Since I've been so swamped with actual work in the photo department de Meg Perotti I've had little time to do anything to my photographs from my trip to Guatemala a few weeks back. I uploaded them to a flickr account that I have for family and friends to peruse but I really wanted to present them in a way that I felt I saw them. So there will be three posts, one for Antigua, one for Volcano Pacaya, and one for our stay at Lake Atitlan.
Mikey, Mason, and I met in the 6th grade... which means we've known each other for 12 years! That is half our lives.... We spent some of our most awkward years together, then spent some of our most important years apart, and still came out of it all friends. Many of my high school dance photos either include Mikey or Mason as my date. :) So, when Mason got his Peace Corps assignment almost two years ago we immediately decided this would be a great opportunity to get out of the country and visit him together. Our plan originally involved our good friend Marie, but some things complicated her situation and at the last minute she wasn't able to come. We had to kind of re-evaluate and re-excite ourselves for the trip but as soon as our eyes started taking in the volcano's from the airplanes decent into Guatemala City we knew this trip was going to be amazing. Despite everything we saw my favorite moments by far we had the last night, sitting atop the roof at our beautiful hotel, Meson Panze Verde, drinks in hand, chatting about life- past and present. These men have been two constant blessings in my world and I am so thankful to still have them in my life. We guide each other through moments good and bad and continue to experience things together years past our high school days. Hopefully this trip is one of many to come.
Mason rode with our driver to the airport to make sure we got into Antigua from Guatemala City okay. We stopped at his $4/night "hotel" first to grab his stuff. Honestly, I think these photos do this place justice. Mikey and I were really excited to get Mason to our hotel and let him feel pampered a bit... seriously folks, this place was .... whew...only Mason.
Our hotel, Meson Panze Verde. As Mason said, "They have CHEESE! TWO KINDS! AND I can drink the water right out of the faucet!" Isn't he cute.
Mason teaching us the proper way to eat our "Chuchitos." This was our first of many.
The first afternoon we were exhausted from flying over night but all amped up from being in this foreign place. We decided rather than nap to take a walk around Antigua.
Mason got his boots shined for, like, 5 quetzales.
These were our first ruins... I think I took 300 photos here. Seriously!
There are laws against the colors you can paint the outside of buildings in Antigua. Many of them look like the photo on the left... beautiful details like this are all over this city- all complimenting the women in traditional Mayan dress that roam the streets selling goods.
I felt bad about this one.... I didn't mean to catch him falling- it just happened.
Our last day in Antigua... we hiked up to this look out point. I can't remember what volcano we were looking at, maybe Agua? But it was so peaceful... we spent awhile in silence just staring at this landscape not sure what we were feeling.
Antigua...
Lake Atitlan up next... when ever I find some more free time. :)