open than Antigua, but just as busy and packed with shopping stalls, tiendas, strolling saleswomen. I went to Mario’s Rooms, my first choice for a room, and they had a few. Luck is with me.

I walked briefly down to the Lake, but it was hazy and I was starving.

So I stopped in at El Bistro for some spicy fettucine. I will be eating típico Guatemalan fare for weeks, so I’m trying other recommended food now.
Then a walk down Calle Santander. I’m at Café la Parada now, an open-to-the-street bar-cafe, drinking a Gallo cerveza, and listening to the rain.

It will be dark soon, so I will head back to my hotel and relax in the beautiful courtyard. Tomorrow, I’ll go to San Juan and tour the lake vía lancha. It was too late to do that when I got here today. Adiós.