On our last night in Antigua the rainy season started. Clouds had been forming, and we’d witnessed lightening storms, but that evening was the first real rain they had seen since November. Since then there have been storms and rain each afternoon and night. Luckily we have still had beautiful sunny mornings, and we’ve been making the best of them at Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan is a stunningly beautiful lake surrounded by volcanoes and villages built upon the steep slopes. Whether it was walking between the villages, or catching the frequent lanchas (small motorboats) around the edge of the lake, it was more beautiful than we had anticipated.
Within the actual villages it was fascinating to see the Mayan people. The villages are still mostly inhabited by indigenous communities, and it was the first time we had seen men and children dressed in traditional clothing. Each village has slightly different clothing. In one village everyone was dressed in hues of blue and purple, whilst the women had tinsel braided into their hair. In another women wore embroidered blouses with heavy colourful skirts. In one village we stumbled upon an event that seemed to include people from all the villages taking it in turns to perform, what seemed to be stories about the formation of the lake, or local customs.
It was the perfect place to relax for a couple of days before starting the multi-day bus trip to Semuc Champey.
No comments:
Post a Comment