Today, May 16, is our only full day out here at Lake Atitlan. My roommates and I woke up around 8 to head to our eco-lodge’s breakfast, where we had a variety of options from pancakes to crepes to omelets, along with coffee and tea. At around 9 am our entire group took tuk-tuks into Santiago and spent the majority of the day in a more rural, traditional Maya town. It definitely put tourism in Antigua into perspective, and some of us were even approached because we looked different (in a nice and respectable way!). First, we stopped by the old town church (from 1547!) and met Dolores, who guided us throughout and had many stories and personal connections with the history of the church and the town. We learned about Stan Rother, who had been an incredible priest from Oklahoma who defended the Maya and promoted education amongst the poor and was killed during the civil war. Later, we visited two different cofradías, where we got to see Maximon and other entities of traditional Maya religious practice, as well as a weaving co-op. Both were extremely interesting and immersive, and I especially enjoyed learning more about the embedded traditions and symbolic meanings of weaving that people outside of the culture may not get to see. We had the afternoon off and got to look around the markets and spend time at the eco-lodge. As usual, it rained in the afternoon, but that didn’t stop people from taking advantage of the eco-lodge’s amenities, and I saw several people go out to kayak or head to the pool and sauna. The grounds were so beautiful with many different kinds of vegetation, I was content just watching the rain and calling some people at home. At seven, we met up as a group for dinner, which is always amazing, and spent the rest of the night getting ready to leave the next morning and having fun! The next morning, we met again at eight for breakfast and brought our packed-up bags. Around 9:30 am we took a boat to San Juan, where we visited a woman’s weaving co-op as well as a medicinal herb co-op. San Juan was a more touristy lake town and was way more uphill and colorful. It also was our guide German’s hometown, and one of his dogs followed us around for the whole day! Both of the co-ops were super interesting and engaging, leaving plenty of opportunities for students to ask questions and talk further if it related to their research topics. We had a little time to wander around the different market stalls and had lunch right next to the water, which was amazing. Afterwards, we headed on our last boat ride back to the hotel before heading back to Antigua on the three-hour bus ride. I’ll definitely miss Lake Atitlan but I’m excited for our last few days in Antigua and our homestay, and for our travels after!
– Megan Huan
