6:30am
the sky around
Lake
Atitlan begins to lighten.
A mist hangs over the various cities surrounding the enormous watery basin hidden in the shadow of three volcanoes.
Lake
Atitlan at this hour is a glassy expanse undisturbed in the quiet of the Guatemalan morning.
The boats serving as a primary mode of transportation for the residents and tourists residing around the lake come to life and begin their cyclical pattern to and fro between the fifteen or so communities surrounding the lake.
Panajachel is the gateway to the lake and serves as the largest of the port cities and the most tourist-friendly of them all.
On the complete opposite side of the lake is the small community of
San Juan set in the shadow of the much larger town of
San Pedro.
San Juan is one of the least disturbed cities on the tourist trek though residents are no strangers to the presence of the American, European and Asian guests that frequent their streets.
Even with the presence of tourism, the cost of living is very cheap.
The local currency to
Guatemala, the quetzala, runs about 7.6 quetzalas to 1 US dollar.
It is not uncommon to eat a meal at a restaurant (a variety of cuisines are available) complete with an appetizer, entrée, drink and coffer for under $10 US.
An incredibly friendly people, the Guatemalan residents are quick with a smile, greeting and consider the presence of other races, languages and peoples commonplace and lacking novelty.
The women all wear traditional, ankle-length skirts with vertical lines in various patterns and colors and colorful ornate blouses.
They have learned the art of carrying almost anything on their heads in perfect balance and are as street savvy as anyone can be in this area.
As a more tourist-friendly environment, many of the men work in tiendas (stores) or driving jitneys (little covered, pod-like three-wheeler motorcycles) and pickup trucks rather than farming (though many still work in an agricultural setting).
Each of the little towns has their own dialect though Spanish is taught at all schools which are free to children and teach valuable skills such as English and computers.
School begins for the children around
7:30am and goes till
12:30.
Older children (fourth-sixth graders) return for a
2:30-5:30 session.
This enhanced educational level is evident in the quality of the Spanish spoken, the percentage of individual attending higher education and the growing number of businesses and organizations in the various communities.
This is a very polite culture.
Children everywhere are taught manners and expected to speak clearly when introducing themselves and engaging in the formalities of a basic conversation.
Older men and women are addressed with the titles Don or Dona to acknowledge their position within society.
The cities surrounding
Lake
Atitlan are home to the arts.
Murals, paintings, art galleries, embroidery and the like make the streets colorful and, in some cases, breathtaking with the expert art displayed on the walls and building sides.
Schools offer art classes in drawing, painting and plastics.
Many women add crocheted ornamentation to their blouses, blankets, tablecloths and bags.
Panajachel is home to a Bible school and many of the pastors in the various villages (regardless of denomination) have attended the school and networked amongst themselves.
The presence of such an institution and the support of the churches around the lake for such an institution have fostered a healthy Christian environment and created a robust remnant of passionate, Spirit-filled believers.
That being said, some underlying tension still resides between the Catholics and Evangelicals, but progress is being made.
All in all,
Guatemala is a beautiful country set several thousand feet above its Central American neighbors.
The mountains are speckled with pine trees and forest-like foliage.
The afternoon wind beats down on the lake making the use of boats beyond
2:30 in the afternoon almost impossible.
Yet, the people here live laid back and content.
Ministry promises to be exciting and filled with conversations not only with locals but with the many tourists and backpackers visiting this locale.
The adventure awaits those ready to share a story and a cup of Guatemalan coffee.
Antigua
Cross overlooking the city of Antigua, Guatemala
Very cool architecture in Antigua
Entering the world of Lake Atitlan
